- Many people think this region is all desert with a few scattered oasis. In reality, there is a large amount of diversity.
- People think that this region has little economic development. While some countries are very poor, many countries experience a great deal of success, this mostly due to the large amount oils.

- 7% holds 61% of world's oil
- Shares close economic ties with the rest of the world
- China, U.S., Japan, and others depend on this region's fossil fuels
- Turkey exports textiles, food, and manufactured goods to Germany, U.S., Italy, France, and others

Misconceptions

Importance