Middle East Unit Study Guide
Chapter 21-Geography of the Middle East
1. Know what an oasis is
2. Know what desalinization is
3. Know the difference between crude oil
petroleum
4. Know why extracting oil is risky and
hazardous to the environment
5. What area of the Middle East does most oil
come from
6. Know the two most valuable resources in the
Middle East
7. How is climate in the Mediterranean different
from other parts in the Middle East
8. Know examples of how people have adapted to
their land in the Middle East
9. Which regions of the Middle East are fertile?
10. Know the importance of the Tigris and
Euphrates to the region
11. What is a salt flat desert?
12. Know different forms of irrigation and water
sources for areas that lack water in the Middle
East
13. Know characteristics of the Dead Sea
14. Most famous desert in Saudi Arabia. Known as
the Empty Quarter
15. What is a refinery’s role in oil production?
Chapter 22
16. Judaism-founder, religious book, first
monotheistic religion in M.E., place where it
originated, holy site in Jerusalem
17. Christianity-founder, religious book, second
monotheistic religion, place of origin, holy site
in Jerusalem
18. Islam- founder, religious book, place of origin,
third monotheistic religion, holy site in
Jerusalem
19. Know the 5 pillars of Islam
Chapter 22 section 1-the Arabian
Peninsula
20. Spread of Islam and role of Bedouins
21. Ethical standards in Islam
22. Sharia Law-what is it and name some countries
that use it
23. Theocracy
24. Name for ruler in of Muslim Empire
25. How did a division develop in Islam?
26. Difference between Sunni and Shiite, also know
what two countries have a large Shiite
population.
27. Describe modern life in the Arabian Peninsula
28. What are burqas and hijabs?
29. What is OPEC and its purpose?
Section 2-The Eastern
Mediterranean(Israel, Lebanon, Syria,
Jordan)
30. After the Ottoman Empire broke down in 1922
what European countries influenced the
formation of new countries in Syria, Jordan and
Lebanon?
31. What is Zionism? How has it influenced the
creation of Israel in 1948?
32. What two major areas in Israel do people fight
over and why?
33. If you were to work towards peace in the
Arab/Israeli conflict which leaders would you
need to sit down and negotiate with?
34. Why has economic development been slow in
the Mediterranean section of the Middle East?
35. What holy sites do the three religions of
Christianity, Judaism and Islam claim in
Jerusalem?
Chapter 22 Section 3-The Northeast
region of the M. E. (Turkey, Iran, Iraq
and Afghanistan)
36. Understand that there are many different ethnic
groups in this region. Not everyone is Arabic
but other. Name some of the ethnic groups.
What is the role of the Kurdish ethnic group
right now in relation to ISIS?
37. Nations in this region are majority Islamic
38. Which two countries in the region have a large
Shiite population? What is there relationship
like with other Middle Eastern countries b/c of
this?
39. How is Afghanistan different from other
countries in the Northeast region
40. What is the Taliban?
41. Why did the US invade and take out the Taliban
in 2001?
42. What was life like for Afghanis under the
Taliban’s rule?
43. What is the current state of Afghanistan today?
44. What was Iraq like before the US declared war
on the country in 2003? (who was the leader,
what type of government?)
45. Why did the US invade Iraq in 2003?
46. What was Saddam Hussein accused of and
executed for? Did the US have a role in this?
47. What was America’s goal in Iraq?
48. When did the US withdraw and what is the state
of Iraq today?
49. Know that Turkey was one of the first countries
in this region to modernize. They became
democratic during the 1930s. They continue to
modernize but are currently dealing with ISIS
and the migrant crisis first hand.
Map Section-here is a list of what to locate
for the test
Countries
1. Mediterranean
2. Red sea
3. Persian Gulf
4. Suez Canal
5. Tigris and Euphrates
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Yemen
8. Oman
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Kuwait
11. Iraq
12. Iran
13. Turkey
14. Afghanistan
15. Syria
16. Lebanon
17. Israel
18. Jordan
Cities
19. Damascus-capital of Syria
20. Jerusalem-capital of Israel
21. Baghdad-capital of Iraq
22. Mosul-important city in Iraq for ISIS and
where speaker Lenny was stationed near
23. Tel Aviv-old capital of Israel
24. Mecca-birthplace of Islam
25. Medina-Muhammad journeyed here to
spread Islam after being kicked out of
Mecca
26. Dubai-super modern city in the UAE-islands
shaped into palm trees
27. Tehran-capital of Iran
28. Kabul-capital of Afghanistan
Landforms
29. Fertile Crescent is
30. Rub AL Khali
31. Hindu Kush Mountains
32. Salt Flat deserts