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By curious accident of history and geography, the world's major energy resources are located pretty much in Shiite regions. They're a minority in the Middle East, but they happen to be where the oil is, right around the northern part of the Gulf.
Noam Chomsky
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the geographical irony of energy resource distribution, particularly oil, in regions dominated by minority groups.

Noam Chomsky points out an interesting historical and geographical phenomenon where the world's major energy resources, particularly oil, are concentrated in regions predominantly inhabited by Shiite Muslims. Despite being a minority in the Middle East, these areas hold significant importance due to their energy resources, which has implications for geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Themes

EnergyOilGeographyResourcesMiddle East

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about global energy politics, you might use this quote to illustrate the complexities of resource distribution.

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