APSA MENA Politics Newsletter 4(1) – Spring 2021 - Taking Space Seriously: The Use of Geographic Methods in the Study of MENA Introduction: Historical maps contain a wealth of information. They enable us to access rare data and reveal information that would have been otherwise lost in the archives. Access to historical maps can equip scholars of the politics of the Middle East with new data sources and a toolkit that allows them to address many unique research questions, ranging from implications of historical conflict to the roots of political and economic determinants of development in the Middle East.