Middle East and North Africa Study Guide

  1. People live where it’s the easiest to live. What are some reasons that people choose to live near rivers?
  2. Drinking water and water for irrigation for crops
  3. Transportation and trade
  4. Fish and other animals that are attracted to the water.
  1. Why are the Tigris and Euphrates rivers important to this region?
  2. Major transportation route for oil and other products
  3. Land is extremely fertile because of the silt from the rivers flooding
  4. Large source of drinking water to support larger populations
  1. What are some environmental issues that the Middle East is facing today?
  2. Extreme scarcity of water
  3. Land is infertile in most areas, thus needs fertilization techniques
  4. Pollution from cities and factories in the river.
  1. How is agriculture affected? Fewer crops can be grown. It may be necessary to import food.
  1. Why would it be important to build a dam on rivers in the Middle East?
  2. Build a reservoir to store drinking water
  3. Keep the land downstream from flooding, thus more people can live closer to the river
  4. Creates the reservoir that is beneficial for tourism, fishing, and transportation
  5. Creates hydro-electricity
  6. It can be used as a weapon
  1. Why is the population of the Sahara desert lower than in the Egyptian Nile River Delta?

It is harder to get water from an oasis or well than getting it from the river. Water in an oasis or well is more scarce, not replenished except through rain, which is unpredictable.

  1. What are some reasons that dams could be harmful to the land?
  2. Keeps the rivers from flooding, thus the land isn’t naturally fertilized by the silt
  3. Dams could lower the amount of water that flows downstream, thus cutting the amount of accessible water for populations downstream.
  4. Since it’s one of the only sources of drinking water, it could be contaminated/polluted, thus harming people who drink it.
  1. Why was the Suez Canal built? Shorter trade route from the Med Sea, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.
  1. Why do the people of the Sahara desert raise goats and camels instead of farming?The animals eat the local vegetation and drink little water, and it makes it possible for people to migrate. If you farm, you are tied to the land. Camels are also used as transportation across deserts.
  1. Why are oil and water the two most important resources in the Middle East?Water is needed due to the scarcity of it and necessity to sustain life. Oil is important because the sale of it provides a large profit which is used to purchase other resources that is needed.
  1. If a country put an embargo on oil, what are they doing? Refusing to buy or sell oil with the other country
  1. What does that do to the price of oil? It raises the overall price
  1. What does it mean when a country has a tariff on oil?It put a tax on the oil. It raises the price to encourage to buy locally.
  1. What is a resource that would be considered scarce in Southwest? Fresh water, fertile landWhy?_Lack of rainfall, lack of flooding due to dams
  1. What is OPEC’s job or function? To regulate the price and supply of oil on the world market.
  1. How is the US and Saudi Arabia economically interdependent? The United States purchases oil from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia uses the profits to purchase food items and other resources they need from the US
  1. Describe each group:

Religious GroupCultural Group Ethnic Group Political Group___

  1. What are the four major ethnic groups in the Middle East? Where are they predominantly found?

#1: Arabs-majority of the people in the ME. North Africa and ME

#2:Persians-Iran

#3: Kurds- Mts of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. (Nomadic)

#4:Hebrews- Israel

  1. What are some reasons that Islam is more worshipped in the Middle East than Judaism or Christianity?
  2. Jews migrated away (Diaspora)
  3. Christians and Jews were converted by force during 600’s+
  4. Many of the countries follow Sharia (Islamic law) and it’s against the law to be anything other than Islam
  1. Explain why there is conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims.They disagree who should be the leaders of the Islamic religion. Sunni believe it should be the religious rulers (Caliphs) and Shia believe it should be a bloodline descendant of Muhammad.
  1. Why is the Suez Canal economically important to countries around the World? Faster trade route, makes shipping cheaper and more profitable.
  2. Why is it important to Egypt?Fees are a good source of income to the Egyptian economy
  1. Why did the U.N. get involved in Kuwait in 1990 against Iraq?The UN was asked by Saudi Arabia for help. Saddam invaded Kuwait over oil and beachfront property (for shipping) US was part of the UN tha
  1. Why has there been so much conflict over Palestine/Israel? Both the Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their holy city and that they have a right to the land through their deity’s promise
RELIGIONS: / Judaism / Christianity / Islam
Approx. Establishment Date / 2000ish BC / 32ish AD / 610AD
Deity (Name of God) / Yahweh / God / Allah
Founder or important figure / Abraham / Jesus and Disciples / Muhammad
Name of place of worship / Temple and Synagogue / Church / Mosque
Name of Holy Text / Torah / Bible / Koran/Quran
Holy City or Cities
Why? / Jerusalem: City of holy temple / Jerusalem: Places that are important in the life of Jesus’ birth and death / Mecca: Allah spoke to Muhammad here,
Medina: Where he raised an army and started conquest
Jerusalem: Where Muhammad ascended into Heaven
Monotheistic or Polytheistic / Monotheistic / Monotheistic / Monotheistic

Similarities of all 3 religions: All claim Holy Land, All believe in the God of Abraham, all 3 see their religion as the one true religion and path to Heaven

Differences of all 3 religions (What makes them unique?): who the founder claimed to be, pathways to heaven, customs and rituals.