Download 7th Grade S.S. 1st Benchmark Study Guide 2013

7th Grade S.S.
1st Benchmark Study Guide 2013-2014
Name ________________
Africa:
1.
What type of government does each of these countries have? South Africa and Kenya.
South Africa – parliamentary democracy; Kenya – constitutional republics
2. What economic systems exist in South Africa and Nigeria?
South Africa – mixed economy; Nigeria – mixed economy (Nigerian economy collapsed in late 1970s)
3. Be able to define the following terms: Apartheid, Nationalism, Pan-African, Imperialism
Apartheid – separated S. Africa into whites and non-whites
Nationalism – loyalty and devotion to one’s country.
Pan-African movement – the idea that all Africans and people of African descent share a common heritage and
should work together for their freedom.
Imperialism – a practice that tries to dominate other countries’ gov., trade, and culture.
4. What is the difference between an ethnic group and a religious group?
Ethnic group – group identified on the basis of religion, race, or national origin
Religious group – has a distinct identity based on common religious beliefs and practices.
5. What are the four main climate regions in Africa and where do they exist?
Sahara – north Africa
Sahel – below Sahara
Savanna – scattered throughout Africa
Tropical rainforest – central Africa
6. Be able to locate these physical features on a political map: Sahara, Nile River, Atlas Mountains, Kalahari Desert
7. How have the issues of HIV/AIDS, famine, pollution, and education impacted Africa?
They have all had negative effects on Africa and will take decades for the countries of Africa to recover. The
number of orphans because of the AIDS epidemic and the enormous amount of AIDS cases has added to the
staggering burden to healthcare systems throughout Africa.
8. Who were Nelson Mandela and F.W. deKlerk?
F.W. deKlerk – president of S. Africa that ended apartheid; released Nelson Mandela from jail; had a major role
in having the apartheid laws repealed
Nelson Mandela – leader in the nationalistic African National Congress (ANC) who was arrested in 1962;
sentenced to life in prison for reason and sabotage; emerged as the international symbol of resistance to
apartheid and the world community demanded his release; was elected president of South Africa in 1994.
9. What impact did the artificial boundaries set by Europeans have on many African nations?
Artificial political boundaries were drawn with no respect for Africa’s internal boundaries or societies. As a
result, modern African nations had difficulty establishing stable governments after gaining independence. By the
early 1900s, every piece of African soil was under European colonization except Ethiopia and Liberia.
The European division of Africa caused conflict and destroyed many African traditions. The Europeans divided
Africa with the desire to profit from Africa’s riches, not for the benefit of any Africans.
Economics:
1. Define “gross domestic product.”
The total market value of the goods and services produced by a country’s economy during a specific period of
time. Economists use a country’s GDP to determine the health of that country’s economy and compare it to
other economies.
2. What are two ways a country can increase its gross domestic product (GDP)?
Investment in education and skills training for increase in human capital – education and abilities it develops
create a smarter and more productive workforce, which leads to greater economic growth.
Investment in capital (factories, machinery, and technology)
3. Define all four types of economies: market, command, traditional and mixed. Include information in the role of
government in each.
Market – a country’s economic decisions are based on what its people want to buy and sell. People can own
their own businesses and produce what they want.
Command – the government controls what is produced and how it is produced. The government owns the
resources and decides who gets the products.
Traditional – this system is found in agricultural societies where people live the same way their parents and
grandparents did. Found in some areas of Africa, Asia, and South America. People in these systems produce
what they need to survive by farming or hunting and gathering.
Mixed – in the process of making the transition from an almost completely command economy to a market
economy over several decades.
4. What is a “quota”? Restrictions on the amount of a good that can be imported into a country.
5. What is an “embargo”? Forbid trade with another country.
6. What is a “tariff”? Taxes placed on imported goods.
7. Explain “specialization”.
Countries specialize in what they do best. It is an efficient way to work, and the cost of items produced is
lower. Specialization increases trade because a country can get what it needs at the lowest cost when
produced by someone who specializes in producing that item.
8. Define “natural resource”. Things that come from the land like minerals or trees.
9. Explain in broad terms the need for currency exchanges between countries.
Because every country does not use the same type of money, international trade requires a system for
exchanging currencies between nations. Money from one country must be converted into the currency of
another country to pay for goods in that country. The exchange rate is how much one currency is worth in
terms of the other.
Southwest Asia :
1. What types of economies do Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel have?
Saudi Arabia – mostly a command economy (moving to a mixed market economy)
Turkey – mixed market economy
Israel – mixed market economy
2. What is economic specialization? How does it help improve international trade?
Specialization encourages trade among countries because no country produces everything it needs. The
country selling the product makes a profit, and the country buying the product gets what it needs.
3. What is OPEC?
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – in 1960 five oil-rich countries (Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait and Venezuela formed OPEC. Its purpose is to coordinate and unify petroleum prices in order to
promote stability in the world oil market and ensure a regular supply of petroleum to other countries. OPEC
sets the price and amount of oil produced by its member nations.
4. What are the main religions in Southwest Asia?
Islam, Christianity and Judaism
5. Why did Islam split into Sunni and Shia?
Muslims split over who would succeed Muhammad as leader of Islam. The Sunnis wanted the community to
choose the best leader, while the Shia favored leaders from within Muhammad’s family.
6. What kind of government does Saudi Arabia have?
Monarchy (the king is both chief government and religious official)
7. What are the holy places of Islam?
Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
8. What kind of government does Iran have?
Theocracy (viewing all government matters through the eyes of its primary religion, Islam.
9. What kind of government does Israel have?
Parliamentary democracy (the head of government is the prime minister and the chief of state is the
president who has little real power)
10. What are the 3 main monotheistic religions in the world?
Islam, Christianity and Judaism
11. Be able to name and locate the rivers, lakes, and seas in the Middle East
Euphrates, Tigris, Jordan Rivers, Dead Sea, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea
12. What is the most sacred city for the 3 main religions of the world
Jerusalem
13. Palestine claims what lands within Israel?
Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem
14. The Ottoman Empire included these countries and was partitioned after what war?
It stretched across what is now Turkey and parts of southeastern Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern
Asia.
After World War I, Britain and France divided up the land that remained.
15. List the ethnic groups of the Middle East and know the difference between ethnic groups and religious groups
Arabs – speak Arabic as a native language and identify themselves as Arabs
Persians – live in Iran (speak Farsi)
Kurds – live mostly in the mountains of several countries in an area informally named Kudistan.
Jews – live according to Jewish culture, but no belief in Judaism
See #4 under Africa (difference between ethnic and religious groups)