social studies semester 2 final Flashcards
What is New Zealand’s main export?
wool
What are the names of the Pacific Island regions?
- Micronesia
- Polynesia
- Melanesia
What country owned Australia before its independence?
Great Britain
What is the Great Barrier Reef?
world’s largest coral reef system - 2,900 coral reefs dotted with 900 islands
What physical feature does Australia have?
- desert outback
- grasslands
- mountains
- coral reef
What is Australia known as?
the land down under
Is Antarctica a desert?
yes - no available water - all frozen
How is Antarctica different from other places?
no permanent populations or countries
used for research
What is the difference between an iceberg and an ice shelf?
ice shelf comes from land
iceberg - free floating
What is meant by the following quote, “The flying bullet down the Pass, That whistles clear: “All flesh is grass.”
compares human life to a blade of grass - short and easily cut even shorter
What is the Rub’ al-Khali?
the largest sand desert in the world - known as the empty quarter
List the three religions that are popular in southwest and central Asia?
- Islam
- Christianity
- Judaism
What two groups are fighting in Israel? What land are they fighting over?
Israeli and Palestinians - fighting over the Gaza Strip (West Strip)
Describe Iran’s government and Saudi Arabia’s government. How are they similar to and different from the U.S.?
Iran - Theocracy - Presidential System - Islamic Republic - Parliamentary System - elected officials under rule of a Muslin Cleric (supreme leader)
Saudi Arabia - absolute monarchy
- ultra conservative - literal interpretation of Islam - divine authority
- much more restrictive than U.S.
We separate church and state and have religious freedom.
We do have elections.
What is the difference between crude oil and oil reserves?
crude oil or petroleum is a liquid mixture still in the ground
oil reserves are the amount of recoverable oil have been discovered but aren’t being used
What country has the most oil reserves?
Saudi Arabia
What is the Human Development Index, and why is it used?
life expectancy, education and income index used to rank countries in 4 tiers of human development - social and economic
Why are the Aral Sea and the Dead Sea shrinking?
dams and irrigation
What is apartheid?
racial separation in South Africa between whites and blacks in South Africa
Where was apartheid?
South Africa
What was the beginning of apartheid?
colonization of Africa - British wanted to maintain minority rule - passed laws legalizing segregation
What is meant by the term genocide?
deliberate killing of a large group of people of a particular group or nation
Where in Africa was a genocide?
Rwanda
What groups were involved in the Rwanda genocide?
Hutu majority and Tutsi (roughly 70% killed)
