April 1 -- North Africa, Southwest Asia

North Africa, Southwest Asia

what three continents intersect in the NASWA region?

europe, asia, and africa

what are the three major defining features of NASWA?

climate, culture, and oil

why is the population in NASWA discontinuous?

people cluster around limited water sources

what are the three major religions that began in NASWA?

judaism, christianity, and islam

which three countries in NASWA are not Arab-dominated?

Iran, Turkey, and Israel

what is the dominate climate type in NASWA

arid (b climate)

what is an exotic river?

a river that originates in a humid region and flows through an arid area (e.g. the Nile)

what are oases and why are they important?

fertile spots in a desert with groundwater; support life and citieswh

what environmental problem is caused by irrigation?

salinization — build-up of toxic salts in soil

what is the Maghreb?

region in north africa including monacco, algeria, and tunisia

what mountain range cominates north africa?

atlas mountains

what is the Rub al-Khali?

a large dester in southern Saudi Arabia; one of the driest places on earth

how many southwest asian countries face water-short conditions

9 out of 14

what are the three major riviers in NASWA

nile, tigris, euphrates

what is “fossil water”

ancient groundwater that is non-renewable

what is physiological density

number of people per unit of arable soil

what percentage NASWA’s population is urbanized

65%

what is a demographic trend in tunisia, iran, and turkey

declining fertility rates due to urban lifestyles

what percentage of Gulf States’ private workers are immigrants

over 90% in UAE

what country experienced mass displacement from civil war

syria

what region in africa as a cultural tension zone between Muslim and non-Muslin areas

the Sahel (African Transition Zone)

what are the 5 pillars of islam

declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, prilgimage to Mecca

what is the main difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims

Shia follow a different lineage of religious leaders (12 Imams); Sunnis rely on the Prophet’s companions

what is islamic fundamentalism?

a strict, literal interpretation of islamic principles

what diffusion method did islam initially follow

contagious diffusion, then hierarchal diffusion

what triggered the Arab Spring in 2011

autocratic rule, economic hardship, youth discontent, and social media

what was the only Arab Spring success story

Tunisia

what as the result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran

overthrow of monarchy, rise of theocratic Islamic Republic

what legal changes occurred for women in Saudi Arabia in 2019-2019

right to drive, travel, access legal services without male permission

what is OPEC

organization of petroleum exporting countries — regulates oil production/prices

which region has most of the world’s proven oil reserves

NASWA (especially saudi arabia, iran, iraq, kurait, UAE)

what are “choke points” in oil transportation

strategic narrow waterways like the Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal

what year was the state of israel founded

1948

what were the consequences of israel’s founding

Arab-Israeli wars, Palestinian displacement, refugee crisis

what territories did israel gain in the Six-Day War (1967)

Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan’s Heights, Sinai Peninsula, East Jerusalem