Title: NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA TODAY CHAPTER 4
1NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA TODAY CHAPTER 4
2Section 4-1North Africa (pages 100104)
3Did You Know???
- A common misconception about the Sahara, the
worlds largest desert, is that a majority of its
3 1/2 million square miles is covered by sand.
Most of this land, which is roughly equal to the
size of the United States, is covered by rocky
plateaus and gravelly plains, not sand.
4I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- A. Egypt is about the same size as Texas and New
Mexico together, yet most of it is desert.
5I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- B. The Nile River supplies 85 percent of the
countrys water.
6I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- C. Dams and channels control the rivers flow and
its use for farming and generating electric
power.
7I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- D. The Suez Canal is one of the worlds most
important waterways. Ships use the canal to pass
from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea,
thereby avoiding traveling all the way around
Africa.
8I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- E. About 40 percent of Egypts people work in
agriculture raising sugar cane, grains,
vegetables, fruits, and cotton.
9I. Egypt (pages 100101)
- F. Egyptian factories make food products,
textiles, and consumer goods. Egypts main energy
resource is oil. Another important industry is
tourism.
10II. Libya (pages 101102)
- A. Except for the coastal lowlands, Libya is a
desert with only a few oases. An oasis is a green
area in a desert fed by underground water.
11II. Libya (pages 101102)
- B. The Sahara covers more than 90 percent of
Libya.
12II. Libya (pages 101102)
- C. Libya has no permanent rivers, but aquifers
lie beneath the vast desert. Aquifers are
underground rock layers that store large amounts
of water.
13II. Libya (pages 101102)
- D. Poor soil and a hot climate mean that Libya
has to import about three-fourths of its food.
14II. Libya (pages 101102)
- E. The discovery of oil in Libya in 1959 brought
the country great wealth.
15II. Libya (pages 101102)
- F. Almost all of Libyas 5 million people have
mixed Arab and Berber heritage. Eighty-six
percent of Libyans live along the Mediterranean
coast.
16II. Libya (pages 101102)
- G. Libya is a Muslim country, and most of its
people speak Arabic.
17II. Libya (pages 101102)
- H. In 1969 a military officer named Muammar
al-Qaddhafi overthrew the king and became a
dictator. For many years, the United States and
other democratic nations have accused Qaddhafi of
encouraging terrorism.
18III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- A. Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco form a region
known as the Maghreb. These three countries make
up the westernmost part of the Arabic-speaking
Muslim world.
19III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- B. Tunisia is North Africas smallest country.
20III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- C. Tunisian farmers grow wheat, olives, fruits,
and vegetables. Fishing is also an important
industry. Tunisian factories produce food
products, textiles, and oil products. Tourism is
a growing industry.
21III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- D. Tunisias largest city today is Tunis, the
capital city of more than 1 million people.
22III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- E. Algeria is the largest country in North
Africa.
23III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- F. Algeria must import much of its food, which it
pays for by selling oil and natural gas.
24III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- G. Algeria became a French possession in 1834, so
many people in Algerias cities speak French as
well as Arabic. In 1962, Algeria won its freedom
from France.
25III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- H. Today, Algeria is a republic, with a strong
president and a legislature. Since the early
1990s, however, there have been conflicts between
the government and Muslim political parties.
26III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- I. Farmers in Morocco grow sugar beets, grains,
fruits, and vegetables for sale to Europe during
the winter. Morocco is a leading producer of
phosphates, used in fertilizers. Tourism is also
important to Morocco.
27III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- J. Moroccos traditional culture is based on
Arab, Berber, and African traditions.
28III. The Maghreb (pages 102104)
- K. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy.
29Notes 4-2Southwest Asia Turkey and Israel
(pages 105108)
30Did You Know???
- Turkey is home to some of the oldest permanent
human settlements. In Çatal Hüyük, Turkey,
archaeologists have unearthed some of the oldest
known examples of pottery, textiles, and
plastered walls. Some of these artifacts date
back to 7000 B.C.
31I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- A. Turkey has a unique locationit bridges the
continents of Asia and Europe. Three important
waterwaysthe Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and
the Dardanellesseparate the Asian and European
parts.
32I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- B. Turkeys climate varies throughout the
country, from hot, dry summers and cold, snowy
winters in the central plateau to hot, dry
summers and mild, rainy winters on the coast.
33I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- C. Turkish farmers grow cotton, fruits, and
wheat, and raise livestock. Turkey has many
mineral resources such as coal, copper, and iron.
Tourism is also a growing industry.
34I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- D. About 98 percent of Turkeys nearly 66 million
people are Muslims.
35I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- E. The Kurds, an ethnic group who make up about
20 percent of Turkeys people have demanded their
own independent state.
36I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- F. Almost 70 percent of Turkeys people live in
cities or towns.
37I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- G. Istanbul began as a Greek port called
Byzantium. Later it was renamed Constantinople.
When the Ottomans conquered the city in the
1400s, they renamed it Istanbul.
38I. Turkey (pages 105106)
- H. Turkey has been a member of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1952 and is
seeking to join the European Union.
39II. Israel (pages 107108)
- A. Israel is completely in Southwest Asia, but
was founded by immigrants who came in large part
from Europe, Central Asia, and the United States.
40II. Israel (pages 107108)
- B. Israel includes the mountains of Galilee, the
Golan Heights, the Dead Sea, the desert of Negev,
and the Jordan River.
41II. Israel (pages 107108)
- C. Israels best farmland stretches along the
Mediterranean coastal plain and produces citrus
fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons.
42II. Israel (pages 107108)
- D. In very dry areas, Israel uses computers to
release specific amounts of water from
underground tubes to the roots of plants. As a
result of technology, Israels farmers are able
to export some food to other countries.
43II. Israel (pages 107108)
- E. Some Israelis live in farm settlements called
kibbutzes, where property is shared. Other people
live in moshavs where they share in farming,
production, and selling, but may own private
property as well.
44II. Israel (pages 107108)
- F. Israels skilled workforce produces electronic
products, clothing, chemicals, food products, and
machinery. Diamond cutting and polishing is also
a major industry.
45II. Israel (pages 107108)
- G. Eighty percent of Israels people are Jews and
the other 20 percent are Palestinians, who are
Arabic. There are many conflicts between these
two groups.
46Notes 4-3Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Arabia
(pages 110114)
47Did You Know???
- The northern segment of the Jordan Valley, known
in Arabic as the Ghor, is Jordans most fertile
region. It contains the Jordan River and extends
from the countrys northern border south to the
Dead Sea. Several degrees warmer than the rest of
the country, its year-round mild climate, fertile
soils, higher winter rainfall, and extensive
summer irrigation have made the Ghor the food
bowl of Jordan.
48I. Syria (pages 110111)
- A. Syrias land includes fertile coastal plains
and valleys along the Mediterranean Sea, and vast
deserts covering the eastern regions.
49I. Syria (pages 110111)
- B. Agriculture is Syrias main economic activity.
Farmers raise mostly cotton, wheat, and fruits.
The Euphrates River provides water for irrigation
as well as hydroelectric power.
50I. Syria (pages 110111)
- C. Almost half of Syrias 16 million people live
in rural areas. A few are Bedouinsnomadic desert
people who follow a traditional way of life.
51I. Syria (pages 110111)
- D. Damascus, the capital, is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited cities in the world. It
was founded more than 5,000 years ago.
52I. Syria (pages 110111)
- E. Islam has deeply influenced Syrias
traditional arts and buildings.
53I. Syria (pages 110111)
- F. Syria became an independent country in 1946.
54I. Syria (pages 110111)
- G. Since the 1960s, one political party has
controlled Syrias government, and it does not
allow many political freedoms. As of May 2000,
Syria was one of seven nations named by the U.S.
government as being state sponsors of terrorism.
55II. Lebanon (pages 111112)
- A. Because Lebanon is so small, you can swim in
the warm Mediterranean Sea, then play in the snow
in the mountains, both in the same day.
56II. Lebanon (pages 111112)
- B. More than 80 percent of Lebanons nearly 4.1
million people live in coastal urban areas.
57II. Lebanon (pages 111112)
- C. About 70 percent of the Lebanese are Arab
Muslims and most of the rest are Arab Christians.
Conflict between these groups led to a civil war
lasting from 1975 to 1991.
58II. Lebanon (pages 111112)
- D. Arabic is the most widely spoken language.
French is also an official language because
France ruled Lebanon until its independence in
the 1940s.
59III. Jordan (page 112)
- A. Jordan stretches from the fertile Jordan River
valley in the west to dry rugged country in the
east
60III. Jordan (page 112)
- B. The country lacks water resources, but small
amounts of irrigated farmland lie in the Jordan
River Valley.
61III. Jordan (page 112)
- C. Jordan also lacks energy resources. Most
people work in service and manufacturing
industries.
62III. Jordan (page 112)
- D. Most of Jordans 5.2 million people are Arab
Muslims. They include more than 1 million
Palestinian refugees.
63III. Jordan (page 112)
- E. Jordan became independent from Great Britain
in 1946 and now has a constitutional monarchy.
64IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- A. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in
Southwest Asia.
65IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- B. The country is covered by vast deserts and has
no rivers or permanent bodies of water.
66IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- C. Saudi Arabia holds about 25 percent of the
worlds oil and the nation belongs to the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). Today the 11 OPEC countries supply more
than 40 percent of the worlds oil. By increasing
or reducing supply, they are able to influence
world oil prices.
67IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- D. Oil has helped Saudi Arabia boost its standard
of living. Aware that someday its oil will run
out, the government is trying to broaden its
economy through industry and agriculture.
68IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- E. The capital and largest city, Riyadh, sits
amid a large oasis in the center of the country.
69IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113114)
- F. Makkah (Mecca), in western Saudi Arabia, is
Islams holiest city. About 2 million Muslims
from around the world visit Makkah each year.
70Notes 4-4Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan (pages
122125)
71Did You Know???
- Iraqis eat a varied diet that includes
vegetables, rice, flat bread, meat, fish, and
dates. Bread and rice are the main foods at many
meals. Grilled lamb, chicken, and fish are
popular. Sanbusak, a traditional Iraqi dish,
consists of moon-shaped dough stuffed with cheese
or meat. Popular beverages in Iraq include tea,
coffee, and fruit juices.
72I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- A. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are the major
geographic features of Iraq.
73I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- B. Between the two rivers is an alluvial plainan
area that is built up by rich fertile soil left
by river floods. Most farming takes place there.
74I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- C. Oil is the countrys major export.
75I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- D. About 70 percent of Iraqs 23.6 million people
live in urban areas.
76I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- E. Muslim Arabs make up the largest group in
Iraqs population. The second largest group
consists of another Muslim people, the Kurds, who
want to form their own country.
77I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- F. In 1958 the last king was overthrown. A recent
leader, Saddam Hussein, was a dictator who ruled
with an iron hand.
78I. Iraq (pages 122123)
- G. In 1990, partly because of a dispute over oil,
Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. By April of
1991, at the end of the Persian Gulf War, a
United Nations force led by the United States
pushed Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.
79II. Iran (page 124)
- A. Iran is an oil-rich nation, but is trying to
become less dependent on oil earnings.
80II. Iran (page 124)
- B. It has limited supplies of water, and less
than 12 percent of its land can be farmed.
81II. Iran (page 124)
- C. More than half of Irans 66.1 million people
are Persians, not Arabs or Turks. They speak
Farsi, or Persian.
82II. Iran (page 124)
- D. Nearly 98 percent of Irans people practice
some form of Islam.
83II. Iran (page 124)
- E. In 1979 Muslim religious leaders overthrew the
last monarchy, and Iran now has an Islamic
republic, a government run by Muslim religious
leaders. The government has introduced laws based
on its understanding of the Quran and have
forbidden many western customs.
84III. Afghanistan (page 125)
- A. Afghanistan is a landlocked nation mostly
covered with the rugged peaks of the Hindu Kush
mountain range.
85III. Afghanistan (page 125)
- B. The countrys 26 million people are divided
into about 20 different ethnic groups.
86III. Afghanistan (page 125)
- C. After a Soviet invasion, followed by civil
war, the Taliban took control of the government,
enforcing strict Islamic religious laws.
87III. Afghanistan (page 125)
- D. In October 2001, the United States accused the
Taliban of supporting terrorists and began
bombing Taliban forces.
88III. Afghanistan (page 125)
- E. By mid-November the Taliban government had
collapsed and the United States began to work
with local leaders to form a new government.