Africa and SW Asia Notes 2/4

Atlas Mountains

Mountains that begin at Morocco and stretch NE; orographic effects strip rainfall from Algeria.

Maghreb

A region in Northwestern Africa that includes portions of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Continental Shelf

A submerged area of land; Africa has the narrowest continental shelf.

The Golan Heights

A strategic area located between the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee, previously part of Syria.

Sinai Peninsula

A piece of land currently part of Egypt, serving as a UN buffer zone from 1956-1966 and then part of Israel from 1967-1979.

Demographic Transition Model

A model that describes stages of population change based on birth and death rates.

Stage 1 of Demographic Transition

High death rate and high birth rate.

Stage 2 of Demographic Transition

Death rate falls rapidly while the birth rate remains high.

Stage 3 of Demographic Transition

Death rate falls slowly while the birth rate also starts to fall.

Stage 4 of Demographic Transition

Characterized by low birth and death rates; the USA is in this stage.

Stage 5 of Demographic Transition

Low birth rate with a higher death rate leading to a declining population; Japan is in this stage.

Aswan High Dam

A dam across the Nile River in Egypt that creates Lake Nassar and helps control flooding.

Darfur

Region in Sudan where ethnic tensions have led to conflict, particularly between the Fur and Arab populations.

Rift Valley

A linear valley formed by the sinking or pushing down of the earth’s crust between parallel faults.

Theocentric

A worldview where God is the center of worship.

Plateaus

Flat, elevated areas of land; often bordered by steep slopes known as escarpments.

Islamic Taliban Movement

A group that controlled Afghanistan until removed by the Northern Alliance and US forces in 2001.

Elburz Mountains

Mountain range in northern Iran, home to the highest peak in Iran.

Zagros Mountains

Mountain range located to the west of Iran.

Dasht-e Kavir

A major desert located in northern Iran.

Dasht-e Lut

A major desert located in southern Iran.

Bekaa Valley

A region in Lebanon known for its agricultural productivity, influenced by nearby mountain ranges.

Hamas

Palestinian Sunni Muslim militant group labeled by many as a terrorist organization.

Hezbollah

A Shi'a Muslim political and paramilitary group based in southern Lebanon, considered a terrorist group by many.

Fatah

Palestinian national liberation movement with a stronghold in the West Bank, led by Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Suez Canal

A vital artificial waterway in Egypt linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

Epidemic

A sudden outbreak of disease occurring at a local or regional scale.

Pandemic

A disease that spreads worldwide.

Hindu Kush

A mountain range stretching from central Afghanistan to northern Pakistan.

The Aral Sea

A body of water between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that has been shrinking, leading to significant ecological issues.

The Arab Spring

A series of protests and uprisings across Arab nations seeking government and economic reforms.

Polisario Front

A movement representing the indigenous Saharawi people of Western Sahara.

Atatürk Mustafa Kemal

Founder of the Turkish Republic, known for promoting secularism and universal education.

Bosporus and Dardanelles

Straits that connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea; they demarcate the border between Europe and Asia.

Sahara

The largest desert in Northern Africa.

Kalahari

A desert located in Southern Africa, excluding the left side of South Africa.

Namib

A desert located on the left side of Southern Africa.