PreAP North Africa, SW Asia & Central Asia Study Guide Answers
World Geography Textbook: Physical Geography
North Africa
What is the Sahara desert covered with? (pg 390) stony plains w/rocky gravel and flat sandstone plateaus
What are the lifeblood of the region? (pg 391) rivers
The Nile delta gave birth to some of the earliest civilizations. More than 90% of Egyptians live in the Nile Delta
or along the course of the Nile.
How was alluvial soil formed? Floodwaters carry sediment that is deposited along river banks
In the 1950’s the Aswan High Dam was built to reduce flooding, provide year-round irrigation and
hydroelectric power for Egypt.
What are wadis? Riverbeds that remain dry except during the rainy season
What do bodies of water help define? Give an example. Boundaries; Mediterranean Sea separates Africa and
Europe
The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert. It covers 75% of North Africa. Droughts have expanded the
extent of the Sahara. (pg 392)
What is the name of the transition zone between the Sahara and the savannas of to the south? Sahel
Which two countries in North Africa have been enriched by oil exports? (pg 393) Algeria & Libya
Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean includes the countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian
territories. (pg 414)
What is a rift valley? (pg 415) valley formed by the separation of tectonic plates
What river is the most important in Syria? Euphrates River
Which river is a natural boundary between Israel and Jordan? Jordan River
Which sea is the lowest body of water on Earth? (pg 416) Dead Sea
Mediterranean climate supports the growth of citrus fruits, olives, apples, apricots and grapes. (pg 417)
The biggest challenge for agriculture in the region is the lack of water. Farmers have begun to use drip
irrigation as an alternative to costly irrigation methods. (pg 418)
The Northeast:
The Anatolian Peninsula is the location where the continents of Europe and Asia. It is also referred to as Asia
Minor(437)
Mesopotamia means “the land between the rivers.” (pg 438)
Which two rivers form Mesopotamia? Tigris & Euphrates
What resources have been discovered in the Caspian Sea? Oil & natural gas
What is pastoralism? (pg 439) raising of livestock
Iraq and Iran are among the world’s leading producers of petroleum and natural gas.
The Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is dominated by the arid land of its interior. (pg 459)
A lack of water means that less than 2% of the peninsulas is used for agriculture.
The Rub’ al-Khali is also known as the “Empty Quarter.” It is the world’s largest uniterrupted area of sand.
What does the Persian Gulf serve the needs of? (pg 460) International shipping needs of all the oil producing
countries in the region
Which countries in the region produce oil? Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain & UAE
What is a monsoon? (pg 460) seasonal winds that bring moisture from oceans (summer) and dry air form the
north (winter)
25% of the world’s proven reserves are located in the Arabian deserts. It is the regions principal export. (pg
461)
Central Asia
Which countries are considered to be the Caucasus? (pg 478) Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan
Which countries are part of “stans?” Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan &
Afghanistan
The Caspian is the world’s largest inland sea. (pg 480)
What type of fish does caviar come from? Sturgeon
What are the main rivers of the region? They both flow into which sea? Amu Dar’ya & Syr Dar’ya
Why does the region have dry climates? (pg 481) far away from major oceans
The major resources in the sub region are oil and natural gas. (pg 482)
What advantage does Georgia have in the region? Location; pipelines from the Caspian Sea to Europe
PreAP Textbook Questions:
Sociocultural Issues:
What percentage of people in the region are followers of Islam? 93%
Why is Islam a consistent part of daily life? 5 Pillars are things they do in daily life
What are the two holy sites in Saudi Arabia? What is significant about these cities? Mecca (birthplace of
Muhammad & Islam) & Medina (Prophet’s mosque and his burial place)
What is the third holiest city to Islam? Jerusalem
What two groups is the Islamic community spilt into? Why? Sunni & Shi’a; after the death of Muhammad
there were divisions of opinion over who should succeed the Prophet and have the right to interpret the
Qur’an
What is the difference between theocratic and secular states? Give examples of each. Theocratic: State is the
defender and enforcer of the religious principles (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, Oman & Iran); Secular: no state
religion and no direct influence of religion on affairs of the state (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Turkey &
Tunisia)
Study Gender Roles and the Veil questions and answers.
Which countries in the region have four or more restrictions on women? (Figure 6.24) Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Kuwait and Iran
Describe the three statements about the lives of children in Islamic cultures of the region:
1) Contribute to Welfare of the Family Run errands, clean family compound, care for younger siblings;
rural areas also tend to animals, fetch water and tend gardens
2) Daily lives within the family circle: spend time in family compound and nearby spaces with adult
female relatives with siblings and cousins of both sexes
3) Increasing circumscribed by school and television: go to school, tv provides a window to the world
for secluded women, reinforce cultural values or as a vehicle for secular values
Why do many Muslims worry about the spread of Western culture (Europe & North America)? What will it
lead to? B/c of its open sexuality and consumerism and what they see as its tendency toward hedonism;
family instability, alcoholism, drug addiction and street crime
Which other religious groups have similar concerns? Baptists in the southern US & Hindu nationalist in India
What is an example of the moderation of Western influences? Bringing people into the computer age, proper
role of the press
Water Availability:
What strategies have been developed to cope with limited water supply? Design buildings to maximize shade
and conserve moisture, capture mountain snowmelt and move it to dry fields and villages, bathing in public
baths, practice recycle techniques
What factors have exacerbated water shortage in the region? Modernization (household plumbing, sewage
treatment, industrial cooling & cleaning, and mechanized irrigated agriculture
What is the greatest use of water in the region? Agriculture
What can improve water efficiency in irrigation? Applying drip irrigation, reducing reliance on water-intensive
crops and removing government subsidies to large water used & upgrading water distribution networks to
reduce leakage
What do critics say the problem is with giving up agriculture all together? Serious loss of jobs and dangerous
dependency on imported food
What are problems with damming rivers? Threatens the rights of water users, removes water from huge tracts
of land downstream & stops deposition of fertility, reservoir can flood villages, fields, wildlife habitat & historic
sites; mosquitos
The rapid population growth in some countries and rapid rise in living standards and urbanization result in the
consumption of what product? How does this strain the water supply? Meat, requires more water to produce
than grains or vegetables
Where does Israel pump most of its water from? Jordan River
Turkey’s Southeaster Anatolian Project (Gap) Box 6.6
Which countries does the Euphrates flow through? Turkey, Syria & Iraq
Which other major river originates in Turkey? Tigris
What is a major aim of GAP? What will it help them enter? To make Turkey a a major agricultural export
center; European Union
How will the project be disastrous for Syria and Iraq? Reduce the flow to Syria by 30-50% and 75% to Iraq, will
be polluted with fertilizers, pesticides and salts