CH18 Study Questions Flashcards
What are deserts made out of?
Sand, bare rock, gravel
4 main landforms of the Arabian Peninsula
rivers, plains, plateaus, mountains
What was the area between the Tigris and Euphrates River called in ancient times?
Mesopotamia
Where is the highest point in the Arabian Peninsula?
Mountains in Yemen
What is the world’s largest sand desert called?
Rub’ al-Khali
What country is the world’s largest sand desert located in?
Saudi Arabia
The Rub’ al-Khali is also called?
Empty Quarter
What does the Empty Quarter mean?
it has little life
What are the 2 most important resources in the Arabian Peninsula?
Water & oil
What is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula?
Saudi Arabia
What branch of Islam do most Saudis follow?
Sunni
What language do most Saudis speak?
Arabic
Who started the Islam religion?
Muhammad
What are the two branches of Islam?
Sunni & Shia
What percentage of Saudis are Sunni?
85%
How does Islam influence Saudi culture?
teaches modesty in clothing (long & loose covering arms/legs); women rarely go out in public without a husband or male relative;
True or False: Women can own and run businesses in Saudi Arabia.
True
Describe the Saudi Arabian government
monarchy with local officials; only men can vote
2 problems Saudi Arabia has
little freshwater so have to import most of its food
high unemployment, especially among young peopel
What are the 6 smaller countries of the Arabian Peninsula?
Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen
Which Arabian Peninsula country is the poorest?
Yemen
Besides oil, how do these countries support their economy?
banking, tourism, natural gas, creating new industries
What destroyed the oilfields in Kuwait?
Persian Gulf War in 1990
What country was the world’s first civilization?
Iraq
What party took power in Iraq in 1968?
Ba’ath Party
Who was the Ba’ath party leader?
Saddam Hussein
Why was Saddam Hussein considered a harsh leader?
restricted press
restricted people’s freedoms
killed lots of political enemies
led Iraq into 2 wars
What 2 countries did Saddam Hussein invade?
Iran
Kuwait
Why did the UN place an embargo on Iraq?
Saddam Hussein did not accept all of the terms of peace for ending the war against Kuwait
When did the US invade Iraq?
2003
What 2 ethnic groups are in Iraq?
Arab
Kurd
What faction of Islam do most Iraqis belong? Where do they live?
60% are Shia
in the South
How many people live in Baghdad?
6 million
How was Iraq damaged by the US invasion?
lost electricity
lost running water
have to rebuild homes, schools, businesses, hospitals & roads
What huge thing happened in 2005 in Iraq?
democratic election to vote for members of the National Assembly
What was the National Assembly’s main task?
write Iraq a new constitution
What large problem is Iraq facing today?
rebuilding its economy & creating a free society
What kind of government does Iran have today?
Islamic republic
What was the Persian Empire known for?
center of art & learning
architecture
carpets
highly decorated walls & statues
What does an Islamic republic do?
follows strict Islamic law
What ethnicity are most Iranians?
Persian
What language do Persians speak?
Farsi
What is the average age in Iran?
27
Explain how diverse Iran’s population is.
Persian Azerbaijanis Kurds Arabs Turks
What branch of Islam do most Iranians follow?
Shia
How does Persian life influence Iran?
celebrate Persian New Year (Nowruz)
food is important part of family gatherings
What industries are in Iran?
oil
carpet production
agriculture
What kind of government does Iran have?
Theocracy ruled by religious leaders called ayatollahs
Elected president & parliament
What is Iran’s threat to world security?
nuclear program
