Deck 10: Central Asia

Question 1

What is the primary reason for the shrinking of the Aral Sea?

A) There is climatic change in Central Asia.
B) Large-scale irrigation projects implemented by the Soviets in the 1950s have diverted water from the two rivers that feed the sea.
C) Tectonic rifting in the region is causing the sea's water to be removed beneath the ground surface.
D) Much of the water has been removed directly from the sea surface by the numerous nuclear desalinization plants along the Aral's shore.
E) all of the answer choices are correct

Answer 1

B

Question 2

People of which of the following countries of Central Asia are noted for their traditional economy based on transhumance?

A) Afghanistan
B) Kazakhstan
C) Tibet
D) Turkmenistan
E) Kyrgyzstan

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Of the following climates,which one is LEAST common in Central Asia?

A) tropical monsoon
B) midlatitude desert
C) midlatitude steppe
D) highland
E) humid continental

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following countries of Central Asia lies farthest north?

A) Tibet
B) Kazakhstan
C) Turkmenistan
D) Afghanistan
E) Uzbekistan

Question 5

Which of the following deserts is NOT found in Central Asia?

A) Kara Kum
B) Kalahari
C) Kyzyl Kum
D) Taklamakan
E) Gobi

Question 6

The Pamir Knot

A) is a complex tangle of east-west and north-south trending mountain ranges on the borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and China.
B) is the term for the border between Mongolia and China.
C) refers to the political isolation experienced by Azerbaijan on the western side of the Caspian Sea.
D) refers to the mountainous region lying on the border between Nepal and China.
E) is located in Turkmenistan.

Question 7

Which of the following countries of Central Asia lies farthest south?

A) Mongolia
B) Kazakhstan
C) Turkmenistan
D) Afghanistan
E) Uzbekistan

Question 8

What livelihood is "the only feasible way of life on the Tibetan plateau," according to the authors of your textbook?

A) nomadic pastoralism based on the yak
B) plantation agriculture based on tea
C) subsistence agriculture based on tubers
D) sedentary agriculture based on a variety of crops
E) transhumance based on sheep

Question 9

In the Tarim Basin,where do most of the people reside?

A) in the foothills of the mountains along the basin's edge
B) near the basin's center
C) high in the mountains surrounding the basin
D) toward the eastern opening of the basin
E) in an evenly distributed pattern, throughout the region

Question 10

Since the 1960s,where has the largest proportion of migrants to Tibet and the western provinces of China come from?

A) Indians fleeing because of the border conflict with Pakistan
B) Nepalese who are searching for more productive agricultural land
C) Afghans fleeing internal political conflict
D) Han Chinese from eastern China
E) Mongolians

Question 11

Which Central Asian lake is the largest lake in the world?

A) Aral Sea
B) Lake Baikal
C) Kara Deniz
D) Lake Erie
E) Caspian Sea

Question 12

In which country of Central Asian is the Gobi Desert found?

A) Turkmenistan
B) Azerbaijan
C) Tibet
D) Mongolia
E) Afghanistan

Question 13

Where are the desert regions of Central Asia mostly located?

A) eastern edge of the region
B) western edge of the region
C) center of the region
D) northern edge of the region
E) southern edge of the region

Question 14

Kazakhstan's population in the agricultural lands of the north

A) is highly concentrated near the border of Russia.
B) lives primarily in the cities of the northern region.
C) is relatively evenly spaced throughout the region.
D) has declined to nearly zero over the past three decades.
E) has been migrating to the south in the past decade.

Question 15

Where do the majority of people in Uzbekistan reside?

A) in the cool mountainous uplands
B) near the river valleys and alluvial fans
C) near the coast of the Aral Sea
D) on a plateau area near the border of Afghanistan
E) in the center of the country

Question 16

Why is the environment in Central Asia relatively clean?

A) stringent environmental standards and controls
B) a strong "green" political movement in the region
C) favorable breezes that sweep the heavy industrial pollution that would otherwise permeate the region
D) low population density coupled with low level of economic development
E) all of the answer choices are correct

Question 17

Beginning with increased diversion of water during the 1950s,what happened to the Aral Sea?

A) Its shoreline retreated at an unprecedented rate.
B) Villages that had once enjoyed a "seaside" location were stranded 40 miles inland.
C) Salinity levels increased in the Aral Sea, causing fish species to disappear.
D) Eventually, the Aral Sea consisted of two separate lakes.
E) all of the answer choices are correct

Question 18

What do most climate change experts predict will happen to Central Asia as climate change continues?

A) It will be hit hard by climate change, leading to melting of glaciers and reduced river flows.
B) Because of the region's low density, the problems will be minimal.
C) This dry region will benefit from higher overall precipitation.
D) The region will move to the forefront of solar energy technology development.
E) This region will not be affected by climate change.

Question 19

What geologic event created Central Asia's mountain ranges?

A) the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia
B) extensive and recent volcanic eruptions
C) tectonic plate divergence
D) subsidence along local earthquake faults

Question 20

What is the livelihood of pastoralists?

A) growing wheat
B) cultivating rice
C) growing grapes to produce wine
D) growing opium poppies
E) raising livestock

Question 21

What development led to the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Central Asia?

A) domestication of the sheep
B) a climate change that made the region dryer
C) domestication of the horse
D) domestication of wheat

Question 22

Followers of which religion in Central Asia suffered brutal persecution when China invaded Tibet?

A) Judaism
B) Shiite Islam
C) Sunni Islam
D) Lamaist Buddhism
E) Zoroastrianism

Question 23

Who were the eighteenth-century founders of Afghanistan?

A) Warriors from China
B) Members of the Pashtun ethnic group
C) Mostly Jews who have since been expelled from the nation
D) Quisling leaders who were installed by the British government
E) Turkic peoples

Question 24

What is the most common language group in Central Asia,based on the number of native speakers?

A) Farsi
B) Indo-European
C) Mongolian
D) Tibetan
E) Turkic

Question 25

In the nineteenth century,what country began to displace China from Central Asia?

A) Britain
B) Russia
C) Iran
D) Afghanistan
E) Turkey

Question 26

Which areas in Central Asia remain under Chinese control?

A) Tibet and Xinjiang
B) Xinjiang and Kyrgyzstan
C) Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
D) Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
E) Tibet and Kazakhstan

Question 27

The Dalai Lama

A) is the religious and political leader of Tibet.
B) is the new political leader of Afghanistan after the ousting of the Taliban in 2001-2002.
C) is a political leader of Tibet who was installed by the Chinese government after their invasion of the region in 1959.
D) has been found to have ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
E) is the political leader of Mongolia.

Question 28

Which country of Central Asia was NOT previously a republic of the former USSR?

A) Kazakhstan
B) Afghanistan
C) Kyrgyzstan
D) Turkmenistan
E) Uzbekistan

Question 29

Which of the following cities of Central Asia is largely a Soviet creation?

A) Tashkent, Uzbekistan
B) Kabul, Afghanistan
C) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
D) Baku, Azerbaijan
E) Astana, Kazakhstan

Question 30

What was the source of the military dominance of Central Asia's nomads before 1500?

A) firearms, which were invented in the region
B) armor, which protected them against their enemies
C) catapults, which were the most advanced weapons of their era
D) a bigger military than their enemies
E) horses, which made them more mobile

Question 31

To which of the following languages is Tajik most closely related?

A) Turkish
B) Chinese
C) Russian
D) Uygur
E) Persian

Question 32

What is the name of the ultra orthodox Islamic group that was in power in Afghanistan until the United States military intervened in fall of 2001?

A) Taliban
B) al-Qaeda
C) Loya Jurga
D) Northern Alliance
E) Wahhabis

Question 33

As the nomadic armies of Central Asia declined,which of the following countries benefited?

A) China
B) Britain
C) Russia
D) A and B above
E) A and C above

Question 34

Which language of Central Asia is an Indo-European language?

A) Azeri
B) Kirghiz
C) Pashtun
D) Mongolian
E) Tibetan

Question 35

When Central Asia has been under the communist rule of China,the Soviet Union,and Mongolia,what has happened to religion?

A) All forms of religion were discouraged.
B) Religion was tolerated.
C) Islam was declared the official religion.
D) Orthodox Christianity was declared the official religion.
E) Buddhism was declared the official religion.

Question 36

Which of the following is one of the most densely populated regions of Central Asia?

A) the Gobi Desert
B) the lowlands of Azerbaijan
C) northern Tibet
D) Xinjiang
E) the Kara Kum

Question 37

What is the current status of Lamaist Buddhism with respect to China?

A) The Chinese have allowed many Buddhist monasteries to open, and their activities are no longer limited.
B) The Chinese have not allowed Buddhist monasteries to open, and the activities of the monks are strictly limited.
C) The Chinese have allowed many Buddhist monasteries to open, but their activities remain limited.
D) The Chinese have not allowed Buddhist monasteries to open, but otherwise, the activities of the monks are not limited.
E) The Lamaist Buddhists are at a standoff with the Chinese.

Question 38

Which Central Asian country had been engaged in a civil war that was brought to a head by the aftermath of the September terrorist attacks?

A) China
B) Azerbaijan
C) Turkmenistan
D) Kazakhstan
E) Afghanistan

Question 39

What was the most common foreign language of the countries of Central Asia in the 1970s?

A) Chinese
B) Turkish
C) English
D) Pashtun
E) Russian

Question 40

Which of the following descriptions does NOT apply to Central Asia?

A) mountainous
B) a place of many deserts
C) a place with a history of domination
D) lies south of Russia
E) densely populated

Question 41

What transportation technology must be constructed before the oil wealth of Central Asia can become economically viable?

A) canals
B) highways
C) pipelines
D) railroads
E) specialized oil tankers

Question 42

Which of the following countries is (are)trying to influence Central Asia?

A) United States
B) Russia
C) China
D) Iran
E) all of the answer choices are correct

Question 43

According to government planners in Turkmenistan,what product will Turkmenistan begin to export in large quantities,bringing prosperity to the country?

A) bananas
B) movies
C) rice
D) natural gas
E) gold

Question 44

Which of the following Central Asian countries is/are thought to contain the world's largest undeveloped fossil fuel deposits?

A) Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
B) Mongolia and Tibet
C) Xinjiang, China
D) Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
E) Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

Question 45

How many new countries appeared in Central Asia as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union?

A) three
B) four
C) five
D) six
E) ten

Question 46

How long has Afghanistan been at war?

A) since the early 1950s
B) since the late 1960s
C) since the late 1970s
D) since the late 1980s
E) since the late 1990s

Question 47

What group founded the Taliban?

A) separatist groups from northern Kyrgyzstan
B) young Muslim religious students in Afghanistan
C) an ethnic minority who are nomadic pastoralists in the Kara Kum desert
D) Pashtun women who were seeking to acquire more freedom in Afghan society
E) Russian soldiers in the 1980s

Question 48

What word best describes the political structures in most countries of Central Asia?

A) libertarian
B) authoritarian
C) democratic
D) a monarchy
E) stalled in anarchy

Question 49

In which country of Central Asia do people have the shortest life expectancy?

A) Azerbaijan
B) Kazakhstan
C) Afghanistan
D) Mongolia
E) Turkmenistan

Question 50

Since 1999,which Central Asian country has been the world's largest producer of opium?

A) Afghanistan
B) China
C) Mongolia
D) Azerbaijan
E) Tibet

Question 51

The Russian war in Afghanistan

A) was started by Islamic fundamentalists.
B) was a major victory for the Soviet military.
C) quickly eradicated the communists as a significant force in the country.
D) resulted in Taliban control of most of the country in 1995.
E) continues today.

Question 52

Where is oil pollution worst in Central Asia?

A) Aral Sea
B) Afghanistan
C) Caspian Sea
D) Tibet
E) Mongolia

Question 53

Which natural resource is of potentially great importance to economic development in Central Asia?

A) bananas
B) uranium
C) diamonds
D) timber
E) oil

Question 54

Of all the Central Asian countries,which one has the worst overall composite record of social indicators?

A) Afghanistan
B) Turkmenistan
C) Tajikistan
D) Mongolia
E) Kazakhstan

Question 55

Which of the following statements about economic development in Central Asia is most accurate?

A) Central Asia is one of the world's poorest regions, but contains significant natural resources, including oil and natural gas.
B) Central Asia is one of the world's poorest regions, and it contains few natural resources.
C) Central Asia is one of the world's richest regions, and it contains significant natural resources, including oil and natural gas.
D) Central Asia is one of the world's richest regions, but contains few natural resources.
E) Central Asia is in the middle of world regions in terms of wealth, but its natural resources may lead to improved conditions.

Question 56

The Caspian Sea

A) drains into the Mediterranean.
B) has increased in size over the last three decades.
C) is substantially threatened by oil-industry pollution.
D) is in much greater danger than is the Aral Sea.
E) is the smallest lake in Central Asia.

Question 57

What is the most developed country of Central Asia?

A) Mongolia
B) Kazakhstan
C) Kyrgyzstan
D) Afghanistan
E) Uzbekistan

Question 58

Most of Central Asia's oil reserves are found near which physical feature of Central Asia?

A) the Aral Sea
B) the Tarim Basin
C) the Pamir Knot
D) the Kyzyl Kum desert
E) the Caspian Sea

Question 59

Afghanistan earns most of its foreign currency by selling

A) weapons.
B) oil.
C) textiles.
D) opium.
E) rice.

Question 60

Which of the following statements with respect to Afghanistan's birthrate is most accurate?

A) Afghanistan, the least-developed and most male dominated country of the region, has the highest birthrate by a substantial margin.
B) Afghanistan, the most-developed and least male dominated country of the region, has the lowest birthrate by a substantial margin.
C) Afghanistan, the least-developed and most male dominated country of the region, has the lowest birthrate by a substantial margin.
D) Afghanistan, the most-developed and least male dominated country of the region, has the highest birthrate by a substantial margin.
E) Afghanistan's birthrate is about average for Central Asia.

Question 61

Central Asia is densely populated.

Question 62

Pashtun is an Indo-European language.

Question 63

Desiccation is the most serious threat to the Caspian Sea.

Question 64

Central Asia's mountain ranges were created by the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia.

Question 65

The Aral Sea is shrinking because large-scale irrigation projects have diverted water from the two rivers that feed the sea.

Question 66

Most of the population of Tibet live in the central portion of the country.

Question 67

The relatively clean environment in Central Asia is explained by the region's stringent environmental standards and controls.

Question 68

Since the 1960s,the largest proportion of migrants to Tibet and the western provinces of China have been Mongolians.

Question 69

In Uzbekistan,the majority of the population live near river valleys and alluvial fans.

Question 70

In the Tarim Basin,most of the population lives in the foothills of the mountains along the basin's edge.

Question 71

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world,in terms of its surface area.

Question 72

The Caspian Sea has shrunk by 60 percent since the 1970s.

Question 73

The only feasible way of life on the Tibetan plateau is nomadic pastoralism based on the yak.

Question 74

Pastoralists are most likely be engaged in growing wheat.

Question 75

Kazakhstan's population in the agricultural lands of the north is relatively clustered.

Question 76

The Kara Kum is a complex tangle of east-west and north-south trending mountain ranges on the borders of Afghanistan,Tajikistan,Pakistan,and China.

Question 77

Mongolian is the most common language group in Central Asia.

Question 78

Azerbaijan has the highest population density in Central Asia.

Question 79

People of Kyrgyzstan are noted for their traditional economy based on transhumance.

Question 80

The collapsible,felt-covered structures the Mongolians live in as they tend their herds of sheep and cattle are called yaks.