Download World Geography – 1st Semester Final Exam

World Geography – 1st Semester Final Exam
Study Guide
Part I – North Africa, Southwest and Central Asia
Which country is the largest in land area? A: Russia
Explain what a countries GDP per capita is A: Total amount of money made by a
country divided by the countries population or average income.
The most common official language of the countries in Southwest Asia, Central Asia and
North Africa Arabic
The religion that the most people practice in Southwest Asia, Central Asia and North
Africa Countries Islam
Describe the conditions of the Syrian Desert Receives less than 5 inch of precipitation
per year and is blocked by ancient lava flows.
What are the voting rights of the Egyptian people? All people 18 and over may vote,
but there is only one political party. So it is not truly free
What was the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956? The Egyptians closed the Suez Canal which
resulted in an attack by the British.
Describe the Suez Canal It connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
What is OPEC and why was it formed? It is the Organization of Petroluem Exporting
Countries. It sets prices and production amounts for Oil from Southwest Asian
countries.
Describe the limitations that climate and landforms place on the people of Saudi Arabia
A: Much of Saudi Arabia is a desert so people must live near water. There are
mountains in the southern part of Saudi Arabia that have a cooler climate.
Farming can be difficult in Saudi Arabia due to the lack of rainfall in some areas.
Describe the limitations that climate and landforms place on the people in the mountains
of Afghanistan
A: The mountain regions of Afghanistan are rocky and create difficult travel.
Agriculture is difficult there.
Describe the limitations that climate and landforms place on the people in the mountains
of Iran
A: Travel can be difficult in some mountainous areas as well as farming due to the
climate created by these mountains. In some areas soil is more fertile due to milder
climates in areas near the mountains.
The capital of Iraq is Baghdad
The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul
The capital of Egypt is Cairo
The capital of Israel is Jerusalem
Who is(was) the dictator of Libya? Muammar al-Gaddafi
What are trade sanctions and how did they affect Libya? A: Trade sanctions are when
other countries stopping trading with a nation. They forced Libya to change some
of thier policies
How does Tunisia compare to other North African countries in their poverty rate and
women's rights? They have a low poverty rate and a good record of women's
rights.
What are casbahs? Old castles and areas of cities
What happened in the early 1990's that affected Algeria as a nation? They had a civil
war
Explain what is happening between Morocco and the area called Western Sahara
A: Western Sahara has begun fighting for their independence from Morocco.
Turkey was once a part of what empire? Ottoman Empire
What is special about the city of Damascus? A: It is one of the oldest continually lived
in cities in the world
What Muslim group based in Lebanon has caused tensions in Southwest Asia to rise
since 2006? Hezbollah
What countries has Hezbollah attacked? Israel
Briefly explain how Israel was formed in 1947. Israel was formed in 1947 by
partioning part of Palestine.
What group of people has been in conflict with Israel since its formation? Palestinians
Bahrain is considered a center of what industry for Southwest Asia? Banking
Explain the main economic activities in the city of Dubai. A: Dubai has a large
shipping port. Dubai is a major financial center. Dubai is a major tourist location.
Contrast the economies of Oman and Yemen A: Oman has a strong economy based on
oil production, while Yemen has a weak economy.
When were some of the first free elections held in Iraq? 2005
Who is the current leader of Iran? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iran's involvement with what form of energy has made many governments in the world
nervous? Nuclear Energy
What group has caused some of the remaining tension in Afghanistan? Supporters of the
Taliban government
What are two countries or empires that have attempted to control Afghanistan in the past?
Russia and Great Britain
What type of economy is the government in Kazakhstan attempting to start? FreeMarket economy
What important trade route was Uzbekistan once a part of? Silk Road
What desert makes up a huge portion of Turkmenistan? Kara Kum
What happened in 2005 that has made the country of Kyrgyzstan unstable? A revolt
against the government
What happened in the 1990's that still affects Tajikistan? A civil war
Why do tourists visit Georgia? A: Beaches, Skiing, Hot springs
What is genocide? The deliberate killing of an ethnic group
What country is Armenia in conflict with? A: Azerbaijan
Why is Azerbaijan's economic future promising? They have begun to produce oil.
Which of the following best explains what the Soviet Union was and when it existed. A:
A communist nation that included Russia and 15 other countries. It existed between
1917 and 1991.
Theocracy - A government system run by religious leaders
Theocracy in Egyptian society – The pharaoh or leader of Egypt was considered a god by
the people.
Islam – Who started it? When? Where? Major beliefs. - Muhammad. 600 AD. Saudi
Arabia. 5 pillars of Islam and following the Quran
Christianity - Who started it? When? Where? Major beliefs. – Jesus. 2000 years ago.
Israel. Following the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Judaism - Who started it? When? Where? Major beliefs. - Abraham. 4000 years ago.
Mesopotamia. Following the Talmud and Torah
Why and how did writing begin? * 2 examples of early writing - ________, __________
Writing began to keep track of trade goods and the amount of food. It also began as
picture-writing or pictograms. Examples – Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics
Mesopotamia – where? Important leader? Writing type?
Mesopotamia is in present day Iraq and near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. One of the
important leaders was Hammurabi. They wrote with Cuneiform.
Ancient Egypt – where? Writing type? Government/religion?
Where – Egypt along the Nile River. Writing type – Hieroglyphics. Egyptians used a
theocracy for government, where the pharaoh was believed to be a god.
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – Cultural hearth of Mesopotamia and Asia
Nile River – Cultural Hearth of North Africa and Egypt.
Part II – Comprehensive Section
Latitude – imaginary lines that travels east to west around the world. Measured North or
South of the equator. Also called parallels
Longitude – imaginary lines that travels north to south and meet at the poles. Measured
East or West of the prime meridian. Also called meridians.
Absolute location – the latitude and longitude of a place.
How to determine latitude and longitude
Population Density and how to figure it
Economic and Political Systems vocab!!
Natural Resource
Nonrenewable Resource
Renewable Resoure