1st NINE WEEKS BENCHMARK STUDY GUIDE
1. What is the difference between a political and physical map? _________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What is the Prime Meridian and how does it relate to direction? _______________
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3. What is the Equator and how does it relate to direction? ____________________
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4. When Lines of Latitude and Longitude intersect each other a ______________ or a
_________________________ ____________________________is created.
5. Be able to locate and indentify the following countries on a map:
1) Afghanistan
4) Israel
2) Iran
5). Saudi Arabia
3) Iraq
6) Turkey
6. The belief in ONE God is known as __________________________________________.
JUDAISM:
7. Originated with a small group of people known as
__________________________.
8. Jews call the first five books of the Bible the _________________ and
believe that Moses received the ______________ ___________________
from God on Mt. Sinai.
9. People who believe in Judaism are known as ________________________.
10. Their promised land was known as _________________________ and is
known as _________________________ today.
11._______________________________ is the oldest of the three
monotheistic religions.
12. What is the Jews belief about the Messiah? ______________________
__________________________________________________________
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ISLAM:
13. The Muslims’ Holy Book is known as the ___________________________.
14. List the Five Pillars of Islam
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15. Muslims believe that Jesus was a ________________ and not the Messiah.
16. _____________________________________ is the founder of Islam.
17. People who believe in Islam are known as __________________________.
18. __________________________________ is the fastest growing religion.
19. What is the basic difference between Sunni and Shi’ite (Shia) Muslims?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Christianity:
20. Whose teachings form the basis of Christianity? ________________________
21. A Christian’s holy book is known as the _______________ _______________.
22. People who believe in Christianity are known as _________________________.
23. ______________________________ is the largest religion in the world today.
24. Christians believe in the _________________ and the _________________,
_______________________ that together form the Bible. The first five books of
the Bible form the Jew’s Holy Book, the ____________________________, and
describe the old covenant with God. The Gospels, which include Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, are some of the books that tell of the new covenant with Jesus.
25. In Christianity, who is seen as the Messiah? ___________________________
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26. What is the difference between ethnic and religious groups? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
27. What natural resource is most lacking in Southwest Asia? ______________________
28. How has the building of dams created problems for countries sharing rivers in
Southwest Asia? _______________________________________________________
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29. How has the use of chemical fertilizers affected water supplies in many countries in
Southwest Asia? ____________________________________________________
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30. How has the geography of Southwest Asia affected the people who live there?
____________________________________________________________________
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31. What is a trade barrier? How do these barriers have an affect on the geography of
Southwest Asia? _______________________________________________________
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32. List two examples of natural trade barriers found in Southwest Asia. _____________
____________________________________________________________________
33. What is OPEC? ______________________________________________________
34. What affect does OPEC have on the world oil prices? _________________________
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35. What percent of the world’s oil reserve is found in the Middle East? ____________
36. What is Literacy Rate? ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
37. Explain how literacy rate has an affect on the standard of living and a country’s cultural
development. _______________________________________________________
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38. Between 1300 – 1699 the Ottoman Empire used __________________________, an
explosive to use with guns and other weapons from the country of _____________, to
help conquer the city of Constantinople, as well as other various countries and cities
39. When did the Ottoman Empire to finally come to an end? _____________________
40. What happened to the Ottoman Empire’s land after World War I? ______________
___________________________________________________________________
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41. The discovery and sale of ____________, a valuable non-renewable resource, has
drastically helped the economy and standard of living for many Southwest Asian countries.
42. Most of the people that live in Southwest Asia are _______________________,
speak Arabic (the holy language of the Quran), and are Muslims.
43. Southwest Asia is also known as the __________________ ___________________.
44. Explain how the following governments operate and give an example of where these
types of government are found in the Middle East:
 Democracy – _______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
 (Absolute)Monarchy- _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
 Theocracy – _______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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45. Why is the Suez Canal important and what bodies of water does it connect?
___________________________________________________________________
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46. Who was behind the Holocaust and what was its purpose? _____________________
___________________________________________________________________
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47. What is the main cause behind the struggles between Israel and the Arab world?
__________________________________________________
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