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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Tim Marshall
Iran, for example, is shaping the future of the Middle East. A pariah state with a nuclear agenda,
Its regional rival Saudi Arabia, a country built on oil and sand, has always counted the USA as an ally. But as demand for oil declines and the USA becomes more energy-independent, its interest in the Middle East will slowly wane. Elsewhere it is not oil but water that is causing turmoil. As the ‘water tower of Africa’, Ethiopia holds a crucial advantage over its neighbours, particularly Egypt. This is one of the key sites for the potential ‘water wars’ this century, but also shows the power of technology as Ethiopia uses hydroelectricity to change its fortunes.
On 4 January 2020 Sydney was one of the hottest places in the world – the temperature was measured at 48.9ºC.
Ethnic groups cling to their identities and resist absorption, making it harder for the modern state to foster a sense of national unity.
When Tehran feels under pressure, especially when its oil exports are threatened, it uses a variation of a warning issued in 2018: ‘We will make the enemy understand that either everyone can use the Strait of Hormuz or no one.’
