regents study guide part 3

Question 1

Decolonization in Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Vietnam)

Answer 1

A) Between 1953 and 1954, Cambodia and Vietnam both gained independence (self-government) from France.
B) Ho Chi Minh- Nationalist leader who led an 8-year war against France to gain independence for Vietnam.

Question 2

C) Vietnam after independence:

Answer 2

1) Vietnam was divided into 2 countries: communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam
2) After the Vietnam War, all of Vietnam was reunited to form one communist nation. Vietnam is still communist today.

Question 3

D) Cambodia after independence

Answer 3

1) After independence, Cambodia was ruled by a Communist group called the Khmer Rouge. 2) Pol Pot
a) He was the leader of the Khmer Rouge and ruler of Cambodia from 1976-1979.
b) He was a brutal dictator who denied his people of human rights.
c) Genocide- Pol Pot executed 2 million people within his nation (almost 20% of the population).

Question 4

Nationalist leaders of Decolonization

Answer 4

NOTE: The Regents really wants you to know that many of the individuals discussed above are nationalist leaders since they were loyal and devoted to their people and their nation.
These include Mohandas Gandhi, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Mandela, and Ho Chi Minh.

Question 5

Creation of Israel

Answer 5

A) After World War II, part of the Holy Land (sacred area of the Middle East that includes Jerusalem) was used to create the Jewish nation of Israel.
B) Palestinians (Arab Muslims that live in the Holy Land) claim that they should have control over the region since they have lived there for hundreds of years.
C) Between 1948 and 1973, 4 major wars were fought between Israel and the Arab nations of the Middle East. Israel won each war.
D) Palestinians are still fighting to gain control of the Holy Land and frequently use terrorism (i.e.- suicide bombings) to achieve their goals.

Question 6

Islamic Fundamentalism

Answer 6

A) Islamic Fundamentalism is the belief that governments should create societies that are based firmly on the rules of Islam. Two countries that have established such societies in recent decades are Iran and Afghanistan.
B) Iranian Revolution (1979)
1) This event brought Ayatollah Khomeini (an Islamic religious leader) to power. 2) Iran is still a theocracy- A country that is ruled by religious leaders.
C) Taliban
1) The Taliban is an Islamic group that ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001.
2) It created laws that were strictly based on Sharia (Islamic law).
D) NOTE: In countries that are based on Islamic Fundamentalism, women have very few rights. They cannot vote and are required to dress very conservatively (modestly) in public.

Question 7

The Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union (1991)

Answer 7

A) Between 1989 and 1991, the Cold War ended and Communism disappeared from Europe.
B) Mikhail Gorbachev
1) He was the Soviet leader who helped bring an end to Communism in the Soviet Union. 2) Perestroika
a) This was a program in which Gorbachev changed the economy of the Soviet Union from a communist/command economy (where the government owns and operates businesses) to a market/capitalist/free enterprise economy (where individuals own and operate businesses.
3) Glasnost
a) This was a program in which Gorbachev allowed freedom of speech within the Soviet Union.
b) It was a major step towards democracy in the Soviet Union.
C) Boris Yeltsin
1) He was the first democratically elected president in the history of Russia

Question 8

Collapse of Communism in Germany (1989)

Answer 8

A) Throughout the Cold War, Germany had been divided into two nations: West Germany (a democratic country) and East Germany (a communist country controlled by the Soviet Union).
B) 1989- The Berlin Wall (the symbol of the Cold War) was finally torn down. This symbolized the end of the Cold War and the end of Communism.
C) 1990- West Germany and East Germany were reunited to form one democratic country.

Question 9

Human Rights Violations

Answer 9

Genocide- Genocide is an attempt to exterminate (kill off) a group of people. It is the ultimate violation of human rights. Examples include:
1) Armenian Massacre- The Turks of the Ottoman Empire murdered about one million Armenians during World War I.
2) Ukrainian Famine- Joseph Stalin (dictator of the Soviet Union) took away food from the people of the Ukraine, which resulted in the death of millions of people.
3) Holocaust- Hitler and the Nazis murdered 6 million Jews during World War II. 4) Rwanda- The Hutus killed almost one million Tutsis in 1994.
5) Cambodia- Pol Pot was the ruler of Cambodia who killed 2 million people within his nation.
6) Yugoslavia- Slobodan Milosevic was the Serbian ruler of Yugoslavia who violently attacked non-Serbs (especially Albanians) living in his lands.

Question 10

Economic Systems

Answer 10

B) Traditional Economy
1) A traditional economy is based on barter (trade without using money) and subsistence agriculture (farming in which the crops are used only to feed the farmer and his family). 2) People have the same occupation (job) as their parents (usually related to farming). 3) Economic decisions are often influenced by tradition and religious beliefs.
C) Market Economy
1) Individuals (NOT the government) own businesses and make economic decisions. 2) Individuals (NOT the government) determine the price of goods based on supply and demand.
3) NOTE: The terms capitalism, laissez-faire, and free enterprise have the same meaning as market economy.
4) NOTE: Most of the world today (including the United States) uses a market economy. D) Command Economy
1) The government (NOT individuals) own businesses and make economic decisions. 2) The government (NOT individuals) determines the price of goods.
3) NOTE: Communist countries like the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin and China under Mao Zedong used a command economy.

Question 11

Ethnic Conflicts

Answer 11

1) Palestinians are fighting the Jews for more control over the Holy Land in the Middle East.
2) Tibet is a Buddhist region that wants independence (self-government) from China. 3) Catholics and Protestants have fought for control of Northern Ireland.
4) Muslims in Pakistan and Hindus in India both claim control over the region called Kashmir.
5) Serbs, Croatians, and Muslims have battled for control over the Balkans (southeastern Europe).
6) The Kurds are a group of people who are scattered throughout areas of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. They want to create their own nation called Kurdistan.
7) Chechnya is a Muslim region that has used terrorism to gain independence (self government) from Russia

Question 12

A) Ozone Layer

Answer 12

1) Small layer of gases in the atmosphere that absorbs the sun’s ultraviolet rays and protects us from skin cancer.
2) Currently being destroyed by chemicals due to pollution.
3) Demonstrates a need for stricter pollution laws throughout the world.

Question 13

B) Acid Rain

Answer 13

1) Rain that contains chemicals due to pollution.
2) Demonstrates a need for stricter pollution laws throughout the world.

Question 14

C) Deforestation

Answer 14

1) Elimination of rainforests in Brazil (Amazon Basin), Costa Rica, and the Congo (in Central Africa).
2) Are we destroying possible cures for cancer and AIDS?

Question 15

D) Desertification

Answer 15

1) Change from arable (fertile) land to desert. Causes include deforestation and overgrazing.
2) Especially a concern in the Sahel (region south of the Sahara Desert in Africa).

Question 16

E) Chernobyl

Answer 16

1) Nuclear disaster in Ukraine (a republic of the Soviet Union) in 1986.
2) Thousands exposed to radiation/cancer.

Question 17

F) Greenhouse Effect

Answer 17

1) Trapping of warm air in the atmosphere (leads to global warming).
2) Caused by chemicals (like carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere.
3) Could lead to flooding of coastal areas.

Question 18

G) Solutions

Answer 18

1) Kyoto Protocol (1997)- International agreement calling for a decrease in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from the 1990 levels.
2) NOTE: All of the problems listed above demonstrate that international cooperation is needed to improve the earth’s environment

Question 19

A) Green Revolution

Answer 19

1) The term Green Revolution refers to the use of technology to increase the food supply (began in the 1960s).
2) Methods included improved irrigation, machinery, fertilizer, pesticides, and better seeds and livestock.
3) The Green Revolution has helped increase food production and decrease hunger in areas of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. NOTE: The Green Revolution has been especially successful in India.

Question 20

B) Nuclear Proliferation

Answer 20

1) Nuclear proliferation refers to the spread of nuclear technology to countries that do not currently posses them.
2) Although nuclear technology can be used to develop energy (i.e.- electricity), the same technology can also be used to create nuclear weapons.
3) North Korea (a communist nation) recently developed nuclear weapons and Iran may be in the process of developing nuclear weapons.