Deck 6: North Africa and Southwest Asia

Question 1

The arid climate of North Africa/Southwest Asia is perpetuated by:

A) a complete lack of rainfall in the region.
B) the lack of vegetation.
C) oil drilling operations,which leach moisture from the air.
D) the salty water of the Mediterranean Sea.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The mountains of northwestern Africa that stretch from Morocco to Tunisia are the:

A) Urals.
B) Ahagyar Mountains.
C) Atlas Mountains.
D) Zagros Mountains.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which is NOT a country of the North Africa/Southwest Asia region?

A) Afghanistan
B) Egypt
C) Yemen
D) Oman

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the stance of the Muslim Brotherhood on women?

A) They are against liberalizing women's rights.
B) They support women's freedom to work outside the home.
C) They advocate free speech for women.
D) They believe in waging genocide against women of the region.

Question 5

Which is NOT an important river of North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) the Amazon
B) the Nile
C) the Euphrates
D) the Tigris

Question 6

The rift between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate is now filled by the:

A) Persian Gulf.
B) Mediterranean Sea.
C) Red Sea.
D) Dead Sea.

Question 7

Mubarak resigned as a result of which of the following?

A) Iran-Iraq war
B) Israeli-Palestinian conflict
C) Arab Spring protests
D) Arab Summer protests

Question 8

The collision of which two plates pushes up the mountains of Iran and Turkey?

A) African Plate and Arabian Plate
B) African Plate and Persian Plate
C) Eurasian Plate and Arabian Plate
D) Arabian Plate and Mediterranean Plate

Question 9

The dominant religion of North Africa/Southwest Asia is:

A) Judaism.
B) Islam.
C) Unitarianism.
D) Protestantism.

Question 10

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin in:

A) Turkey.
B) Iran.
C) Iraq.
D) Afghanistan.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT true of oil reserves in North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) Oil reserves are mostly fossil fuels formed from the fossilized remains of dead animals and plants.
B) Extracted oil resources are sold at a tremendous profit on world markets.
C) Revenues from oil are distributed to the region's people as part of the governments' liberal social philosophies.
D) Oil reserves are abundant in some of the countries of North Africa/Southwest Asia but totally absent in others.

Question 12

The region of North Africa and Southwest Asia is part of what two continents?

A) Eurasia and North America
B) Eurasia and Africa
C) Africa and Europe
D) Asia and Europe

Question 13

Which of the following characteristics do all countries in North Africa and Southwest Asia share?

A) an abundance of oil
B) an arid climate
C) dominance of urban life
D) government based on Islam

Question 14

What is responsible for the belt of desert that covers North Africa,the Arabian Peninsula,Iraq,and Iran?

A) A zone of dry air circles the planet at roughly 20°-30° N latitude.
B) Massive oil deposits suck moisture from the ground.
C) The tropical heat causes rapid evaporation.
D) Islamic environmental beliefs do not allow for replanting of land cover.

Question 15

The nomadic people of the Arabian Peninsula are known as __________,while the nomadic people of North Africa are known as __________.

A) Kurds;Bedouin
B) Bedouin;Berbers
C) Berbers;Kurds
D) Yemenis;Moroccans

Question 16

What term does the U.S.Department of State use to describe Gaza and the West Bank?

A) Palestinian Territories
B) Disputed Zone
C) Occupied Zone
D) Occupied Palestinian Territories

Question 17

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers dump into the:

A) Red Sea.
B) Persian Gulf.
C) Volga River.
D) Dead Sea.

Question 18

The climate of North Africa/Southwest Asia is best described as:

A) arid.
B) tropical.
C) taiga.
D) Mediterranean.

Question 19

Which of the following groups considers itself Arab?

A) Iranians
B) Turks
C) Kurds
D) Saudi Arabians

Question 20

The desert found in the Arabian Peninsula is the:

A) Maghreb.
B) Rub'al Khali.
C) Sahara.
D) Kalahari.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a possible consequence of climate change in North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) a rise in sea level affecting the Nile Delta and its people
B) reduced water availability and food security
C) intense rainfall and flooding
D) easier extraction of oil

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT true of the Great Man-Made River?

A) It is a groundwater-pumping project based in Libya.
B) It draws on an ancient aquifer of fossil water.
C) It is being replenished by mountain runoff.
D) It is causing land fissures that lead to land sinking.

Question 23

In addition to the Nile and Euphrates rivers,which of the following is the third river of major distinction and longtime settlement in North Africa and Southwest Asia?

A) Indus
B) Irrawaddy
C) Lena
D) Tigris

Question 24

The term salinization represents which of the following processes?

A) rising rates of rainfall infiltration that cause the soil to be waterlogged
B) deposition of sediment as the rate of water flow in a stream slows
C) salts being left behind in the soil as water evaporates
D) chemical pollution of streams and lakes by direct human waste disposal

Question 25

What is the name of the holy book of Islam?

A) Qur'an
B) Bible
C) Torah
D) Talmud

Question 26

Which of the following describes the basic environmental impact of groundwater pumping,as practiced in North Africa and Southwest Asia and elsewhere in the world where demands for water are high?

A) salinization
B) waterlogged soils
C) land subsidence
D) soil erosion

Question 27

The holy book of Islam is the __________.

A) Torah
B) Salam
C) Qur'an
D) Pentateuch

Question 28

In North Africa and Southwest Asia,which of the following effects is a direct result of the growth of industrial (modernized,mechanized)agriculture and manufacturing?

A) higher rates of human fertility
B) less dependence on domestic oil production
C) greater consumption of water resources
D) urban-to-rural migration

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT true of water in North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) Turkey is the only country in the region that is not vulnerable to losing its access to fresh water.
B) North Africa's access to fresh water is assured,while Southwest Asia's access to fresh water is much more problematic.
C) The people of the region have a long history of water conservation.
D) Iran and Iraq are particularly susceptible to water scarcity.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT true of agriculture and agricultural production in North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) Until the twentieth century,most agricultural production occurred in coastal/upland zones and river valleys.
B) Most of the people of North Africa/Southwest Asia eat imported food.
C) Irrigation projects often contribute to soil degradation through salinization.
D) Drip irrigation techniques developed by Saudi Arabia are now in wide use throughout the region as a way of combating salinization.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT among the services provided by Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Project?

A) water for irrigation
B) hydropower generation
C) building of dams
D) dismantling of dams

Question 32

What is happening to the water supply of North Africa and Southwest Asia?

A) It is declining,mostly due to evaporation.
B) It is declining,mostly due to population growth and new modern uses.
C) It is increasing,as the deserts recede.
D) It is increasing,due to population decline and water rationing.

Question 33

What term describes the general drying of grasslands that is causing concern in North Africa?

A) salinization
B) desertification
C) serefication
D) bromidification

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT among the direct environmental effects of dams?

A) Aquifers are recharged too quickly.
B) Habitats are lost through flooding.
C) Land is deprived of nutrient-rich silts.
D) Reservoirs are breeding grounds for parasites.

Question 35

Which of the following happens when nomadic people take up settled ranching?

A) The social structure of the nomadic tribe falls apart.
B) The settled society uses much more water than the nomadic society did.
C) The animals raised become more sinewy due to lack of exercise.
D) Women who ran the households in the nomadic society end up taking part in more animal husbandry and neglecting their families.

Question 36

The Red Sea separates North Africa from which of the following landmasses?

A) Arabian Peninsula
B) Horn of Africa
C) Iberian Peninsula
D) Madagascar

Question 37

The groundwater pumping project based in Libya that draws on ancient fossil water is known as the:

A) Libyan Pumping System.
B) Great Man-Made River.
C) Aswan Dam.
D) Southeastern Anatolia Project.

Question 38

Drip irrigation techniques were developed in:

A) Oman.
B) Turkey.
C) Israel.
D) Jordan.

Question 39

The vast majority of water use in North Africa/Southwest Asia is for:

A) agricultural production.
B) toilets and sanitation.
C) cooking.
D) cooling systems.

Question 40

Most of Saudi Arabia's drinking water is the result of:

A) seawater desalinization.
B) groundwater pumping.
C) a system of dams and dikes.
D) runoff from cooling systems.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT true of Christianity?

A) It was founded by a Jew.
B) It is based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
C) It was perceived as a threat by both Jewish religious authorities and Roman imperial authorities.
D) It posits a vindictive,angry God who sets himself up in opposition to humanity.

Question 42

What do Judaism,Christianity,and Islam all have in common?

A) They are polytheistic.
B) They are monotheistic.
C) They are all based on the same prophet's teachings.
D) They all began at the same time.

Question 43

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between agriculture and gender roles in ancient North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) The development of agriculture may have led to markedly distinct roles for men and women.
B) The roles played by men and women in hunting/gathering societies remained intact as societies became more agricultural.
C) In pre-agricultural societies,men had more status than women.
D) Inheritance lines and lineage were more important in hunting/gathering societies than in settled agricultural societies.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is NOT true of Judaism?

A) It was founded approximately 10,000 years ago.
B) Its religious history is recorded in the Torah.
C) The faith was founded by Abraham.
D) Its ethnic identity is reinforced by dietary and religious laws.

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT one of the boundaries of the Fertile Crescent?

A) the Zagros Mountains
B) the uplands of the Tigris River
C) the Nile River Basin
D) the uplands of the Euphrates River

Question 46

Which of the following pairs of countries does Turkey's Southeastern Anatolian Project directly affect?

A) Iran and Kuwait
B) Syria and Iraq
C) Egypt and Israel
D) Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Question 47

Which city in North Africa/Southwest Asia is sacred to Judaism,Islam,and Christianity?

A) Bethlehem
B) Ankara
C) Jerusalem
D) Tel Aviv

Question 48

The Aswan dams are located in __________.

A) Turkey
B) Libya
C) Saudi Arabia
D) Egypt

Question 49

The textbook raises the idea that as societies based on agriculture became more complex,which of the following occurred?

A) Gender roles were institutionalized.
B) Nutrition quality of diets improved.
C) Urban populations declined.
D) Wars over water resources erupted.

Question 50

The expulsion of the Jews from their eastern Mediterranean home in 73 C.E.led to a widespread migration known as the:

A) Wandering Jews.
B) diaspora.
C) PLO.
D) Torah.

Question 51

Which of the following has NOT been a result of the Aswan dams?

A) The Nile River,once exclusively fresh water,is now brackish.
B) Water flows have been reduced and floods no longer deposit fertility-enhancing silt on the land.
C) Parts of the Nile Delta are sinking into the sea.
D) Artificial reservoirs caused by the dams flood villages and harbor parasites.

Question 52

Another term for land sinking is:

A) subsidence.
B) subduction.
C) aquifer-induced reduction.
D) magmosis.

Question 53

The zone in North Africa/Southwest Asia known for its once-plentiful fresh water,open grasslands,and abundant wild grains is:

A) the Fertile Crescent.
B) Mesopotamia.
C) Ur.
D) the Rub'al Khali.

Question 54

How many times per day are Muslims called to prayer?

A) three
B) five
C) eight
D) ten

Question 55

What three countries encompass the Fertile Crescent?

A) Morocco,Algeria,and Tunisia
B) Sudan,Egypt,and Saudi Arabia
C) Lebanon,Israel,and Jordan
D) Iraq,Iran,and Turkey

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT true of Christianity,Judaism,and Islam?

A) They are all monotheistic religions.
B) They all have a sacred text.
C) Jerusalem is a sacred city in all three religions.
D) All three religions continued the polytheistic beliefs of their forerunners.

Question 57

The ancient agricultural village of Sumer,which existed 5000 years ago,was located in modern-day:

A) Turkey.
B) Israel.
C) Iran.
D) Iraq.

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT true of Islam?

A) It emerged in the seventh century C.E.when the Prophet Muhammad wrote down the message conveyed to him by Allah.
B) Muslims believe that Muhammad was the only prophet worthy of respect.
C) Islam has virtually no central administration.
D) The interpretation of Islam varies widely within and among countries and from individual to individual.

Question 59

The term hajj represents which of the following?

A) religious law of Islam
B) collection of Muhammad's writings
C) pilgrimage to the city of Mecca
D) holy war against non-Arabs

Question 60

Which major world religion does NOT have its origins in North Africa/Southwest Asia?

A) Islam
B) Christianity
C) Hinduism
D) Judaism

Question 61

Which of the following does the term shari'a represent?

A) seclusion by the veil
B) non-Arabic Muslim
C) Islamic religious law
D) Islamic principles on childbearing

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT among the five pillars of Islamic practice?

A) seclusion of women
B) pilgrimage to the Islamic holy places
C) obligatory almsgiving (2 to 3 percent of one's income)
D) daily prayer at five times during the day

Question 63

The Muslim Mughal Empire of the eleventh to fifteenth centuries C.E.was centered in what is now:

A) Saudi Arabia.
B) Turkey.
C) India.
D) China.

Question 64

The birthplace of Muhammad was:

A) Jerusalem.
B) Nazareth.
C) Makkah.
D) Medina.

Question 65

Approximately what percentage of the population of North Africa/Southwest Asia is Muslim?

A) 42 percent
B) 58 percent
C) 76 percent
D) 93 percent

Question 66

The split in Islam between the Sunnis and Shi'ites was caused by:

A) competing claims to land.
B) disagreements over the interpretation of shari'a law.
C) disagreements over Muhammad's successor.
D) conflicts over the burial place of Muhammad.

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT true of the zakat?

A) It is a pillar of Islam.
B) It takes the form of a tax of at least 2.5 percent.
C) It is based on the recognition of the injustice of economic inequity.
D) It is government-enforced across the Islamic world.

Question 68

What percentage of Muslims belong to the Sunni sect?

A) 5 percent
B) 15 percent
C) 55 percent
D) 85 percent

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT one of the pillars of Muslim practice?

A) feasting during the celebratory month of Ramadan
B) daily prayer five times a day
C) pilgrimage to Islamic holy places such as Makkah
D) obligatory almsgiving

Question 70

The zakat is the:

A) group of Jews who were expelled from the Mediterranean in 73 C.E.
B) holy book of Islam.
C) Islam pilgrimage to Makkah.
D) obligatory almsgiving of Muslims.

Question 71

Which of the following statements reflects the role of Arab Bedouins in the spread of Islam?

A) Upon Muhammad's defeat of their armies,Islam replaced the numerous ancient faiths to which they adhered.
B) After having adopted the faith,they created a vast empire throughout and beyond the region.
C) They created the shari'a by recording Muhammad's words with virtually no interpretation.
D) They prevented the spread of Islam into North Africa by aligning with Britain to defeat Muhammad's armies.

Question 72

The Ottoman Empire was:

A) Christian.
B) Islamic.
C) atheistic.
D) Jewish.

Question 73

What is the split between Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims over?

A) the official language of the Qur'an
B) interpretation of the Qur'an
C) the importance of Jesus to the Muslim religion
D) the number of pillars of Islamic practice

Question 74

Who conquered the Byzantine Empire?

A) the Mongols
B) the Arabs
C) the Ottoman Turks
D) the Moors

Question 75

Into what part of Europe had Islam spread by the seventh century C.E.?

A) Iberia
B) France
C) Italy
D) Morocco and Tunisia

Question 76

Makkah and Medina are both located in:

A) Saudi Arabia.
B) Iraq.
C) Iran.
D) Israel.

Question 77

Which is NOT a holy place of Islam?

A) Jerusalem
B) Makkah
C) Bethlehem
D) Medina

Question 78

Which of the following is NOT true of the Muslim pilgrimage?

A) It is a pillar of Islam and should be undertaken at least once in a lifetime.
B) It is called the hajj.
C) It takes place during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
D) It is undertaken by Sunni Muslims but not by Shi'ite Muslims.

Question 79

Medina was the site of:

A) Muhammad's birth.
B) Muhammad's burial.
C) the Islamic capital.
D) Christ's burial in the tomb.

Question 80

Islamic religious law is known as:

A) Sunni.
B) Shi'a.
C) shari'a.
D) hajj.