History of the Middle East brought major protests, uprisings, and revolutions to several Middle Eastern countries, followed by prolonged civil wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya. In 2014, a terrorist group and self-proclaimed caliphate calling itself the Islamic State made rapid territorial gains in western Iraq and eastern Syria, prompting international military intervention. At its peak, the group controlled an area containing an estimated 2.8 to 8 million people, 98% of which was lost by December 2017. By country: General: Works cited History of the Middle East Home to the Cradle of Civilization, the Middle East (usually interchangeable with the Near East) has seen
The Hamsters These covers only made up a small part of their playlist, the majority being Americana. As of March 2009, the Hamsters are in their 21st year and claim to have performed more than 4,000 shows. They have constantly toured throughout UK and occasionally mainland Europe. In 1991 they performed a small tour in the US. The group has been described as "the hardest working band in the UK". In 2000, the Hamsters were runners-up in the best blues rock band category, voted on by the readers of "Blueprint". They contributed a track for the BBC Radio 2 series "Bright Lights,