World Geography: Southwest Asia

A place where water from an aquifer has reached the surface; supports wildlife and vegitation

Oasis

Petroleum that has not been processed

Crude Oil

A place where crude oil is converted into useful product

Refinery

Southwest Asia forms a land bridge between what 3 continents?

Asia, Africa, and Europe

A hilly plateau overlooking the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. The Plateau's strategic location has made it a sight of conflict for decades

Golan Heights

What peninsula is the most distinct landform in Southwest Asia?

Arabian Peninsula

A river that serves as a natural boundary between Israel and Jordan. It flows from the mountain of Lebanon with no outlet to the Mediterranian Sea

Jordan River

A landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan that is so salty almost nothing can live in its waters. It is the lowest place on the exposed crust of earth.

Dead Sea

The most abundant reasource in Southwest Asia?

Oil

About how much of the world's oil reserves are in Southwest Asia?

Half

What is the most critical and valuable resource in Southwest Asia?

Water

Why do most rivers not flow year round in the Southwest Asia Region?

Dryness

Most areas receive less than _ inches of percipitation each year.

18

One of the largest sandy deserts in the world. Known as the empty quarter. Approxiamately the size of Texas.

Rub al-Khali

As many as years can pass without rainfall in the Rub al-Khali.

10

What is the dominant climate of this region?

Desert (Arid, Dry)

What country is in charge of the National Water Carrier Project?

Israel

Who are Bedouins?

Nomadic desert dwellers that moved from oasis to oasis

What did Bedouins help spread?

Islam

What is Islam?

A monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad

Who was the founder and prophet of Islam?

Muhammad

What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?

Faith
Prayer
Charity
Fasting
Sign of self-control, humility
Pilgrimage

What is the Faith Pillar of Islam?

"There is no God but Allah"

What is the Prayer Pillar of Islam?

Pray 5x daily, preferrably in a mosque

What is a mosque?

An Islamic place of worship where Muslims pray facing towards the holy city of Mecca

What is the Charity Pillar of Islam?

Support less fortunate by giving money

What is the Fasting Pillar of Islam?

Cannot eat or drink anything during holy month of Ramadan between sunrise and sunset

What is the Pilgrimage Pillar of Islam?

Expected to travel to Mecca at least once during their lifetime

A form of government in which religious leaders control the government, relying on religious law and consulation with religious scholars to run the country

Theocratic

When was oil discovered?

1932

Who Consolidated power over large areas in the name of the Saud family (Area became known as Saudi Arabia in 1932)?

Abdul al-Aziz Ibn Saud; Descendents still rule today

A group established in 1960 by some oil-producing nations to coordinate policies on selling petroleum products

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC)

What is the purpose of OPEC?

Helps members control worldwide oil prices
Adjusts oil prices and donation quotas
Powerful force in international trade

Prayer is performed at which times each day?

Dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and before bed
Some countries even stop traffic during prayer times
Assemble on Fridays for prayer at a mosque

What is Ramadan?

Adult Muslims do not eat from dawn until dusk for the month
May eat a light meal of lentil or bean soup, dates, yogurt, and tea after sunset
Festival of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan

What three major monotheistic religions were founded in the region?

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

All three relgions claim what as a holy city?

Jerusalem

Who ruled the eastern Mediterranean from 1520 to 1922?

The Ottoman Empire

How did the Ottoman Empire fall?

Sided with Germany during World War I. Empire fell apart at the end of the war. Lands were distributed to Britain and France as part of war settlement

What is Zionism?

A movement that began in the 19th century to re-establish a Jewish state in the Jewish homeland. About 12% of region was Jewish by 1914

Where did Jewish survivors of the Holocaust want to settle after World War I?

Palestine Mandate

When was the Nation of Israel established?

May 14, 1948

What Organization has controlled Gaza since 2007?

Hamas

Who makes up a majority of the Eastern Meditteranean region?

Muslim Arabs

A region in Southwest Asia between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers

Mesopotamia--Home to some of the earliest civilizations in the world. Known as the "land between rivers"

Most ethnic groups follow Islam, but tensions still exist between what groups?

The 2 main branches of Islam: The Sunni and Shi'ite

What are the Sunni?

One of the two main branches of Islam, comprising about 83% fo all Muslims, including those in Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan

What are the Shi'ite?

One of the two main branches of Islam including most Iranians

What country has the largest refugee population of any country in the world?

Iran

What oil rich region in the Northeast is important for all naitons that import oil?

Persian Gulf

How and when did the Persian Gulf War start?

Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991. The US and 32 other nations fought to drive out Iraqis

The US initially invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to dismantle who?

al-Qaeda

Who was Iraq's leader when the US declared war on them?

Saddam Hussein

Who are the Taliban?

A strict Muslim group in Afghanistan that has imposed rigid rules on society

When did the US withdraw from Afghanistan?

August 2021

What did the UN order Saddam Hussein to do?

Destroy biological and chemical weapons in 2001

What was Operation Iraqi Freedom?

Launched in March 2003 to remove Saddam from power
He was executed on December 30, 2006

Who is the only nation in the region that produces significant amounts of steel?

Turkey