Middle East and Central Asia Review Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing key people, places, and ideas related to the Middle East and Central Asia.

What are the largest percentage of ethnicities in the Middle East?

Arabic or Turkish

Which country has the largest Jewish population?

Israel

What are some reasons the Kurds have suffered?

Minority status, violence of some Kurds, perceived threat by many political leaders

What two groups are many muslims/ kurds divided into?

Shia and Sunni

What do you call a people with a common history and language?

Nation

Historically, what geographic area did the word Palestine refer to?

The region between Egypt and Phoenicia

What did the word Palestinian refer to originally?

Where people lived, rather than their nationality or religion

Where do most Palestinians live in this region?

Gaza and the West Bank

Who is the prophet of Islam who lived in Mecca?

Muhammad

Who is considered the last prophet, according to Islam?

Muhammad, after Adam, Moses, and Jesus

What is the holy book of Islam?

The Qur'an

What is the collection of sayings and traditions in Islam called?

The Hadith

What are the 5 pillars of Islam?

Shahadah (statement of faith), Prayer, Fasting, Alms giving, Pilgrimage

How do Muslims regard Jesus?

Accept his virgin birth and miracles but reject his divinity and ability to supersede or substitute for our sinfulness.

What is the Arabic word for 'struggle', and what does it entail in Islam?

Jihad: (a) struggle each Muslim wages against sin, and (b) 'holy war' to spread Islam through peaceful persuasion or violence

Describe the impacts of events in 70 AD on Judaism.

Sacrifices ceased, priestly class fell, Pharisees gained ascendancy through rabbis, defined the religion of Judaism

Define Pharisee.

A Jewish sect that focused on keeping the Law of Moses

What is the Mishna?

Rabbis' collections of interpreted laws, holy days, rituals, and civic life

What is the Gemara?

Traditions about the application of the law

What are the Mishna and the Gemara together called?

Talmud

List the countries in Central Asia mentioned in the notes.

Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia

What mountain ranges are dividing Europe from Central Asia?

Caucasus Mountains and Ural Mountains

What are major land features in Central Asia?

Tien Shan Mountains and Karakum Desert

What are some water features in Central Asia?

The Black Sea, Aral Sea, Caspian Sea, Lake Balkhash, Lake Issyk-Kul

What is 'Darya' in Persian?

Lake or Sea

What are important elements, mined in Central Asia, in the production of solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles?

Manganese, Lead, Zinc, Titanium

What causes land degradation?

Overgrazing, deforestation, improper irrigation

What are effects of land degradation?

Soil erosion, reduced soil fertility, desertification

Why do many countries end in 'Stan'?

Stan has its roots in many languages. Urdu and Persian: stan = 'where one stands'. Persian: istan = 'land'. Indo-European languages: sta = 'stands' or 'settlement'

What was the Silk Road?

Network of trade routes that connected Asia, the Middle East and Europe beginning in 130 BCE through 1453 C.E.

What empires have controlled Central Asia?

The Mongolian Empire, The Timurid Empire, The Russian Empire, USSR