Ducks flying over a Marsh.

A marsh is a type of wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species^[1]. Marshes can often be found at the edges of lakes and streams, where they form a transition between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They are often dominated by grasses, rushes or reeds.^[2] If woody plants are present they tend to be low-growing shrubs. This form of vegetation is what differentiates marshes from other types of wetland such as swamps, which are dominated by trees, and bogs, which are wetlands that have accumulated deposits of acidic peat.^[3]

Basic information[link]

Marshes provide habitat for many types of plants and animals which have adapted to living in flooded conditions.^[4] The plants must be able to survive in wet soil with low oxygen levels. Many of these plants therefore have aerenchyma, channels within the stem that allow air to move from the leaves into the rooting zone.^[5] Marsh plants also tend to have rhizomes for underground storage and reproduction. Familiar examples include cattails, sedges, papyrus and sawgrass. Aquatic animals, from fish to salamanders, are generally able to live with a low amount of oxygen in the water. Some can obtain oxygen from the air instead, while others can live indefinitely in conditions of low oxygen.^[3] Marshes provide habitat for many kinds of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, waterfowl and aquatic mammals.^[6] Marshes have extremely high levels of biological production, some of the highest in the world, and therefore are important in supporting fisheries.^[7] Marshes also improve water quality by acting as a sink to filter pollutants and sediment from the water that flows through them. Marshes (and other wetlands) are able to absorb water during periods of heavy rainfall and slowly release it into waterways and therefore reduce the magnitude of flooding.^[8] The pH in marshes tends to be neutral to alkaline, as opposed to bogs, where peat accumulates under more acid conditions.

Types of marshes[link]

Heathcote River Estuary Salt Marsh in Christchurch, New Zealand.

There are a number of different types of marshes depending mainly on their location and salinity. Both of these factors greatly influence the range and scope of animal and plant life that can survive and reproduce in these environments. The three main types of marsh are salt marshes, freshwater tidal marshes, and freshwater marshes.^[3] These three can be found worldwide and each contains a different set of organisms.

Salt marshes[link]

Salt water marshes are found around the world in mid to high latitudes, wherever there are sections of protected coastline. They are located close enough to the shoreline that the motion of the tides affects them and, sporadically, they are covered with water. They flourish where the rate of sediment buildup is greater than the rate that the land level is sinking at.^[3] Salt marshes are dominated by specially adapted rooted vegetation, primarily salt-tolerant grasses.^[9]

Salt marshes are most commonly found in lagoons, estuaries and on the sheltered side of shingle or sandspit. The currents there carry the fine particles around to the quiet side of the spit and sediment begins to build up. These locations allow the marshes to absorb the excess nutrients from the water running through them before they reach the oceans and estuaries.^[3] These marshes are slowly declining. Coastal development and urban sprawl has caused significant loss of these essential habitats.^[10]

Fresh water tidal marshes[link]

This form of marsh is defined by the fact that although it is a freshwater marsh, it is still affected by the tides. Without the stresses of salinity that is undergone by its salt water counterpart, the diversity of the plants and animals that live in and use these marshes is much higher than salt marshes. The most serious threats to this form of marsh are the increasing size and pollution of the cities surrounding them.^[3]

Fresh water marshes[link]

Freshwater marshes are the most diverse form of marsh in the three groups and range greatly in both size and geographic location. They make up the most common form of wetland in North America. Some examples of freshwater marsh types in North America follow.

Wet meadows[link]

Wet meadows occur in areas such as shallow lake basins, low-lying depressions, and the land between shallow marshes and upland areas. They also occur on the edges of large lakes and rivers. They often have very high plant diversity, and high densities of buried seeds^[11][12]. Although they are regularly flooded, in the summer, they are often dry.

Vernal pools[link]

Vernal pools are a type of marsh found only seasonally in shallow depressions in the land. They can be covered in shallow water, but in the summer and fall, they can be completely dry. In western North America, vernal pools tend to form in open grasslands,^[13] whereas in the east they often occur in forested landscapes.^[14] Further south, vernal pools form in pine savannas and flatwoods. Many amphibian species depend upon vernal pools for spring breeding; these ponds provide habitat that is free from fish which eat eggs and young of amphibians.^[15] An example is the endangered gopher frog (Rana sevosa).^[16] Similar temporary ponds occur in other world ecosystems, where they may have local names. However, the term vernal pool can be applied to all such temporary pool ecosystems^[17].

Playa lakes[link]

Playa lakes are a form of shallow freshwater marsh that occurs in the southern high plains of the United States^[18]. Like vernal pools, they are only present at certain times of the year and generally have a circular shape.^[19] As the playa dries during the summer, conspicuous plant zonation develops along the shoreline^[20].

Prairie potholes[link]

Prairie potholes are found in the northern parts of North America. This landscape was once covered by glaciers and as a result shallow depressions were formed in great numbers. These depressions fill with water in the spring. They provide important breeding habitat for many species of waterfowl. Some pool only occur seasonally while others retain enough water to be present all year.^[21]

Riverine wetlands[link]

Many kinds of marsh occur along the fringes of large rivers. The different types of marsh are produced by factors such as water levels, nutrients, ice scour, and waves. ^[22]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marsh

• Aquatic plant
• Bayou
• Biodiversity Action Plan
• Bog
• Fen
• Freshwater marsh

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marshes of the Lowcountry (South Carolina) -- Beaufort County Library
• General Information of Ibera Marshes (in English and Spanish)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2011)

This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help relocate any relevant information, and remove excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia inclusion policy. (April 2012)

Jodie Marsh
Born	Jodie Louise Marsh (1978-12-23) 23 December 1978 (age 33)[1] South Weald, Brentwood, Essex, England
Ethnicity	British
Height	5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)[citation needed]
Spouse	Matt Peacock (2007, divorced)[citation needed]

Jodie Marsh (born 23 December 1978^[1]) is an English media personality, bodybuilder and glamour model. She has appeared topless in some tabloid newspapers and has appeared (clothed) in her own reality show, Totally Jodie Marsh.

Early life[link]

Jodie Louise Marsh's^[2] parents are John and Kristina^[3] and she was born in Brentwood, Essex.^[2] Her father runs a building contractors company, and she was educated at the independent Brentwood School.^[4] She has a brother, Jordan.^[5] She first came to prominence in the reality TV programme Essex Wives in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Modelling career[link]

At the beginning of her career, Marsh often posed for magazines such as FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo.^{[citation needed]}

Marsh was a page 3 girl for The Sun on six occasions.^{[6][dead link]} She also appeared in photo shoots for the newspapers The Daily Sport, Daily Star and News of the World.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2009, Marsh appeared on the cover of Zoo,^[7] In November 2010, she appeared on a special edition double cover for the magazine.^[8]

In April 2011, Marsh completed another photoshoot for the same magazine; she appeared on the cover of the magazine for a special 3-D edition of the weekly.^[9]

Television, film, and voice appearances[link]

Marsh has also taken part in many reality television shows, including Trust Me - I'm A Holiday Rep, Channel 4's The Games, E4's Fool around...with Jodie Marsh on two occasions,^[10] as a house guest in the short lived Five series Back to Reality as well as starring in and winning Channel 4's popular show Come Dine With Me.^[11]

Jodie appeared on, and won, a celebrity version of The Weakest Link in 2006.^[12] Marsh had a cameo role in the first episode of Channel 4's Friday night comedy showThe Kevin Bishop Show.^[13]

After competing in Celebrity Big Brother, Marsh appeared on several of the spin off shows including: Big Brother's Little Brother, Big Brother's Big Mouth and Big Brother's EForum.^[14]

In its second UK series, Marsh showed viewers around her home on MTV's Cribs in 2008.^[15] Also in 2008, Marsh appeared on Channel 4's documentary It's Me or the Dog. She was given training tips at home to deal with her four dogs.^[16]

Marsh appeared as a contestant in Channel Five's reality show The All Star Talent Show, hosted by Myleene Klass and Andi Peters.^[17] Following this, Marsh began presenting her own television series, Get A Life for Living TV on 1 March 2007. It was cancelled after two episodes, due to poor viewing figures.^[18]

In October 2008, she appeared on the first episode of London Ink' on TV channel Discovery Real Time.^[19] The following year, Marsh appeared on the popular BBC Three show Snog Marry Avoid?, hosted by Jenny Frost. Marsh came face to face with the computer overhaul device named POD where she received a make-under.

On 11 November 2009 she made a cameo appearance in the first episode of The Kevin Bishop Show as herself.

In April 2010, Marsh made her third appearance on The Podge and Rodge Show in Dublin, Ireland.^[14]

On 14 September 2010, Marsh appeared on Channel 4's Celebrity edition of Come Dine With Me. She won £1,000 for her charity.^[20]

On 29 September 2010, Marsh appeared in the one-off documentary Jodie Marsh Tattoo Apprentice which was screened on the channel DMAX.^[21]

Marsh appeared as a guest on Channel 5's Big Brother spin off show Big Brother's Bit on the Side in August 2011.^[22]

On 25 January 2012, Marsh appeared on Channel 5's Bullied: My Secret Past. She spoke of the effect bullying had on her and how it has made her who she is today. She also met other victims of bullying.

[edit] Celebrity Big Brother

In January 2006, Marsh appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK. On 13 January, Marsh was first to be voted out of the Big Brother house — with 8 out of 10 possible nominations from her fellow housemates, and 42% of the public vote.^[23]

[edit] Totally Jodie Marsh

In May 2007, the website Marry Me Jodie Marsh was launched with the teaser "I'm getting married this September... Only problem is that I don't have a man!". Men were invited to submit an application for a series of open auditions for the chance to marry Marsh that September. MTV filmed the search and subsequent wedding.^[24]

The reality series featuring Marsh entitled Totally Jodie Marsh: Who'll Take Her Up the Aisle?, premiered in July 2007 documenting Marsh's search to find a husband.^[25] Marsh eventually chose Matt Peacock, an ex-boyfriend of fellow glamour model Jordan.^[26]

In the final episode of the show, MTV executives confronted Marsh and Peacock with taped footage of Peacock's audition claiming he and Marsh had been dating for months and living together for three months, contrary to the show's claims. After the MTV executives left the room, Peacock accused Marsh of lying to MTV.^[27]

The couple married on 1 September 2007 at Sugar Hut, a nightclub in Brentwood, Essex. A second ceremony in her mother’s back garden was shown on MTV on 2 September 2007.^[28] It was later revealed that Marsh had the wedding paid for by sponsors who believed that the wedding was genuine.^[29] The couple split up in December 2007.^[30] Marsh later admitted to Love It in their 8 January 2008 issue that ".. the marriage was for TV. It was never for real" and "I'm not hiding the fact I did the TV show for money. Of course I did".^[31]

Bodybuilding[link]

In 2009, Marsh became interested in bodybuilding and developed a muscular physique working under a personal trainer.^[32]

At the end of January 2010, Marsh was featured on LA Muscle TV in an hour long show called 6 pack in 4 weeks. Jodie's work on the show, resulted in a photoshoot for Muscle and Fitness magazine.^[33]

In October 2011, Marsh entered the Natural Physique Association Bodybuilding Championships in Sheffield where she placed 5th overall.^[34]

Writing[link]

In 2005, Marsh published her autobiography Keeping It Real.^[35] The hardback was released in 2005, followed by a paperback version in 2006. The hardback version reached the top 10 on the best-sellers list.^[36]

Marsh wrote a weekly column for celebrity gossip magazine Sneak until its closure in August 2006^{[citation needed]} and was previously Zoo Weekly magazine's "sexpert", advising men on sex-related issues. Her choice as an agony aunt angered some established professionals. She defended herself against these claims stating, "I haven't exactly got a degree in psychology, but I just love sex, don't I?"^[37]

Personal life[link]

In December 2006, Marsh announced her engagement to Brentwood DJ David Doyle, after dating for 11 days.^[38] Eschewing the traditional engagement ring, Marsh instead tattooed Doyle's full name on her hand and the couple appeared together in OK! magazine announcing their plan to marry in a fetish ceremony in a dungeon.^[39] The relationship ended between late December and mid-January 2007 with Doyle blaming Marsh's constant drinking and poor personal hygiene.^[40] Marsh, however, claimed Doyle had been unfaithful.^[41]

Briefly in 2008, Marsh reportedly dated a woman, known as Nina, a hairdresser.^[42] In the November issue of the UK edition of Star magazine, Marsh gave a full interview about their relationship and recreated the iconic Vanity Fair front cover depicting Cindy Crawford shaving k.d. lang.

She is a vegetarian and she participated at the Peta campaign "All animals have the same parts".^[43]

Marsh works with the Essex Air Ambulance Flight for Life campaign and created a 2012 calendar with the charity.^[44]

Other controversy[link]

In 2004, Marsh sold a story to the News of the World claiming that she had a sexual liaison with Chelsea F.C. midfielder Frank Lampard. Lampard denied the claims and filed a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission.^[45]

On 24 March 2006, Liberal Democrats education spokesman Phil Willis questioned Schools Minister Jacqui Smith in Parliament as to whether Marsh should be permitted access to schools in promoting her BeatBullying work, describing her blog as "the language of an appalling bully". Smith responded that, "Jodie Marsh does not represent the Department for Education and Skills in any way. Decisions about giving people access to pupils in schools are a matter for individual head teachers and governing bodies."^[46] Marsh described Willis as "just a sad, past-it old wannabe trying to get famous off my back." Willis later told the Daily Mail, "I just think we are descending really to the lowest common denominator when we are actually putting people on a pedestal like Jodie Marsh to send into our schools. I think we could find better role models."^[46]

On 11 August 2006, Marsh was booed by spectators at the annual Jersey Battle of Flowers Parade where she was a celebrity guest. The combined fee for Marsh and the parade's other celebrity guest, Andy Abraham, was estimated as £20,000. It has been suggested that this expense and the quality of the celebrity it bought contributed to the negative reception, but it was also noted a very small minority of people that were involved in the booing.^[47]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jodie Marsh at the Internet Movie Database
• Jodie Marsh at Playboy UK
• Jodie Marsh . Net

Marsh on August 2, 2008

Randall Gilbert Marsh (born April 8, 1949 in Covington, Kentucky) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1981 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000-2009. Marsh wore the uniform number 30. He umpired in the World Series in 1990, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2006, serving as crew chief for the last three Series, and in the All-Star Game in 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2006, calling balls and strikes for the 1996 game. He is the tenth umpire in history to serve as crew chief for three World Series.

He has also officiated in eight League Championship Series (1989, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009) and in five Division Series (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006). He has been a crew chief since the 1998 season.

Marsh was the crew chief of Crew P for 2009, which included: Mike Winters, Alfonso Márquez, and Lance Barksdale.

Marsh is known for a comparatively small yet highly consistent strike zone, meaning he is among the most popular umpires for pitchers as well as hitters.

Marsh retired from umpiring following the 2009 season, and is now the Director Of Umpiring for Major League Baseball.

Marsh is a graduate of Covington Holmes High School and the University of Kentucky.

See also[link]

Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball umpires

External links[link]

• Retrosheet
• Major league profile
• USA Today Q&A October 2008

Michelle Marsh
Michelle Marsh
Born	(1982-09-30) 30 September 1982 (age 29) Royton, Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Spouse	Will Haining
Website
www.michelle-marsh.com

Michelle Marsh (born 30 September 1982 in Royton, Greater Manchester, England)^[1] rose to fame in the early 2000s as a Page Three girl, glamour model, and television personality. She announced her retirement from glamour modeling in 2010, while pregnant with her second child. She now focuses on raising her children and on her singing career.^[1]

Career[link]

Before becoming a model, Marsh worked as a care assistant at a nursing home in her hometown of Royton.^[2]

In 2001, at the age of 18, Marsh was runner-up in The Sun tabloid newspaper's "National Cleavage Week" contest.^[3] The following year, she won the "Search for a Babe" contest run by the The Daily Star tabloid, and began appearing topless as a "Star Babe" in that newspaper. In 2003, she began appearing as a Page Three girl in The Sun. Her bubbly-blonde looks and natural 32FF breasts prompted The Sun to hail her as "the new Samantha Fox."^[4]

Marsh went on to make numerous glamour modeling appearances in men's magazines such as Loaded, Perfect 10, Nuts, Maxim, Zoo and Playboy. She was regularly partnered with model Lucy Pinder for magazine, television, and corporate appearances.

On 6 November 2006, Marsh released a pop music single titled "I Don't Do." The song spent two weeks in the UK singles chart, peaking at number 89.^[5]

Marsh has been featured on a number of British television programmes, including The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, The Weakest Link, Celebrity Big Brother, and Celebrity Four Weddings.^[6] She presented a series of The Steam Room and has starred in two reality television series, Trust Me - I'm a Beauty Therapist and CelebAir. She has played minor roles in the television series Hotel Babylon and Life and the 2009 feature film Clubbed.

While pregnant with her second child in 2010, Marsh announced her retirement from glamour modeling via her official website. She now plans to focus on raising her children and developing her singing career.^[1]

Personal life[link]

Marsh married footballer Will Haining on 2 June 2007. The couple have two children, a son, Owen and a daughter, Maddison.^[7][8]

See also[link]

• List of glamour models

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Michelle Marsh

• Official website

Marsh Arabs
Maʻdān معدان

Total population
500,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Middle East  Iraq 125-150,000 [1] Southeast Iraq/Southwest Iran unknown
Languages
Iraqi Arabic
Religion
Shia Islam, Mandaeism
Related ethnic groups
Iranian Arabs, Iraqis, Bahranis

The Marsh Arabs (Arabic: عرب الأهوار‎ ʻArab al-Ahwār "Arabs of the Marshlands"), also known as the Maʻdān (Arabic: معدان‎), are inhabitants of the Tigris-Euphrates marshlands in the south and east of Iraq and along the Iranian border.

Comprising members of many different tribes and tribal confederations, such as the Āl Bū Muḥammad, Ferayghāt, Shaghanbah and Banī Lām, the Maʻdān had developed a unique culture centred around the marshes' natural resources. Many of the marshes' inhabitants were displaced when the wetlands were drained during and after the 1991 uprisings in Iraq.

Culture[link]

The interior of an Iraqi mudhif

Madan means "dweller in the plains (ʻadan)" and was used disparagingly by desert tribes to refer to those inhabiting the Iraqi river basins, and by those who farmed in the river basins to refer to the population of the marshes.^[2] There was a considerable historic prejudice against the Maʻdān, partly as they were considered to have Persian or other "mixed" origin and partly due to their practice of temporary marriage.^[3]

Some historians and archaeologists provide circumstantial evidence to posit that Iraq's Marsh Arabs share the strongest link to the ancient Sumerians.^{[citation needed]} Although this is to do with their lifestyle and culture, more than any proven ethnic link, the Sumerians disappeared as a race circa 1800 BC, long before Arabs entered the region.

The Maʻdān speak a local dialect of Iraqi Arabic and traditionally wore a variant of normal Arab dress: for males, a long shirt or thawb (in recent times, occasionally with a Western-style jacket over the top) and a keffiyeh headcloth worn twisted around the head in a turban as few could afford an ʻiqāl.

Agriculture[link]

The society of the Marsh Arabs was divided into two main groups by occupation. One group bred and raised domestic buffalo while others cultivated crops such as rice, barley, wheat and pearl millet; they also kept some sheep and cattle. Rice cultivation was especially important; it was carried out in small plots cleared in April and sown in mid-May. Cultivation seasons were marked by the rising and setting of certain stars, such as the Pleiades and Sirius.^[4]

Some branches of the Maʻdān were nomadic pastoralists, erecting temporary dwellings and moving buffalo around the marshes according to the season. Some fishing, especially of species of barbel (Barbus sp., notably the binni or bunni, Barbus sharpeyi), was practised using spears and datura poison, but large-scale fishing using nets was until recent times regarded as a dishonourable profession by the Maʻdān and was mostly carried out by a separate low-status tribe known as the Berbera.^[5] By the early 1990s, however, up to 60% of the total amount of fish caught in Iraq's inland waters came from the marshes.^[1]

In the later twentieth century a third main occupation entered Marsh Arab life; the weaving of reed mats on a commercial scale. Though they often earned far more than workers in agriculture, weavers were looked down upon by both Maʻdān and farmers alike: however, financial concerns meant that it gradually gained acceptance as a respectable profession.

Religion[link]

The majority of Marsh Arabs are Shī‘ī Muslims, though in the marshes small communities of Aramaic speaking non Arab ethnic Mandeans (often working as boat builders and craftsmen) lived alongside them.^[6] The inhabitants' long association with tribes within Persia may have influenced the spread of the Shī‘ī denomination within the marshes. Wilfred Thesiger commented that while he met few Marsh Arabs who had performed the Hajj, many of them had made the pilgrimage to Mashhad (thereby earning the title Zair);^[7] a number of families also claimed descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad, adopting the title of sayyid and dyeing their keffiyeh green.

The Maʻdān carried out the majority of their devotions in private as there were no places of worship within the Marshes; some were known to visit Ezra's Tomb, one of the few religious sites of any kind in the area.^[8]

In addition to their Islamic faith, and complementary to it, when contacted by Wilfred Thesiger the Ma'dan still held a number of pre-Islamic or extra-Islamic beliefs, from the existence of strange monsters in the marshes to that of bewitched isles such as the legendary Hufaidh, whose shores could not be broached without causing madness in the unwary boatman.

Society[link]

As with most tribes of southern Iraq, the main authority was the tribal shaikh. To this day, the shaikh of a Marsh Arab group will collect a tribute from his tribe in order to maintain the mudhif, the tribal guesthouse which acts as the political, social, judicial and religious centre of Marsh Arabic life. The mudhif is used as a place to settle disputes, to carry out diplomacy with other tribes and as a gathering point for religious and other celebrations. It is also the place where visitors are offered hospitality. Although the tribal shaykh was the principal figure, each Maʻdān village (which may have contained members of several different tribes) would also follow the authority of the hereditary qalit "headman" of a tribe's particular section.

Blood feuds, which could only be settled by the qalit, were a feature of Marsh Arab life, in common with that of the Arab bedouin. Many of the Marsh Arabs' codes of behaviour were similar to those of the desert tribes.

Marsh Arabs poling a mashoof

Most Marsh Arabs lived in arched reed houses considerably smaller than a mudhif. The typical dwelling was usually a little more than 2 meters wide, about 6 meters long, and a little less than three meters high, and was either constructed at the waterside or on an artificial island of reeds called a kibasha; a more permanent island of layered reeds and mud was called a dibin.^[9] Houses had entrances at both ends and a screen in the middle; one end was used as a dwelling and the other end (sometimes extended with a sitra, a long reed structure) was used to shelter animals in bad weather. A raba was a higher-status dwelling, distinguished by a north-facing entrance, which also served as a guesthouse where there was no mudhif.^[10] Traditional boats (the mashoof and tarada) were used as transport: the Maʻdān would drive buffaloes through the reedbeds during the season of low water to create channels, which would then be kept open by constant use, for the boats.^[11]

The marsh environment meant that certain diseases, such as bilharzia and malaria, were endemic;^[12] Maʻdānī agriculture and homes were also vulnerable to periodic droughts and flooding.

Link to Sumerians and Akkadians[link]

The origins of the Maʻdān are still a matter of some interest. British colonial ethnographers found it difficult to classify some of the Maʻdān's social customs and speculated that they might have originated in India.^[13]

Many scholars have proposed historical and genetic links between the Marsh Arabs and the ancient Sumerians, based on shared agricultural practices and methods of house building. There is, however, no written record of the marsh tribes until the ninth century AD, and the Sumerians were absorbed by the Akkadians (Assyrians-Babylonians) by around 1800 BC, some 2700 years before.^[14]

Others, however, have noted that much of the culture of the Maʻdān is in fact shared with the desert bedouin who came to the area after the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate, and that it is therefore likely that they are descended from this source, at least in part.^[15]

Genetic Evidence[link]

A 2011 Study showed that Marsh Arabs have a high concentration of Haplogroup J1 for males and Haplogroup J having the highest concentration in females with Haplogroup H Haplogroup U and Haplogroup T having the highest concentrations.^[16]

1991–2003[link]

The marshes had for some time been considered a refuge for elements persecuted by the government of Saddam Hussein, as in past centuries they had been a refuge for escaped slaves and serfs, such as during the Zanj Rebellion. By the mid 1980s, a low-level insurgency against Ba'athist drainage and resettlement projects had developed in the area, led by Sheik Abdul Kerim Mahud al-Muhammadawi of the Al bu Muhammad under the nom de guerre Abu Hatim.^[17]

During the 1970s, the expansion of irrigation projects had begun to disrupt the flow of water to the marshes. However, after the First Gulf War (1991), the Iraqi government aggressively revived a program to divert the flow of the Tigris River and the Euphrates River away from the marshes in retribution for a failed Shia uprising. This was done primarily to eliminate the food source(s) of the Marsh Arabs and to prevent any remaining militiamen from taking refuge in the marshes, the Badr Brigades and other militias having used them as cover. The plan, which was accompanied by a series of propaganda articles by the Iraqi regime directed against the Ma'dan,^[18] systematically converted the wetlands into a desert, forcing the residents out of their settlements in the region. Villages in the marshes were attacked and burnt down and there were reports of the water being deliberately poisoned.^[19]

The majority of the Maʻdān were displaced either to areas adjacent to the drained marshes, abandoning their traditional lifestyle in favour of conventional agriculture, to towns and camps in other areas of Iraq or to Iranian refugee camps. Only 1,600 of them were estimated to still be living on traditional dibins by 2003.^[20] The western Hammar Marshes and the Qurnah or Central Marshes had become completely desiccated, while the eastern Hawizeh Marshes had dramatically shrunk.

The Marsh Arabs, who numbered about half a million in the 1950s, have dwindled to as few as 20,000 in Iraq, according to the United Nations. An estimated 80,000 to 120,000 have fled to refugee camps in Iran.^[21]

Since 2003[link]

With the breaching of dikes by local communities subsequent to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the ending of a four year drought that same year, the process has been reversed and the marshes have experienced a substantial rate of recovery. The permanent wetlands now cover more than 50% of 1970s levels, with a remarkable regrowth of the Hammar and Hawizeh Marshes and some recovery of the Central Marshes.^[22]

Efforts to restore the marshes have led to signs of their gradual revivification as water is restored to the former desert, but the whole ecosystem may take far longer to restore than it took to destroy. Only a few thousand of the nearly half million Marsh Arabs remain in the area. Most of the rest that can be accounted for are refugees living in other Shia areas in Iraq, or have emigrated to Iran, and many do not wish to return to their former home and lifestyle, which despite its independence was characterised by extreme poverty and hardship. A USAID report noted that while some Maʻdān had chosen to return to their traditional activities in the marshes, especially the Hammar Marshes, within a short time of reflooding, they were without clean drinking water, sanitation, health care or education facilities.^[23] In addition, it is still uncertain if the marshes will completely recover, given increased levels of water extraction from the Tigris and Euphrates.

Many of the resettled Marsh Arabs have gained representation through the Iraqi Hizbullah organisation; others have become followers of Moqtada al-Sadr's movement, through which they gained political control of Maysan Governorate.^[24] Political instability and local feuds, aggravated by the poverty of the dispossessed Marsh Arab population, remain a serious problem.^[25]

Literature[link]

Pietro della Valle (1586–1652) is cited in Gavin Young's Return to the Marshes as the earliest modern traveler to write about Mesopotamia and probably the first to introduce the word Madi, which he spelled "Maedi," to the Western world.^[26]

Young also mentions George Keppel (1799–1891) as having spent time with the Madan in 1824 and reported in detail on the marsh inhabitants. Of the men Keppel wrote, "The Arab boatmen were as hardy and muscular-looking fellows as ever I saw. One loose brown shirt, of the coarseness of sack-cloth, was the only covering of the latter. This, when labour required it, was thrown aside, and discovered forms most admirably adapted to their laborious avocations; indeed, any of the boatmen would have made an excellent model for an Hercules; and one in particular, with uncombed hair and shaggy beard, struck us all with the resemblance he bore to statues of that deity." Of the women Keppel observed, "They came to our boat with the frankness of innocence and there was a freedom in their manners, bordering perhaps on the masculine; nevertheless their fine features and well-turned limbs produced a tout ensemble of beauty, not to be surpassed perhaps in the brilliant assemblies of civilized life."^[27]

Another account of the Maʻdān in English was jointly published in 1927 by a British colonial administrator, Stuart Edwin Hedgecock, and his wife.^[28][29] Gertrude Bell also visited the area.^[30] T. E. Lawrence passed through in 1916, stopping at Basra and Ezra's Tomb (Al-Azair), and recorded that the Marsh Arabs were "wonderfully hard [...] but merry, and full of talk. They are in the water all their lives, and seem hardly to notice it."^[31]

The way of life of the Marsh Arabs was later described by the explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger in his classic The Marsh Arabs (1964). Thesiger lived with the Marsh Arabs for months at a time over a seven-year period (1951–1958), building excellent relationships with virtually all he met, and recording the details of day-to-day life in various regions of the marshes. Many of the areas that he visited have since been drained. Gavin Maxwell, the Scottish naturalist, travelled with Thesiger through the marshes in 1956 and published an account of their travels in his 1957 book A Reed Shaken by the Wind (later republished under the title People of the Reeds). The journalist and travel writer Gavin Young followed in Thesiger's footsteps, writing Return to the Marshes: Life with the Marsh Arabs of Iraq (1977; reissued 2009).

The first extensive scholarly ethnographic account of Marsh Arab life was Marsh Dwellers of the Euphrates Delta (1962), by Iraqi anthropologist S. M. Salim. An ethnoarchaeological study of the material culture of the Marsh Arabs has been published by Edward L. Ochsenschlager: Iraq's Marsh Arabs in the Garden of Eden (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2004).

Rory Stewart described the Marsh Arabs and his experiences as deputy governor in the Maysan province (2003–2004) in his 2006 book, Prince of the Marshes(also published under the title Occupational Hazards).

In German, there is Sigrid Westphal-Hellbusch, Die Ma'dan: Kultur und Geschichte der Marschenbewohner im Süd-Iraq (Berlin: Duncker und Humblot, 1962).

Films[link]

Films about Marsh Arabs:

• Iran,southwestern, directed by Mohammad Reza Fartousi, 2010
• Dawn of the World (L'Aube du monde), directed by Abbas Fahdel, 2008
• Silent Companion (Hamsafare Khamoosh), directed by Elham Hosseinzadeh, 2004
• Zaman, The Man From The Reeds (Zaman, l'homme des roseaux), directed by Amer Alwan, 2003
• The Marshes (Al-Ahwar), directed by Kassem Hawal, 1975

See also[link]

Iraq portal

• Tigris-Euphrates alluvial salt marsh
• Shatt al-Arab
• Edward Bawden
• Mudhif
• Iranian Arabs, for related groups in Khuzestan Province
• Muntafiq, a large tribal confederation of southern Iraq

References[link]

External links[link]

• Images from Iraq's Marsh Arabs in the Garden of Eden, University of Pennsylvania
• Wilfred Thesiger's photographs of Marsh Arab life, Pitt Rivers Museum
• An article on the ancient and recent history of the Marsh Arabs at Laputan Logic (Part II)
• Life on the Edge of the Marshes: A twenty year long ethnographic study conducted by Edward Ochsenschlager. As well as documenting the traditional way of life of the Marsh Arabs, it also made comparisons with ancient Sumerian cultural practices.
• AMAR International Charitable Foundation ("Assisting Marsh Arabs and Refugees")
• Images of Iraq's Marsh Arabs Endangered Culture & Nature by Sate Al Abbasi

v t e  Iraq topics Society Iraqi people · Iraqi diaspora · Demographics · Minorities (Kurds · Assyrians · Turkmen · Mandaeans) · Languages (Arabic · Kurdish · Aramaic · Turkmen) · Religion (Islam · Christianity · Mandaeism) · Culture · Cuisine · Music · Education · Health · Sports History Ancient Iraq (Sumer · Akkadian Empire · Babylonia · Assyria · Neo-Assyrian Empire · Neo-Babylonian Empire · Achaemenid Assyria · Seleucid Babylonia · Parthian Babylonia · Sassanid Asuristan) · Islamic conquest of Iraq · Abbasid Caliphate · Ottoman Iraq · Mandatory Mesopotamia · Kingdom of Iraq · Arab Federation · Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) · Ba'athist Iraq · U.S. occupation · Republic of Iraq (2011-present) Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party · Saddam Hussein · Kurdish–Iraqi conflict · Iran–Iraq War · Invasion of Kuwait · Gulf War · Sanctions · Iraq War (Invasion · Iraqi insurgency) Economy Iraqi Dinar · Stock Exchange · Central Bank · Oil reserves · Media Infrastructure Communications · Transportation · Schools · Hospitals · Roads · Reconstruction Government Constitution · Legislative branch · Executive branch (President · Cabinet · Prime Minister) · Judiciary · Law · Police · Iraqi Armed Forces (Army · Air Force · Navy) Politics Political parties · Elections · Minority politics · Foreign relations · Human rights · Foreign aid · War conflicts Geography Mesopotamia · Tigris · Euphrates · Provinces · Districts · Notable Places · Syrian Desert · Zagros Mountains · Hamrin Mountains · Umm Qasr · Al-Faw Peninsula · Shatt al-Arab · Al-Jazira · Mesopotamian Marshes · Lake Habbaniyah · Lake Tharthar · Lake Hammar · Lake Milh · Islands