Geography of Mesopotamia/ Middle East Quiz Flashcards
What does arid mean?
Arid describes how an area is very dry and gets high daytime temperatures. Example: deserts
What is irrigation?
The process of digging channels and canals to bring water to fields
What is desertification?
The process of going from fertile land to less fertile and dry
What happened to the Sahara desert 10,000 years ago?
Desertification! The seasonal rain moved southwards, leaving the area with no water.
Why is Mesopotamian land so fertile?
Silt particles deposited by flooding rivers enriched the soil.
Is petroleum renewable or non-renewable?
Non-renewable. It takes too long to make and we will run out fairly soon.
What was Northern Africa (and the Sahara) like 10,000 years ago?
It was grassland!
What are the three main rivers in the Middle East?
The Nile, The Tigris, and the Euphrates
How is petroleum made?
It comes from pressure on dead plants and animals over a long period of time.
What sea was created by an earthquake that triggered massive floods?
The Black Sea
The Arabian Desert is in which country?
Saudi Arabia
Where do most people live in the Middle East?
Fertile Coasts
What allowed traders and travelers to travel through difficult areas like deserts and plateaus?
Oases
What are oases?
Fertile places in dry areas where water is found.
What is a qanat?
underground tunnels, used to carry mountain waters to dry plains. they are still used today!
