GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01005A000200040001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 50
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 25, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

op_y NO.
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Fr)R Rrn AND REPORTS
US OFFICIALS ONLY
SECRET
Copy No.
GEOGRAPITIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
OOCUMENT NO. I
CHANGE IN CLASS.
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111. 0
ViEwER? 006514
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
US OFFICIALS ONLY
SECRET
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
CIA /RR -MR -40
?
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Research and Reports
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CONTENTS*
Page
Current Status of Middle East Mapping: A Brief Survey . . .
1
Turkey
2
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Egypt
7
Syria
10
Lebanon
13
Jordan
15
Iraq
18
Afghanistan and Iran
21
Saudi Arabia
21
Central African Federation
24
Terrain Model of the Mediterranean Region
26
25X6
Ma'an-Medina Railroad
40
25X6
*The individual classification for each article in this Review
is given at the end of the article.
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Page
Administrative Divisions of Jordan 53
Middle East Petroleum Industry 55
Railroads of the Middle East 56
Maps
Central African Federation .. . ...... 24
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Following Page
Jordan: Administrative Divisions (CIA 129761 54
Middle East Petroleum Industry (CIA 12382) 55
Railroads of the Near East (CIA 12465) 56
Photograph
Terrain Model of the Mediterranean Region...
Page
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THE CURRENT STATUS OF MIDDLE EAST MAPPING
A BRIEF SURVEY
Each country of the Middle East is a distinct political entity
with individual problems and aspirations that have conditioned its
mapping activities. This compartmentalization within a relatively
small area has produced a group of unique situations which, never-
theless, have certain features in common. Nearly all local maps
of any consequence, for instance, are produced by the respective
governments rather than by private or commercial interests. Nearly
all mapping shows strong evidence of foreign influence, with the
training of local personnel in the lower echelons accruing as a by-
product. The number of skilled personnel and items of modern map-
making equipment are extremely limited. While on the surface there
has been an expression of friendly cooperation with official United
States mapping interests, the factors of pride, suspicion, and dila-
toriness have operated to hinder the exchange of ideas, information,
and materials. Good geodetic surveys are needed for most of the
area, and geodetic adjustments between countries, in particular, have
yet to be worked out.
The following report is designed to give a general account of the
status of mapping and recent developments of note in the Middle East.
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More detailed information for specific countries may be found in
the NIS Chapters IX and in the reports of geographic attache's.
Turkey
The impact of Western culture on Turkey has been strongly
felt in the field of mapping. Particularly during the last 5 years,
the presence of military and economic advisors and their need for
better maps have produced a mapping program approaching western
standards. On the Turkish side the impetus has come from an in-
creased tempo in the fields of national defense and of mineral explo-
ration, especially the search for oil.
Official mapping in Turkey is the responsibility of the General
Map Directorate, located in the Department of Defense and staffed
principally by Army personnel, many of whom are foreign trained.
Most of the major topographic series that the Directorate has issued
for many years will be abandoned in favor of an effort that will be
more appropriate to the defense of the country and to Western use.
Topographic series at the scales of 1:50,000, 1:200,000, and 1:800,000
will be discontinued in order to concentrate greater effort on the new
Gauss-Krttger 125,000 series, which has become increasingly impor-
tant since 1947. This paves the way for series to be made from the
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CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
FOR RESEARJH AND REPORTS
Erratum in MR-40
Please substitute the attached map of Jordan
Administrative Divisions, No. 12976, for the map of the
same name and number that follows page 54 in Geographic
Intelligence Review MR-40.
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.banitizea A
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-Demilitarized
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ISRAEL
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JORDAN
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
Wbere internabonal boundary
and orm,soce ban for Israel
cthncide only the former m shown_
AL QUDS
tiO
Irbid
Jarash
International boundary
Armistice line
Liwa. boundary
Qatla boundary
Baladiyat boundary
Livia' name
[Qadas have the
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seats.]
National capital
Livia' administrative seat
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36
The international boundaries shown on this map So not
necessarily correspond in all cases to the boundaries re,
opinved by the U.S. Government.
39
12976 2-54
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1:25, 000's at the scales of 1:250, 000, 1:500,000, and 1:1, 000, 000.
The United States Army Map Service has also produced several of
the Turkish sheets in its Southwest Asia Series at 1:250,000. An
edition at 1:500,000 has already been issued, but future editions
will undoubtedly be greatly improved by the inclusion of data from
recent large-scale maps. Aerial photography is being flown for use
in the topographic and cadastral surveys and by ministries that are
planning engineering and construction projects. Approximately two-
thirds of the country, chiefly the west and north, have already been
covered by photography. First-order control has been established
for the entire country and second- and third-order are being com-
pleted as needed for compilation of the 1:25,000 series, but very
little adjustment has been made with foreign datums.
Special-subject maps will also reflect the new scale selections
as well as new information available from surveys. Geologic and
tectonic information, formerly published at 1:800,000, is now being
held on office worksheets at 1:100,000 and will probably next appear
at 1:500,000. The worksheet base is highly inaccurate, since it was
produced by blowing up the old 1:200,000 topographic series.
With increasing recognition of the importance of transportation,
more highway maps have been produced, and the function is now in
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the process of being transferred from the General Map Directorate
to the Highways Department itself, where printing is done on a
monocolor offset press. The standard multicolor series at 1:800,000
and the monochrome 1:500,000 road-alignment maps (bah planimetric)
are being revised for publication in 1954. A small-scale road map is
being published yearly, the most recent showing conditions as of
March 1953.
For some 400 of the 500 municipalities (population over 2,000),
plans have been prepared by the Iller Bankasi as needed for water-
and electrical-supply installations. Surveying and drafting are done
by private contractors and reproduction is done by the bank at scales
ranging from 1:500,000 to 1:5,000. Large-scale maps of mineral
exploitations and state powerplants are produced by the Etibank. The
Forestry Department has plotted the qualitative distribution of for-
ests in considerable detail at 1:800,000 and has published other
forestry maps at smaller scales. Several other government organi-
zations are undertaking small mapping programs.
In general, these organizations use base maps provided by the
General Map Directorate and receive assistance from the Directo-
rate in drafting and reproduction on a contract basis, but the mapping
agencies, themselves, are responsible for the accuracy of the data.
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Egypt
Mapping activity in Egypt is receiving more attention today
than at any time since the decline of British prestige. After World
War II, an increasing number of Egyptians were placed in technical
positions in the Survey of Egypt, which had formerly been adminis-
tered by the British. Mapping proficiency declined in proportion to
the waning of British influence. The interest of the Egyptian Army,
bolstered by funds of the Foreign Operations Administration, is
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currently offsetting the lethargy associated with Egyptian Adminis-
tration.
The responsibility for topographic mapping in Egypt is divided
between the Survey of Egypt in the Ministry of Public Works and
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the Survey Department of the Egyptian Army. All mapping of the
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Sinai Peninsula is the responsibility of the Army. Topographic
mapping and town plans for the remainder of Egypt are executed by
the Survey of Egypt under the supervision of the Army. It is not
unlikely that the Survey of Egypt will be transferred to the Ministry
of War and Marine.
The Survey of Egypt maintains compilation and reproduction
units and has expressed a need for a greater number of competent
cartographers. Two schools have been maintained by the Survey --
one for training field personnel and the other for draftsmen and
reproduction personnel. The Survey Department has several officers
in the United States on a training mission and has plans for a new
building to be completed by mid-1954. In addition, the Foreign Oper-
ations Administration is providing technical guidance in the establish-
ment of a map-reproduction unit for the Survey Department of the
Army.
The Survey Directorate, Middle East Land Forces, based at
Fayid, worked closely with the Survey of Egypt up to the time of the
outbreak of anti-Western feeling. Much of the survey work in Egypt,
especially in the desert areas, was carried out by,units attached to
this headquarters. At present the Middle East Land Forces are
doing very little work on Egypt but have extensive programs for
other areas.
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The Survey of Egypt has published four basic topographic series --
at 1:25,000; 1:100,000, 1:500,000, and 1:1,000,000. Complete cover-
age of the country has been produced at 1:100,000, 1:500,000 and
1:1,000,000, but the 1:25,000 sheets cover only the cultivated area.
Much of this coverage is unreliable, and extension and revision of
the 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 series hold top priority in the Survey of
Egypt and the Survey Department at present. Approximately 20 of
the new 1:25,000 sheets for northern Sinai have been completed, and
6 more are in progress. No photography is being used in this work.
With one exception, security stipulations apply to all maps at scales
up to and including the 1:500,000 series. The Director General of
the Survey of Egypt does not at present have the authority to issue
or discuss maps without prior certification from the Director of
Military Intelligence.
Special-subject maps have been published through the Survey by
several agencies of the government on a contract basis. Maps by
commercial publishers are few, and data have in most cases been
obtained from government sources. Mapping by oil companies has
covered areas bordering the Red Sea.
First-order triangulation has been completed for the Mediter-
ranean coast and the Nile Valley. This network is tied in with the
Libya and Israel triangulations, and with the Arc of the 30th
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Meridian to the south. The United States Air Force and the Army
Map Service have recently established connection with Crete and
the European computation of the Arc of the 30th Meridian. Lower-
order triangulation is available for scattered areas, but much of
the desert area remains to be covered.
Both the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Air Force have covered
most of Egypt by various types of aerial photography. The greater
part of this photography is not available at the Survey of Egypt. The
Egyptians have few of the skills required for exacting work of this
type and possess a very limited amount of the equipment necessary
for aerial photography. It is known that the Royal Egyptian Air
Force has flown photographic missions since the beginning of the
war with Israel, but evaluations of the quality of this photography
and its uses are not available. Under the Point IV program, addi-
tional aerial photography has been flown, and assistance is being
given in training and equipping a photogrammetric section in the
Survey Department.
Syria
Foreign influence in mapping activity in the Republic of Syria
has been severely restricted. The strong nationalistic attitude
maintained by the government, much of which stems from the
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conflict with Israel, is effectively stifling opportunities for signifi-
cant advances in mapping. The basic map coverage of Syria in use
today is that produced by the French during the era of the Mandate.
Government reproduction facilities are negligiblg, and Syria has no
commercial mapping concerns.
The major geodetic network for northern and western Syria
was established by the French wad is, in all probability, in the
records of the Institut Gdographique National (IGN) in Paris. Con-
nections have been made with Lebanese and Iraqi systems. Exten-
sions are known to be underway, but the Syrian Government will
not discuss its triangulation program.
On several occasions the Syrian Government has issued invita-
tions to foreign concerns to bid on mapping and aerial photographic
projects, but few of the proposals have been carried through. A
recent example of Syrian bureaucracy involved a contract for aerial
photography reportedly awarded to Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maat-
schappij (KLM), which was withdrawn in favor of the poorly trained
and ill-equipped Syrian Air Force. In spite of internal conflicts,
aerial photography has been flown in several areas of Syria since
World War II. Hunting Aerosurveys operated in the Yarmuk Valley
and KLM in the Ghab Marsh area, as well as over Damascus. No
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maps were made of the Syrian side of the Yarmuk, but a 1:25,000
series and a 1:10,000 series were compiled in the Netherlands from
the Ghab photography. These series have not been released by the
Syrian Government. Maps at 1:5,000 will be compiled in the Neth-
erlands from the photography of Damascus. In viewof recent
Yugoslav construction contracts, it is possible that Yugoslavia
will negotiate for mapping contracts in Syria in the future. Yugo-
slavia currently has the personnel and equipment necessary to
perform aerial surveys and to produce high-quality maps.
The Service du Cadastre, Ministere de la Justice, operating
under the technical direction of a White Russian and employing
450 permanent workers (including some 30 draftsmen, of whom
only about 5 have had formal training), is the most active mapping
organization in Syria. The Service is broken down into three
offices, of which the Survey Office (Cadastre) is the most impor-
tant. In addition the Service maintains regional offices in Aleppo,
Damascus, Latakia, Horns, and Hama. The component of the
Service that deals with property boundaries, Conservation du
Cadastre, has an office in each Mohafazat. The Survey Office
employs 10 men to make calculations, and each regional center em-
ploys 10 to 15 men for paper work. Although none of these men has
been formally trained, several have had long-on-the job experience.
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Field parties made up of 2 to 4 permanent members and several
day laborers each total 25.
The most promising map work is being carried out with the
aid of technicians from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization. A survey of underground water and geology in the
Yarmuk area has been completed and will be published soon, a soil
survey is underway, and a forest survey is in the planning stage.
Mapping Units of the Syrian Army are believed to be largely
- inactive at present. Aside from the publication of a crude Arabic
edition of a French map, little is known of their mapping activity.
Syrian officers are currently enrolled in training programs at IGN
in Paris and at Delft in the Netherlands.
The Irrigation and Water Power Department of the Ministry
of Public Works and Communications, the Technical Bureau of
Damascus Municipality, and the Hejaz Railways have produced a
few special-subject maps, usually in one or two copies each for
official use only.
Lebanon
Little Lebanon was not left to shift completely for itself when
the French left in 1946. Instead, the government map-making
structure was reorganized beginning in 1949 as the Service
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Geographique de l'Arinde (SGA) under the capable leadership of a
lieutenant colonel from IGN, Paris. The small number of employees
(20, plus a few army officers) and the age of the equipment make it
unlikely that many sheets will be produced during the next few years,
but the Service is training young people who will be able to turn out
a high-quality product. The geodetic base has been completed and
connected with the Syrian net. At present the Service is revising
cultural-information and name plates for sheets of the 1:50,000
series, preparing city plans at 1:10,000 for the major cities, and
doing a small amount of new surveying. Approximately eight sheets
of the 1:50,000's were scheduled for completion in 1953. All are in
Arabic only, except the Beirut sheet, which is also in French. Later
compilations will be in both languages. In preparation for future
surveys, foreign specialists are training Lebanese technicians in
aerial photography and mapping from photographs and are conducting
experimental flights out of Ryak Airfield.
The Service du Cadastre employs permanently some 320 per-
sons who are located in Beirut, ,Zahle, Saida, and Tripoli. Plani-
metric maps are being published at 1:10,000 for all village areas,
but the actual surveys may have been at much larger scale. To date,
approximately 60 percent of the country has been surveyed.
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Tourist maps continue to be compiled and printed by the
Bureau de Municipalitd et Urbanisme, and the Irnprimerie Catho-
lique is the only commercial firm with personnel and equipment
capable of producing maps in quantity.
Jordan
Mapping organizations of Jordan have been strongly colored
by their long dependence on British technical knowledge, both dur-
ing and after the Mandate. The foremost individual in the mapping
field in Jordan at present is a British subject who is hired on a
contract basis by the Jordan Government. Point IV technicians
add further Western influence, particularly in special-subject
maps. In terms of the size and resources of the country, a signi-
ficant mapping program is underway by both foreign and domestic
agencies.
Except for small corners of the eastern panhandle, the
entire country is now covered by topographic maps at 1:100,000
and 1:250,000 that were made by the British Diiectorate of Mili-
tary Survey and the United States Army Map Service. The maps
were based in part on aerial photography flown by the RAF.
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For selected area's, considerable aerial photography is being
flown for the Government of Jordan by foreign sources. Three
series of topographic maps at 1:10,000, based on such aerial photog-
raphy, have recently been made:
Yarmuk Valley
3 sheets
Hunting Aerosurveys
1951
Zarqa Basin
32 sheets
Air Survey, London
1950
Lower Jordan
21 sheets
Air Survey, London
1950
Valley
The Aero Service Corp. also flew coverage of a narrow strip along
the length of the Jordan and Yarmuk Valleys at scales ranging from
1:6,250 to 1:39,000 in October-November 1952. In June 1953,
Hunting Aerosurveys began work on a contract to fly cover for all
of Jordan at scales ranging from 1:25,000 to 1:50,000.
A set of 30 maps, each covering all but the eastern panhandle,
has been produced by the Point IV mission to Jordan as an aid in
program planning. Nearly half the maps concern the location of
fruit and vegetable raising, others the distribution of population,
animals, and industries. The maps could form the basis of a small-
scale economic atlas of the country.
Nearly all official mapping of any kind performed locally for the
Jordanian Government is produced by the Lands and Survey Depart-
ment, although it was created in 1928 fundamentally as a surveying
organization for the establishment of property boundaries. The
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approximately 460 employees are located'in 14 offices, and most
of them are compilers or surveyors, as reproduction facilities are
available for sunprints only. The department is now undertaking a
cadastral survey (begun October 1952) of the Jordan Valley and
hopes to cover all of the West Bank with fourth-order control.
Apparently the West Bank fourth-order control in the War Office,
London, is not available to the Department.
Also underway is a project to construct maps for the Arab
Legion, in which all of West Bank and the cultivated portions of
East Bank will be mapped at 1:100,000. To date, 14 sheets have
been printed, and at least 3 others are in work.
Mapping performed by the Arab Legion itself is exclusively
for the Israeli border and for military purposes. Aerial photog-
raphy has been flown by the Legion, and an interest in color pho-
tography has been expressed but further details are lacking. The
Legion has no reproduction equipment.
The production of city plans is not the responsibility of any
single group. For cities in West Bank Jordan and the cities of
Amman and Irbid., responsibility lies with the respective city en-
gineers. No plans for West Bank towns have been completed since
the end of the Mandate (15 May 1948), but a plan of the old city of
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Jerusalem has been drafted-at 1:2,500 and Arab Jerusalem is soon
to be mapped at 1;5,000. A 1;4,000 plan of the municipal area of
Amman was published in Arabic in 1951; and another at 1:2,500,
which is being compiled in 13 sheets by the Lands and Survey De-
partment and Hunting Aerosurveys, is scheduled for completion in
1954. For the other 450 village and urban areas in East Bank
Jordan plans based on cadastral control completed in 1953 are to
be published by the newly created Bureau of Municipalities.
Iraq
In Iraq the stimulus and capability for mapping stem chiefly
from outside the country. Air crews and equipment are flown into
Iraq for survey purposes; Iraq supplies name-plate data and receives
from the contractor the finished product. If technical support is
withdrawn, little progress will be made in topographic mapping in
Iraq.
The Directorate General of Surveys of Iraq is responsible for
the publication of maps. This is nominally a civilian organization;
but, as in other countries in the Near East, few decisions can be
reached without the consent of the Army. The Directorate is pri-
marily interested in the production of topographic maps but also
publishes town plans and a limited number of special-subject maps
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prepared by other agencies. The organization is headed by an
American-educated Iraqi, who is assisted by an Englishman. Some
330 people are employed by the Directorate, of whom approximately
100 are surveyors. An estimated 200 surveyors are available in all
of Iraq, but only 15 to 20 are capable of work meeting Western stan-
dards. Reproduction facilities of the Directorate include cameras
and five small one-color presses. One new press is now on order.
At present the Directorate General of Surveys is concentrating
on land-settlement maps at 1:10,000 and 1:20,000. Aerial photos
of the mountainous area of northern Iraq are being flown on contract
by Hunting Aerosurveys, Ltd., and will appear as a topographic
series at 1:20,000. Aerial photography has also been flown by
Hunting and KLM as a basis for topographic maps contracted for
by the Iraq Petroleum Company and the Iraq Development Board.
Much of the poorly mapped, marshy area of southern Iraq is being
mapped by the Basra Petroleum Company. Units of the Survey
Directorate of the British Middle East Land Forces, Fayid, are
currently engaged in a countrywide aerial topographic survey from
which the Quarter-Inch Series will be revised. This work is not
being done for the Government of Iraq.
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The production of the Geographic Section of the Iraqi Army,
which employs fewer than 10 persons at the present time, is negli-
ble. The Section is dependent upon the Directorate General of Sur-
veys for both drafting and reproduction facilities.
The Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) and its affiliates, the Mosul
Petroleum Company (MPG) and the Basra Petroleum Company (BPC),
are actively interested in mapping. The BPC at Basra and the MPC
at Mosul maintain small drafting staffs, but both drafting and repro-
duction services are performed at IPC headquarters in Kirkuk. Pio-
duction is centered on oilfield maps. Major topographic mapping
programs are carried out by commercial mapping concerns.
Approximately 50 percent of the country has been brought into
a triangulation network, and it is being extended by contract work
by the Development Board and the petroleum companies. The net-
work is connected with the Syrian net and with the Indian system
through Iran. Geodetic information is held by the Directorate Gen-
eral of Surveys, although the petroleum companies do not release
their material to the government on an automatic basis.
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Additional map production by the Directorate General of
Surveys, includes an historical atlas and an administrative atlas
and several small-scale general maps. The Directorate General
of Municipalities has prepared approximately 75 town plans since
the war, in addition to some electoral maps. Plans suggested for
future production include maps of crops, insects, diseases, fish,
forestry, anil soils.
Afghanistan and Iran
Native mapping organizations in Afghanistan are either inactive
or are producing nothing of significance. The basic coverage of
Afghanistan is still the Survey of India Quarter Inch Series. In
Iran, also, there is little local activity, but by 1956 the Quarter
Inch Series will be replaced by one at 1:250,000 now in compilation
at the Army Map Service and the USAF Aeronautical Chart and
Information Center.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has less map coverage than the other countries
of the Near East. The Saudi Arabian Government does not have its
own official mapping agency. All significant mapping and charting
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S-E-C-R-E-T
of the country and its adjacent waters have been done by foreign
governments, commercial firms, or private individuals.
Before the era of oil-company interest in Saudi Arabia, maps
were essentially compilations from British Admiralty surveys and
charts, Turkish reconnaissance mapping of the area adjacent to
the Red Sea, and fragmentary exploratory data for inland areas.
Although much of this original work is highly inaccurate, it con-
tinues to appear on contemporary maps because of the lack of
reliable surveys of more recent date.
The Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) has acted in
behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia in mapping matters and,
through force of circumstances, has become the country's nearest
approach to an official mapping agency. Aramco has engaged in
an extensive and continuing mapping program centered on l:100,000
coverage. There is no unified geodetic network for Saudi Arabia,
but the Aramco triangulation is the largest single network for the
country. In 1938, American surveyors from .Aramco, representing
the Saudi Arabian Government, worked with the Iraqi surveyors from
the Iraq Directorate of Surveys on the Iraq-Saudi Arabia boundary
survey. Results of the survey were unsatisfactory, and no effort
has been made to reconcile the differences. Aramco is continuing
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to expand its geodetic network and map coverage of Saudi Arabia.
(SECRET)
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CENTRAL AFRICAN FEDERATION
TANGANYI A
LAKE
NYASA
NYAMI.
LAM?
?RTHERN RHODES.
Lusaka omiAc.,
L1
?1 N. 5,
zo be Sahsbary0
SOUTHERN
RHODEHA I` 0
_ BECHUANALAND L,
v7EsT I Po
BASUTOLAND
OF i):?. 0.1 i.49]
OUTLI_ AFRICA
200 Miles
The new Central Afri-
can Federation, which
came into existence on 6
September 1953, links
the self-governing colony
of Southern Rhodesia with
the British protectorates
of Northern Rhodesia and
Nyasaland. The total
area involved is about
487,000 square miles, and the total population is approximately
7,000,000, of whom only about 200,000 are whites.
The creation of a Central African Federation is the result of
many years of intensive study by the British Government and by the
governments of the territories concerned. The federation provides
a practical plan for promoting the economic unity needed for the
development of the potentially rich but unexploited resources of the
area -- the copper mines of Northern Rhodesia, the coal reserves
of Southern Rhodesia, and the plentiful labor supply of Nyasaland.
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Equally important to the development of these complementary re-
sources is a closer political unity. Efficient use of the resources
should improve the economic condition of all three territories.
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TERRAIN MODEL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION
The Model Branch of the U.S, Naval Photographic Interpreta-
tion Center, charged with the production of relief models and maps
for the U.S. Navy, has recently completed a sponge-rubber model
of the Mediterranean Region and the Near East at 1:2,000,000. It
was made at the request of CINCNELM for planning and operational
purposes. In size the model measures 5 by 10 feet and is one of
the largest models of its type in the world. For elevations below
1,500 feet the vertical exaggeration is 1.30 and for higher elevations
1:15. The basis for the model was three original panels covering
Central Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, and the chief
map sources were sheets of the AMS Europe, Africa, and Asia
series at 1:4,000,000 (AMS 1202, GSGS 2957), Africa series at
1:2,000,000 (AMS 2201, GSGS 2871), and Europe series at
1:2,000,000 (AMS 6203, GSGS 4464). (SECRET)
26
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MA 'AN -MEDINA RAILROAD
Reconstruction of the Hejaz Railway from Ma'an to Medina
has been the subject of considerable discussion in the press of the
Arab World in recent years. At present, there are indications
that the Medina extension is still a consideration in the minds of
Arab leaders.
The Hejaz Railway along the old Syrian Pilgrim Route through
Jordan to Medina was conceived in the late nineteenth century and
completed early in the twentieth century. Under the direction of
Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid, work was begun in 1900. The sec-
tion of the single-track, 105-centimeter line from Damascus to
Ma'an was in operation by 1904, and a branch connecting Deraa
and Haifa was opened in 1905. Three years later the 516 miles
to Medina were completed. Construction of the line was carried
out under the direction of 1 German and 4 Turkish engineers, but
approximately 200 miles of track south of APUla (26'36'N-38?17'E)
were built entirely by the Turks. Even before World War I, speeds
of trains over some sections averaged less than 10 miles per hour.
At the time of construction, it was hoped that the Hejaz Rail-
way would further Ottoman influence in Arabia and at the same time
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provide transportation for pilgrims in the annual migration to
Mecca. Construction was financed by public conscription through-
out Islam and by taxes levied by the Ottoman Empire. The line
was originally administered as an Islamic waqf -- an officially di-
rected organization whose profits are given over to charity -- and
technically the sector within Jordan is still a waqf.
During the early part of World War I, supplies to Turkish
troops in Saudi Arabia were shipped over the Medina branch of the
Hejaz Railway. The line proved, however, to be a strategic lia-
bility because of the difficult terrain it crossed and the hostility of
local tribesmen. Under the leadership of Lawrence of Arabia,
Arab irregulars effectively denied the use of the line to the Turks
in the latter part of the war. The Malan-Medina sector has not
been repaired since then.
The British Army in World War II recovered rails from the
sector south of Malan and relaid them on the Malan-Naqb Ashtar
link of the supply line to the port of Aqaba. The southern termi-
us of the track today is Naqb Ashtar, 25.5 miles southwest of
Malan.
The establishment of the mandates following World War I
divided the railroad into several segments. The section from
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Damascus south to Nasib on the Syria-Jordan border reverted to
the French Mandate of Syria and is now under the direct control
of the Syrian Government through the Director General of Hejaz
Railways.
The track through Jordan was administered as part of the
Palestine Railways during the British Mandate of Palestine. Fol-
lowing British withdrawal in 1948, the Arab Legion maintained con-
trol of the line until 1 January 1950, when it was placed under the
control of the Ministry of Communications but as a direct respon-
sibility of the Prime Minister. At present the Jordan-Hejaz Rail-
way is an Islamic waqf financially independent of the Government
of Jordan.
South of Mudauwara on the border between Jordan and Saudi
Arabia, the railroad is nominally under the control of the Saudi
Government, although the roadbed has not been used since World
War I.
An understanding between representatives of Syria, Jordan,
and Saudi Arabia regarding the extension of the Ma'an-Medina line
was reached at Damascus in 1947. It was agreed that construction
funds were to be furnished by the governments concerned and that,
upon completion, the line would operate as a Islamic waqf.
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Maintenance funds and repayment of construction costs would be
obtained from operating revenues. In addition, an operating fund
would be maintained for future expenditures. Upon fulfillment of
the above obligations, remaining revenues would be used to assist
pilgrims traveling to Mecca. A committee to deal with reconstruc-
tion was established and studies of the condition of the MatanTMedina
track were submitted, but no action was taken as a result of the
reports.
Officials in Jordan have been in touch with the Governments of
Syria and Saudi Arabia regarding action on construction of the Matan.-
Medina line, with little result. The cost of the reconstruction has
been estimated to be in the neighborhood of $5,000,000. A recent
survey estimates that little more than 60 kilometers of rail are
missing from this line and that, with ample financial support, a
reconstruction project could be completed in 18 months to 2 years.
It is felt in Amman that, in addition to the pilgrim traffic, a rail
link to Saudi Arabia would provide an outlet for agricultural prod-
ucts steMming from the Jordan Valley development program now
being implemented, thus justifying a loan from the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In some quarters it is
said that revenues from pilgrim traffic, which today go to shipping
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concerns, would be enough to sustain the line. Most of the recon-
struction would take place within the boundaries of Saudi Arabia;
and, since Saudi Arabia will receive the greatest benefit from the
line, Amman and Damascus feel that Saudi Arabia should bear the
major portion of the reconstruction expense.
Jordan is also interested in construction of a rail outlet to the
town of Aqaba at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. At present the
British-built supply road runs from Aqaba to the rail head at
Naqb Ashtar, a climb of over 4,900 feet in a distance of approxi-
mately 45 miles. The cost of constructing a railroad is prohibi-
tive over so steep a grade and in an area of broken terrain where
many wadis have to be bridged. A longer but less difficult route
over the old roadbed to Muduawara on the border of Saudi Arabia
and thence to Aqaba has been proposed. Buying power in Jordan
is so low that foreign areas will offer the only markets for items
produced in Jordan. In the event that access to Beirut were de-
nied, a rail connection with Aqaba would be of prime importance
to Jordan and the Arab Legion.
Syrian reaction to reconstruction of the Medina line has been
favorable. Along with Jordan, Syria has indicated a willingness
to contribute a proportional amount to the expense involved. The
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Director of the Hajj in Syria has approached his government regard-
ing the possible use of the route to augment sea and air routes that
now carry capacity numbers of pilgrims. The Syrians also believe
that an open avenue to a food-importing country is to their advan-
tage economically.
King Ibn Saud took little interest in the Medina Railroad, but
the new King of Saudi Arabia looks upon it with much more favor.
A recent meeting of the Arab League Communication Committee
received favorably a motion that full support be given to the recon-
struction of the Malan-Medina rail line. At the same time it was
agreed to request the full cooperation of the Saudi Arabian Govern-
ment in the project. The Saudi Government, however, is currently
preoccupied with the extension of the Government Railroad from
Riyadh -- via Marrat, Anaiza, Medina, and Yanbul -- to the Red
Sea and Jidda. A spur of this line will run to the limit of the re-
stricted area of Mecca. A survey of the line has been completed,
and the Saudi Government is said to favor its construction. The
reconstruction of the Maian-Medina line will be given serious con-
sideration only after the Persian Gulf-Red Sea connection has been
completed.
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S-E-C -R -E-T
Even though a number of regional needs might be alleviated
by the reconstruction of the Ma'an-Medina line, a coordinated ef-
fort for its construction has yet to be achieved. In addition to the
fact that the hard-pressed Saudi Arab treasury would have to shoul-
der the major portion of the construction cost, the distrustful at-
mosphere of the Arab political relationships is a strong deterrent
to the success of the project. (CONFIDENTIAL)
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ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF JORDAN
The internal divisions of Jordan, as given on the accompany-
ing map, include 8 first-order units liwas or districts. The
Muhafidhiyat El 'Asima, sometimes referred to as the Governor-
ate of Amman but listed in the August 1952 Census of Housing as
Amman District, is included among the first-order divisions.
Second-order units qadas or sub-districts -- are 19 in number.
Irregular third-order divisions, nahiyas, are listed for 6 of the
sub -distructs in the Census of Housing, but no attempt has been
made to include them on map CIA 12976. Amman and environs
fall within the administrative jurisdiction of Baladiyat 'Amman,
the Municipality of Amman.
First- and second-order divisions cover the settled area of
Jordan.. The Badiyah or Desert Administration, through Arab
Legion police, is responsible for the Bedouin tribes of eastern
Jordan.
Since administrative divisions of Jordan are believed not to
be rigidly bounded in all instances, boundaries may not be given
in places where settled areas adjoin desert waste. This situation
occurs in southern Jordan and along the eastern limits of the
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settled area. In effect the railway serves as an administrative
boundary along much of this eastern frontier. In theory, however,
administrative authority may be extended eastward to cover settled
peoples. (UNCLASSIFIED)
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MIDDLE EAST PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
The accompanying map, Middle East Petroleum Industry
(CIA 12382), was designed to give the locations of petroleum con-
cessions and facilities. The place names most commonly used
in petroleum-industry literature were selected for use on the map.
Not all of these are forms approved by the U.S. Board on Geogra-
phic Names. Because of the rapid expansion of the petroleum in-
dustry, the information given on this was already incomplete by
the time of publication. A revision is planned for 1955. (SECRET)
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RAILROADS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
The accompanying map, Railroads of the Middle East -- 1953,
(CIA 12465), is a sequel to the series of maps on railroads of
Africa prepared by the Geography Division of CIA. The four maps
covering Africa appeared in Map Research Bulletins 25, 26, 28,
and 30. (CONFIDENTIAL)
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US OFFICIALS ONLY
US OFFICIALS ONLY
SECRET
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35 b a n 1 t 1 z e 9 - A pprovea i-or Keiease . 7
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