I have selected the regions of Lebanon and Syria as part of my population analysis. The data that is being measured for these regions is life expectancy vs. income per capita, which was gathered in the year 2018. The life expectancies were brought to my attention because they are only a few years beneath the United States, which perplexed me since I have family living in these regions who struggle to supply themselves with necessary medicines to support their families. In particular, Lebanon has been facing political and social unrest for many years as the working class is unhappy with the government’s regulations in terms of income and policies that are exacerbating the unemployment rate in the region. This can be attributed to the lasting effects of the Lebanese Civil war, which resulted in many civilian casualties and expensive recovery operations. In tandem with this event, Lebanon also served as a haven for Syrian refugees who sought to flee the region due to the Syrian Civil War, which Syrians feared would allow President Assad to have full control over the population. However, while still suffering from the financial crisis, Lebanon could not extend its support to the refugees within its borders. Everyone in the region, especially the Syrians, still lacked many human needs, food and water safety, sanitation, and healthcare.

When comparing the data on the countries from the Bubbles website to the regions’ respective histories, one would not expect the numbers to be as high as they are in the present. Although income per capita in these regions continues to plummet, Lebanon and Syria have been able to sustain their populations even when they are not yielding economic growth. This can be related to the Rosling presentation since it contradicts the use of average data and brings more awareness to individual regions that should not be grouped together. Although these regions have clashed with each other from time to time and are very close to each other, they still maintain their own identities. Studying their domestic affairs will help scholars get a better understanding of how they may be different from close international actors. For example, although both Middle Eastern countries have been in a state of civil war, their governments have evolved into separate entities. While Lebanon is considered a republic with elected officials, Syria is considered an authoritarian regime due to the citizens’ inability to impact policy in their government. Additionally, this means that citizens in these regions have varying freedoms that may determine what their living conditions are like. Even with both regions lacking a stable government and economy, Lebanon is substantially doing better than Syria. Media tends to group these regions and label them as economically insufficient or all part of the Middle Eastern dilemma of inciting violence and suppression against its people, but there is a hierarchy within the region that is commonly neglected.