Study Guide for Southwest Asian Geography Test

Know the following:

Vocabulary

Subsistence farming (agriculture)

Irrigation

Natural resources

Bedouin

Desalinization

Shatt al Arab

Rub al- Khali

Religious Group

Ethnic Group

OPEC (What do the letters stand for and what is the purpose of this organization?)

Ka’aba

Anti-Semitism

Torah

Quran

Monotheistic

Caliph

Landlocked (Which of the 6 countries we’re responsible to know is landlocked?)

Can you place these countries and physical features, etc. on a map?

Afghanistan

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Turkey


Persian Gulf

Arabian Sea

Red Sea

Strait of Hormuz

Gaza Strip


Suez Canal

Euphrates River

Tigris River

Jordan River

Jerusalem

West Bank

What are the answers to these questions?

  1. What are the two most valuable natural resources in the Middle East?
  2. Which four countries are the most oil rich?
  3. What major body of water do these four countries border?
  4. What percentage of the world’s oil reserves can be found in SW Asia?
  5. What extremely important natural resource is scarce (in short supply) in Southwest Asia?
  6. Why are some SW Asian countries much richer than other SW Asian countries?
  7. Which of the 6 countries we are responsible to know have the most oil?
  8. Which have little or no oil?
  9. Why does OPEC play such a powerful role in the world economy today?
  10. What two countries border the Gaza Strip?
  11. What two bodies of water are connected by the Suez Canal?
  12. Why are technologies such as desalinization and drip irrigation not more widely used to reduce water shortages in Southwest Asia?
  13. Where are many of the largest cities in SW Asia located?
  14. Where have most Bedouins traditionally lived?
  15. How do they make their living?
  16. Describe the climate of SW Asia.
  17. How do mountains which often block moist ocean winds affect much of the interior of SW Asia?
  18. Beside personal use (such as drinking), what is the most valuable use of water in SW Asia?
  19. How does the building of dams upstream affect the countries that are located downstream?
  20. What problems do chemical fertilizers cause for farmers?
  21. How has the use of chemical fertilizers affected the water supply in many countries of SW Asia?
  22. Why have people living along the rivers often built canals, ganats, and water wheels?
  23. Which river is shared by Turkey, Syria and Iraq?
  24. Which river is shared by Syria, Israel, and Jordan?
  25. What are the 3 major ethnic groups in SW Asia?
  26. Which is the most prevalent (dominant, the most people)?
  27. What are the three most important religions in SW Asia?
  28. What religion are most Arabs?
  29. What religion are most Israelis?
  30. Which religion(s) can trace their roots back to Abraham?
  31. Which of the three religions came first?
  32. What is the major difference between Christians and Jews?
  33. Who are the “People of the Book”?
  34. Who founded Islam?
  35. Why is Mecca important to Muslims?
  36. What SW Asian city is scared (holy) to all three religions?
  37. What basically are the Five Pillars?
  38. Which modern country is home to those who call themselves Persians?
  39. What language do Persians speak?
  40. What religion are most Persians?
  41. What country in SW Asia has the most Jews?
  42. Where do most Kurds live?
  43. What language do Kurds speak?
  44. What religion are most Kurds?
  45. What is the “Exodus”?
  46. Which major SW Asian religion(s) are monotheistic?
  47. Why is the Ka’aba important to Muslims?
  48. Why did Islam spread so rapidly after the death of Muhammad?
  49. What led to the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims?
  50. How do literacy rates in SW Asia often differ for men and women?