Orchard agriculture in the high mountain region of Southern Sinai

Bedouin of the Middle East have been considered to subsist exclusively as nomadic herders. A regional approach to the subsistence economy of Bedouin considers their articulation with agricultural systems. The economy of Jebaliyah Bedouin of the southern Sinai is unusual in that they directly practice both herding and orchard agriculture. A survey of historical records and contemporary data explicates the thesis that Jebaliyah Bedouin were not and are not an isolated and economically autonomous group.