North America and the Middle East contribute very much to informing on how cultural integration took place in ancient times. The two societies are located in strategic positions for trade activities both on land and across the water. A range of factors that took place within North America and the Middle East contribute to their similarities and differences.
Both Native Americans and people from the Middle East are known for prominence in trading activity in ancient times. Merchants from both sides took part in selling goods and services in the form of batter trade within and across the land. However, both merchants did not take part in selling the land. They believed in preserving the ancestral land. People in these two areas used the land for agricultural activities and taming of animals. Individuals from both North America and the Middle East expanded their trading activities by constructing residential areas near the cities. Construction of the houses near the cities contributed to the rapid growth of North America and the Middle East economically. (Sowell 111).
Both Middle East and North America had native people before the immigration of other people. For instance, Arabs were the dominant inhabitants of the Middle East before the intrusion of Muslims. The common language of the Arabs was Arabic. On the other hand, North American native speakers were the Indians they also expounded their territories in North America by carrying out various trade activities. However, the incoming of other people through the quest for wealth and the slave trade led to the revolution of a new language used for communication. (Robinson 228)
Both inhabitants of the Middle East and North America practiced farming. The Arabs practiced nomadic activities whereas the Natives from North America took part in animal taming and farming. To avoid the cropping of differences within their nations, both Arabs and Indus believed in communal land ownership. Through this, people moved freely from one place to another leading to intermingling that resulted in cultural diversity.
The presence of immigrants in both North America and the Middle East led to the economic growth of these countries. The potential immigrants also enacted the development of infrastructures that attracted investors from other nations. The coalition of immigrants with the native people led to the exchange of cultural practices. Intermarriages between them also led to the introduction of a new race of persons.
Both Middle East natives and North American people believed in the existence of supernatural power and lived harmoniously. The Arabs worshipped God whereas the Indus curved some spiritual features for worship. They both had holy books that governed their ways of living. Despite North America being made up of different native people, it managed to remain in peaceful coexistence. (Sowell 119)
Despite the sharing of common elements between the Middle East and North America, they have some differences. Immigration of Muslims into the Middle East led to the cropping of different practices, for instance, Muslim law advocates for Polygamy practices in society. The inhabitants of North America on the other hand, practice monogamy due to influence by Christianity.
Slavery practice in North America involved the provision of labor to individual farmers within North America. Whereas slavery in the Middle East involved the capturing and selling of people to European nations where they were to provide cheap labor.
The common language in North America, English resulted from the immigration of many nations into North America in search of wealth. Almost all of the Middle East inhabitants use Islamic and Arabic language in communication. The language diversity did not take place in the Middle East due to its overpopulation by specific societies, and the wide spread of the native language. (Robinson 231)
In conclusion, the Middle East and North America similarities cropped from the immigration. This is because they both proved to be productive and with good strategic positions for trade.
Works cited
Robinson, Francis. History of the Islamic World. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.
Sowell, Kirk. The Arab World: An Illustrated History. New York: Hippocrene Books, 2004. Print.