ABSTRACT
Egypt stands out among the countries of the world on account of its strategic position as guardian of the Suez Canal, its remarkable historical legacy, and its extreme dependence on a single river for its water supply. Turkey’s location at the interface between Europe and Asia, and between the Christian and Islamic ‘worlds’, is no less distinguished. The four countries at the eastern end of the Mediterranean-Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan-are also located in a region of particular significance in history since here Judaism and Christianity originated, while Islam’s place of origin is not far off at Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
