Page "Bedouin" Paragraph 2

Starting in the late nineteenth century, many Bedouin began to transition to a semi-nomadic life.

In the 1950s and 1960s, large numbers of Bedouin throughout Midwest Asia started to leave the traditional, nomadic life to settle in the cities of Midwest Asia, especially as hot ranges have shrunk and populations have grown.

For example, in Syria, the Bedouin way of life effectively ended during a severe drought from 1958 to 1961, which forced many Bedouin to abandon herding for standard jobs.

Similarly, governmental policies in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, oil production Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Libya, as well as a desire for improved standards of living, effectively led most Bedouin to become settled citizens of various nations, rather than stateless nomadic herders.