Southwest Asia (Middle East) Study Guide

Southwest Asia (Middle East) Study Guide

Part 1: Geography

1. Using the map, identify the following countries (letters) and physical features (numbers)

A. ______

B. ______

C. ______

D. ______

E. ______

F. ______

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______of ______

4. ______

5. ______

6. ______

2. The Suez Canal is important because it allows ships to pass from the ______to the ______.

3. The ______River forms the border between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories.

4. Identify three reasons for the shortage of water in the Middle East region

a. ______

b. ______

c. ______

5. What is a major consequence of water pollution in the Middle East? ______

6. Name three countries that have the most oil in Southwest Asia.

a. ______

b. ______

c. ______

7. Throughout the Middle East, oil industry wealth has fueled a growing clash between:

A. traditional Islamic values & Western materialism

B. The U.S. & Great Britain

C. Educated people & uneducated people

D. Christians & Jews

8. What role does OPEC play in the world economy? ______

______

Part 2: Ethnic & Religious Groups

9. What is the difference between an ethnic & a religious group? ______

______

______

10. Which language is spoken by each of the following ethnic groups?

a) Kurds ______

b) Persians ______

c) Jews______

d) Arabs______

11. Identify the dominant religion practiced by each of the following ethnic groups:

a) Kurds ______

b) Persians ______

c) Jews______

d) Arabs______

12. Which ethnic group are considered nationalists & are struggling to have their own country? ______

13. Judaism, Islam, & Christianity are all ______religions because they only worship ONE God.

14. What country do Persians live in? ______

15. What issue led to split between the Sunni & Shia in Islam? ______

______

______

Part 3: History of the Middle East

16. The United Nations helped to create ______in 1948 as a homeland for Jewish people after the Holocaust. This land was previously controlled by the ______.

17.Anti-Semitism is the hatred of ______.

18. What led to the fall of the Ottoman Empire? ______

______

______

19. The belief that the Jews deserved to return to a homeland in Zion is called ______.

20. Which two regions of Israel/Palestine are a source of conflict between the Arabs & Israelis?

a. ______b. ______

21. What was the cause of the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991? ______

______

22. What was the main reason for the US involvement in the Iraq war (Operation Iraqi Freedom)? ______

______

23. Which conflict are the Taliban & Osama Bin Laden connected to? ______

Part 4: Government

24. Who chooses the leader in a parliamentary democracy? ______

25. A ______bases government on God or religious rule.

26. In a ______government, power is spread out somewhat evenly through multiple levels.

27. Who makes the decisions in an autocratic government? ______

28. Why do citizens have more power in a democracy than in an oligarchy form of government?______

______

29. Who is in charge in an oligarchy form of government?

A. the King

B. a small group of powerful leaders

C. the legislature

Part 5: Economics

30. How are economic decisions made in a/an:

a. Traditional Economy? ______

b. Command Economy? ______

c. Market Economy? ______

31. What is “specialization?” ______

______

32. Why do most economies in the world today operate somewhere in between a market economy & a command economy? ______

______

______

33. The economies of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey & Iran have ______economies.