Desert Geography: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and the Arabian Peninsula | Natalie Koch
In this episode of The afikra Podcast, Professor Natalie Koch – the author of "Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia" – helps us dive into the unexpected connections between the deserts of Arizona and the Arabian Peninsula, beginning with the story of Hi Jolly and the camel experiments of the mid-19th century. The discussion explores how these arid spaces serve as political and imperial tools, the role of white experts in influencing desert landscapes, and the intricate history of agricultural projects that link these seemingly distant regions. Chapters include the origins of Koch's interest in the subject, detailed histories of desert colonization, and the broader implications of these transnational connections.
00:00 Introduction to Desert Politics
01:20 The Unlikely Connection: Arizona and Saudi Arabia
02:53 The Story of Hi Jolly and the Camel Experiment
11:40 Geography and Its Modern Implications
14:45 The Political Significance of Deserts
18:38 Colonial and Imperial Narratives
22:14 The Role of White Experts in the Arabian Peninsula
24:17 Arizona's Colonial History
27:46 The Influence of Old World Desert Knowledge
30:49 Recruiting White Settlers to Arizona
31:41 The Role of Railroads and Pamphlets
32:56 Western Mythology and Camels in Films
34:41 California's Date Industry and Arabian Influence
36:43 The Short-Lived Camel Experiment
37:40 Global Connections of Deserts
43:42 Transnational Agricultural Projects
51:23 Controversies and Misappropriations
52:50 Recommended Readings and Resources
Natalie Koch is a political geographer working on the topics of geopolitics, nationalism, energy and environmental politics, science and technology studies, and sports geography. Empirically, her research focuses on the Arabian Peninsula, where she studies the many transnational ties that bind the Gulf countries, actors, and ideas to other parts of the world. She has published extensively in journals such as Political Geography, Geopolitics, and Society and Natural Resources, and she is the author of "Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia," "The geopolitics of spectacle: Space, synecdoche, and the new capitals of Asia" (Cornell University Press, 2018), and co-editor of the Handbook on the changing geographies of the state: New spaces of geopolitics (Edward Elgar 2020). She is currently a professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Geography and the Environment, Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs.
Find Koch's books 👉 https://nataliekoch.com/
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The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a newfound curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first.
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