Chapter 4
Vocabulary
North Africa and Southwest Asia
Today
oasis
A green area in a desert fed by
underground water
terrorism
the use of violent acts against
civilians to achieve certain goals
delta
area formed from soil deposited by a
river at its mouth
silt
Small particles of rich soil
secular
non-religious
constitutional
monarchy
form of government where a king or
queen is head of state, but elected
officials run the government
dictator
all-powerful government leader
aquifer
underground rock layers that store
large amounts of water
mosque
places of worship for followers of
Islam
embargo
an order that restricts trade with
another country
Islamic Republic
a government run by Muslim
religious leaders
Bedouin
a nomadic Arab of the deserts of
Southwest Asia
moshav
a cooperative settlement of
individual farms in Israel where
people share in farming, but also
own some private property
shah
a title given to kings who ruled Iran
wadi
a dry riverbed filled with rainwater
from rare downpours
desalinization
taking salt out of seawater
alluvial plain
an area built up by rich fertile soil left
by river floods
hajj
a religious journey to Mecca that
Muslims are expected to make at
least once during their lifetime
kibbutz
settlement in Israel where people
share property and produce goods