Unit 6 - Middle East

arid

extremely dry

desalination

the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming

desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Fertile Crescent

a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

fossil fuel

an energy source formed from the residue of plants and animals buried millions of years ago

monotheism

belief in a single God

theocracy

government run by religious leaders

Sharia Law

the system of Islamic law, based on varying degrees of interpretation of the Qu'ran

Arab Spring

a revolutionary wave of protests and demonstrations overtaking dictators in the Middle East (2011)

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum.

Iran

Iraq

Turkey

Syria

Jordan

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Persian Gulf

Red Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Arabian Sea

Suez Canal

Caspian Sea