Geo 1310 Unit 3 Exam Notes

What is the nature of the tectonic movement that created both the Zagros and the Alborz Mountains?

The collision of the Arabian plate and the Eurasian Plate

What natural hazard risk does the ongoing tectonic movement create in both Zagros and Alborz ranges?

Earthquake risk

What makes the Asir Mountains unique within Saudi Arabia?

Has the highest rainfall totals in Saudi Arabia

Why do a number of wealthy Saudis have summer homes here in the Asir Mountains?

To escape the heat

What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?

“Land between two rivers”

What physical characteristics of river floodplains made these areas ideal for the development of early agriculture?

Nutriteous and fertile soil, had constat fresh water, broad river, one major river

How did Mesopotamia act as a culture hearth?

Agriculture spread, but originated in Mesopotamia

What was the first civilization to arise here in Mesopotamia?

The Sumerians

What is a cultural hearth?

Areas where aspects of culture originate

Where is most of the oil and natural gas in Southwest Asia located relative to the Plateau of Saudi Arabia?

Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)

What are the resources we group together as fossil fuels (I list three)?

Coal, oil, and natural gas

What ancient organisms left the remains that were transformed into most of our fossil fuel reserves?

Ancient plants

What is necessary to transform the remains of ancient organisms into fossil fuels?

Land that was once underwater, high heat and pressure under sediment

Why does it make sense that there is little oil or gas on the Plateau of Saudi Arabia?

It wasnt underwater before because of high elevation

What does “basin and range” mean?

Alternating parallel basin and ranges

Are the deserts (Kavir and Lut) found in the high ranges or in the low-lying basins?

Low-lying basins

Where do most of Iran’s people live in relation to the Iranian Plateau? Why?

North or West of the plateau because plateau is dry and not very habitable (harsh conditions)

What happened to the Ottoman Empire after World War I?

It split

Who was the man who is considered the father of modern Turkey?

Mustafa Kemel Ataturk

What is a secular country, and how did that apply to Atatürk’s vision for Turkey after the War for Independence?

a country that does not have a state religion; This applys to Ataturks vision because Europe had long removed the same idea

Who are the Kurds, and what is their issue with Turkey?

people who lived in Turkey who were promised a country of their own; they were not given land and were treated horribly by Turkey

Why are Iranians not considered to be Arabs?

Arabs speak and communicate in the Arabic language. Iranians do not; they speak Farsi

Why was the last Shah so unpopular among Iranians?

Did not like the Shahs westernization of Iran

What denomination of Islam is, by far, the dominant one in Iran?

Shia Islam (90%)

Who led the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran?

Students and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Generally speaking, how did the Islamic republic type of government differ from the monarchy in Iran?

They did not like the US due to the support of the last Shah

Who was Iran’s last shah?

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi

What is the Shatt al-Arab?

Iraqs connection to the Persian Gulf; river connecting to the Persian Gulf

Why did Iraq invade Iran in 1980?

They wanted to take land, as well as oil

Why did Iraq invade Kuwait in August 1990?

Land, resources, trying to grab to Shat al-Arab, and boundary disputes

What was the allocational boundary dispute between Iraq and Kuwait?

Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing oil from them; over the Rumalia Oil Field

How was Saddam Hussein ultimately removed from power in Iraq?

The US led invasion of Iraq in 2003

What was some of the environmental damage that resulted from Operation Desert Storm?

Intentional spilling of oil in water, nuclear winter effect from the smake of oil well fires that were blown up intentionally

How were the oil well fires put out so quickly in Kuwait after Operation Desert Storm?

Put jet engines of a tank to blow the smoke away from the site

Where does Saudi Arabia rank worldwide in proven oil reserves?

#2

How does the absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia differ from, say, the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom?

Absolute monarcy holds all the power, while the UK constitutional monarchy does not have much power

What are the Five Pillars of Islam (no need for a list of all five here; just conceptually, what are they)?

Core religous duties and acts of worship

What is the Hajj?

The pilgramage to Meccas for prayer

Where does Qatar rank among countries in terms of proven natural gas reserves?

3rd

Is the North Field mostly associated or non-associated natural gas?

Non-associated

How is Qatar shipping its natural gas to buyers like Japan?

By ship; converting natural gas into liquid an keeping it in very very cold temperatures

How many emirates comprise the United Arab Emirates?

7

Which emirate is the capital of the UAE?

Abu Dhabi

When countries like the UAE undertake projects like the Burj Khalifa, what is the more symbolic meaning of these grand projects beyond just being “the world’s tallest building”?

These countries are advanced and rapidly modernizing

What territory gives Oman control of the navigable channel of the Strait of Hormuz?

Musandam Peninsula

What is so critical about Oman’s control of the navigable channel of the Strait of Hormuz?

It is the gateway to the Persian gulf, which has a lot of oil

The current civil war in Yemen is a proxy conflict between which two major Southwest Asian powers?

Saudi Arabia and Iran

Who, tragically, have made up a significant number of the famine victims in Yemen due to the civil war?

Children and pregnant women

What is the Jewish Diaspora?

Exile of Jewish people from their ancestral homeland

What is the Dreyfus Affair?

Wrongful conviction of treason of Alfred Dreyfus driven by anti-semitism

What is Zionism?

Establishing and supporting a sovereign Jewish national homeland

Where did most of the world’s Jewish population end up living after the Jewish Diaspora?

The Roman Empire

How did the Dreyfus Affair influence the rise of modern Zionism as a political movement?

Shattered the belief that assimilation could protect Jewish people from antisemitism

What did the Balfour Declaration say regarding the creation of a Jewish state?

Promised to make a Jewish homeland in the territory of Palestine

Who received the League of Nations Mandate over Palestine after the end of World War I?

The British

Why was Jerusalem supposed to be a free or international city under UN control in the United Nations Partition Plan?

So that it didnt start a conflict, anyone could come into the city; no playing favorites

How substantial was the Israeli victory in the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War (essentially, how much of the Palestine mandate territory did they control after the war)?

72% of the land in the mandate

Who ended up with control over the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip after the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War?

West Bank and East Jerusalem controlled by Jordan; Gaza Strip controlled by Egypt

What was the outcome of the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Egypt, Jordan, Syria)?

Israel took control over West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights

What three territories make up the Occupied Territories that involve the Palestinians?

West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip

What agreement saw some of the Occupied Territories’ land turned over to the Palestinians?

Oslo Accords

What was the 1967 Six-Day War?

Breif conflict between Israel and Arab states

What was the 1978 Camp David Accords?

Political agreements signed by Israel and Egypt

What was the Isreal-Jordan Peace Treaty?

Ending 46 years of war between Israel and Jordan

What is the current status of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights?

Sinai Peninsula is under Egyptain control; Golan Heights under Israel control, though barely used

How did Hamas winning elections in portions of the West Bank and Gaza complicate continued talks with Israel?

It stopped talks with Israel

What is right of return?

People have the right to return to their home country

Why does it make geographic sense that the largest number of Palestinian refugees settled in Jordan?

Jordan and Palestine share a border with each other

Why does Jordan support the right of return of Palestinian refugees?

They are outnumbered by the Palestinian refugees

Why is Israel opposed to the right of return?

They would be the minority; outnumbered by the refugees

What is the Arab Spring?

Wave of pro-democracy, anti-government, protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions across the Middle East in the early 2010’s

How did the Arab Spring lead to the Syrian Civil War?

They wanted to get rid of authoritarian and dictatorship rule

Where did Bashar al-Assad flee to after being ousted from office in December 2024?

Moscow, Russia

What was Beirut’s nickname before the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975?

“Paris of the Middle East”

Why did the Christian rule over Lebanon become minority rule by the mid-20th century?

Large Muslim marjority regions; Greater Lebanon in 1920

What is Hezbollah?

Shi’ite muslim political party based in Lebanon

What tectonic movement created the Pamir Knot and its associated mountain ranges?

Collision of the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate

What is the scientific term for mountain-building or mountain creation?

Orogenesis

What is are the highest mountains on earth?

Pamir Knot

Why is the terrain of the Hindu Kush so well-suited for guerrilla warfare tactics?

It has narrow passages and caves which is perfect for suprise attacks

How have the Hindu Kush contributed to Afghanistan being nicknamed the “graveyard of empires”?

So many empires and armies have tried and failed to naviagte the Hindu Kush

What is guerilla warfare?

small groups of citizens using suprise attacks and quick retreats to fight a much larger army

What does the name of Tian Shan mean in English?

“Mountains of Heaven”

What is notable about the Turpan Depression and Ayding Lake?

Lowest area elevation in all of China

The Kunlun represent the drainage divide between which two major Asian rivers?

Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) and Huang He (Yellow River)

Why is the Tibetan Plateau often referred to as “the roof of the world”?

It is the largest and highest elevation in the world

Why is the Tibetan Plateau also referred to as the “Third Pole”?

There is a lot of snow and ice due to how high it is

How were the Himalayas formed? Is this process still going on?

Thrust faulting; these mountains are still growing

What hazard is a particular danger for mountaineers in the Himalayas?

Avalanches

Mount Everest is located on the border between which two Himalayan countries?

Nepal and China

Why is the name “Manchuria” not used by China to refer to this region today?

It referred to the last imperial dynasty in China; the government is not a big fan of the dynasty

What is alluvium?

Sediment that is deposited by running water

What status does the North China Plain hold in East Asia due to being an ancient culture hearth?

It is a core area

Is the North China Plain area still the core area of China today?

Yes

What is the significance of the Han ethnicity among China’s ethnic groups?

Named after Han dynasty; makes up most of China’s citizens

What is loess?

Wind-blown sediments

Why is the Huang He known as a depositing river?

Murky water due to the dirt and sediment in it’s water

How does Hwang He’s status as a depositing river contribute to flood risk?

The shallower the river, the higher risk of flooding

Why is wheat, not rice, the major grain crop in Huang He River area?

The climate is not right due to not enough rainfall

Where does the Chang Jiang rank among Asia’s rivers in terms of length?

3rd longest river in Asia