A valuable tool for understanding the Middle East and global politics, this innovative and information-packed volume combines clear, analytical text with full-color maps and graphics to provide a comprehensive and accessible guide to the region today. As Western powers attempt to redraw the map of the region, Dan Smith uses his forensic skills to unravel this arena of confrontation and stability. With customarily acute analysis, he highlights key issues and maps their global implications to explain why the Middle East has become, and will remain, the focal point for international relations. Smith includes historical maps that show the making of the contemporary region as we recognize it today, as well as an original risk assessment that gauges the future of the Middle East and its implications for the world at large. The Atlas covers a wide range of topics, including: U.S. presence and policies, Arab-Israeli wars, Israel and Palestine, Iran and Iraq, military spending, the Kurds and ethnic conflict, and Libya and the U.S.