1. What environmental issue in Africa is caused by Africans gathering wood, clearing too much land for farming, and clearing too much land for grazing?

2. deforestation

3. What is this process? process by which a desert spreads and soil losses its ability to hold water caused by: overgrazing of animals deforestation poorly managed agriculture

4. desertification

5. Who was ?

7. Who founded Islam?

8. Muhammad

9. Where was Muhammad’s home? Hint: It is now a holy city which Muslims are all expected to make a pilgrimage to at some point in their lifetimes.

10. Mecca (in Saudi Arabia)

11. What is the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca called?

12. hajj

13. What are the five pillars of Islam?

14. 1. One God 2. Pray 5 x day 3. Give to the poor 4. Fast during Ramadan 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

15. Why did the Sunnis and Shi’ites (Shia) split into 2 separate groups?

16. The 2 groups could not agree on who should take over after Muhammad’s death. Shia believe the leader of Islam must be a direct descendant of Muhammad; Sunni believe it should be a great person devoted to Islam. Best one for the job.

18. What is an ethnic group? 18

19. An ethnic group is a group of people sharing the same traditions, culture, and language. This CANNOT be changed. People are BORN INTO an ethnic group.

20. What is a religious group?

21. A religious group is a group of people who share the same religious beliefs. This CAN be changed.

22. What is the oldest monotheistic religion we’ve studied? Holy Text = Torah Holy City = Jerusalem

23. Judaism

24. What is Shintoism?

25. Polytheistic religion founded in Japan Includes ancestor worship and worship of spirits similar to animism

26. Monotheistic religion founded in Middle East region founded by Jesus and his followers

27. Christianity

28. Describe Shi’a Muslims

29. More extreme division of Muslims 98% of Shia live in Iran

30. Describe Sunni Muslims.

31. Less extreme division of Muslims Most live throughout Middle East and Northern Africa

32. What is reincarnation?

33. A belief that after death of a person’s soul is reborn into another body.

36. What are the two most important resources in the Middle East?

37. Water and oil

38. How has oil affected the Middle East?

39. The abundance of oil in some Middle Eastern countries has led to an enormous amount of wealth in those countries – example – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar

40. What is OPEC?

41. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – oil –producing countries that control the amount of oil produced as well as the price of the oil

42. The process of taking salt out of salt water Saudi Arabia gets most of its fresh water from desalination plants

43. desalination

50. Who is Confucius?

51. A wise philosopher of China who believed in the importance of education.

52. What is Confucianism?

53. A philosophy of life that shaped China’s culture, traditions and government About relationships and being educated Not a religion – but a philosophy (no god/gods – nothing/no one is worshipped)

64. Ethnic group found in Iran Primarily Shi’a

65. Persian

66. Ethnic group found in regions of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria No country of their own

67. Kurds

68. polytheism

69. Belief in MORE THAN ONE god ex: Hinduism

70. Who are Arabs?

71. Arabs comprise most of the population of SW Asia (aka Middle East). They are the largest ethnic group. They consider themselves to be descendants of Abraham in the Bible, Through his son Ishmael. Most Arabs are Muslim and speak Arabic.

72. How have deserts and rivers affected the population of the Middle East?

73. People live around water! Cities have grown up around rivers and water. Most of the population lives in areas where there is water. People don’t live in the deserts where there is no access to water.