Africa and Middle East

Arabian peninsula

Surrounded by the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Gulf and Aden

Red Sea

Connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal

Persian Gulf

lies between Arabian Peninsula and Iran to the southwest and northeast respectively

Nile River

Longest river in the world

Atlas Mountains

What mountains are located in northwestern Africa, stretching across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia

Maghreb

the region that stretches between Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Has a nice Mediterranean climate.

Mostly desert, Temperate in the Maghreb region

Climate of North Africa

Arabic

Official language in almost all North African and middle eastern countries

Persian Gulf

World's Largest petroleum Reserves in this Region

Islam

In majority of the north african and middle eastern countries the population is what religion

Mecca (Saudi Arabia, where Muhammed was born), Medina (Saudi Arabia, where Muhammed was buried), and Jerusalem

3 Important/Holy Cities

Sunni

Make up 90% of worldwide Muslim Populations

Shi'ite

This group lives majority in Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Iraq

Religion/lack of representation

Lack of Democracy

Unemployment and corruption

Global economic downturn Cost of wheat and basic foods

Cellphones and Social Media

Factors that caused the Arab Spring

Libya, Syria, Yemen

3 countries with long running civil wars.

Gaza Strip (from Egypt)

Sinai Peninsula (from Egypt)

West Bank (from Jordan)

East Jerusalem (from Jordan)

Golan Heights (from Syria)

Six-Day War — What territories did Israel gain control of?

Western Sahara

What territory is disputed and claimed/largely controlled by Morocco

Mauritania

What country is known for their serious issue of human trafficking

They outnumber their native population

What is interesting about the Palestinian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon

United Arab Emirates

This country is a federation of 7 emirates

Qatar

Where is Al Jazeera headquarters located

Potential Eligibility for EU membership

What will the moderinzation of Turkey lead to

Great Lakes of Rift Valleys

Expected to split eventually, spliting africa into 2 seperate land masses

Namibia, Sahara and Kalahari Desert

What are the 3 major deserts of Africa

Sahel

The environmental and cultural transition zone below Sahara. Not know for political stability

Savanna - Cyclical rainy/dry season

Steppe - dry all the time

Difference between Savanna and Steppe

Carrying Capacity

number of people a given amount of land can support

Nigeria and Ethiopia

Two most populous countries in Africa

Least urbanized realm, but urbanizing at a fast pace

What does the ubranization of African look like

Major colonial nations: British, French, Portuguese, Belgians, Germans

Only country not colonized: Ethiopia

In the Berlin Conference of 1884, what 5 colonial nations took over africa and what one country remained uncolonized

Over half of all cases are in southern and eastern Africa. This is due to a disbeleif in the virus

How has HIV affected African

South Africa

Largest economy in Africa

Christian

Southern african countries are more likely to be what religion

Cooler and generally drier conditions prevail

What is the climate of East Africa

Swahili

What is the Lingua Franca of East Africa

Equatorial rainforest as well as the most underdeveloped region in this realm (therefore the poorest)

What is the landscape of Equatorial Africa

French

Most common language in equatorial africa and west africa

Kinshasa

The congo river is only navigable until _______

Blood Minerals

Diamonds and other precious materials that fund conflict

West Africa

Area of africa with lots of ethnic and religious conflict

Ghana

First independent country in Africa

failed state

Somalia is refered to as a _____ due to its poor economy and political stability

Djibouti

Many countries have military bases there, but it's home to the only permanent US base in Africa

Extremist Hutu government orchestrated mass killings of Tutsi and moderate Hutu

explain the conflict of the two majority groups in the DRC

Land Reform and Tobacco

What major economic and political issues define Zimbabwe's recent history?

Relgious and Ethnic Differences

What drives conflict in the Central African Republic?

Tension between French-speaking majority and English-speaking minority

What is the source of Cameroon's language conflict?

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) vs. Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

Who is fighting for control in Sudan and why?

Despite peace deal, tensions persist over borders and regional alliances

Why might Ethiopia and Eritrea go to war again?

Oil

What resource drives the economies of Angola and Mozambique?