World Regional Geography - Chapter 8
Exam Questions and Answers
What is the name of the majority ethnic group that resides in the Maghreb? What is
the main physical feature there? - Answer-Arab-Berber, Atlas Mountains
What have been the main ties between North Africa and European continent? -
Answer-North Africa imports oil, cheap labor
How did the construction of the Aswan High Dam change the way crops are grown
along the Nile River? - Answer-Increased agricultural output, stopped annual
flooding, and caused salt buildup in soil
What political changes have been occurring in North Africa? Why are they
occurring? - Answer-Arab Spring - increased demands for democracy
Why has there been a civil war in Libya? How was the country divided in this civil
war? - Answer-Dissatisfaction with President Gadhafi's authoritarianism and lack of
democratic government. West against East
Where is the African Transition Zone? What does it transition between? - Answer-
Along the Southern border of the Sahara. Transitions between Northern Islamic,
Type B (arid) climate, and Southern Christian/Animist, Type A (tropical) climate
Name the country in the Sahel where slavery has become prominent. - Answer-
Sudan
How has the African Transition Zone divided Sudan? What are the main groups on
each side? - Answer-Sudan is now Northern and Southern, with Black/Arab/Islamic
Sharia Law in the North, and African/Christian/Animist Democracy in the South
What are the most serious problems in the Darfur region of Sudan? Who is
conducting ethnic cleansing and why? - Answer-Arab Janjaweed Ethnic cleansing of
African Darfur people, refugees fled
How did the UN divide Palestine? Why was the division a problem for the
Palestinians? - Answer-Most of Palestine given to Jewish minority, small percentage
given to Palestinian majority
What happened to the Palestinians that lived in the Jewish-controlled areas after
Israel was divided? - Answer-Moved to refugee camps in West Bank and Gaza Strip
What was the Camp David Accord about? Which country's leaders were involved? -
Answer-Israel and Egypt = Egypt promised not to invade Israel again, Israel gave
back Sinai Peninsula
, US President Jimmy Carter
What was so important about the Golan Heights? What is the issue with this
territory? - Answer-Military advantage - overlooks Northern Israel. Israel took control
after second time Arabs invaded Israel
Why would Israel move its capital to Jerusalem and establish it as a forward capital?
- Answer-To solidify their claim to the area
How are the governments of Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon different? - Answer-
Israel ruled by Jewish people, Palestinians separated and disadvantaged
Jordan - constitutional monarchy
Syria - Hafiz al-Assad seized control through coup, rules with military
Lebanon - parliamentary government with specific positions designated to specific
cultural and religious people
Why were there massive protests and demonstrations in Syria in 2011? - Answer-
Lack of democratic reforms, high unemployment, and the loss of civil rights.
Government cracked down hard, killing some, arresting thousands.
Where was the "Paris of the Middle East"? What happened to the city in 1975? -
Answer-Beirut. Infrastructure destroyed by civil war
Where are the mountains located on the Arabian Peninsula? How high do they reach
in elevation? - Answer-Yemen. 12,000 ft
What type of government does Saudi Arabia have? What is the law based on? -
Answer-Absolute Monarchy - Sharia Law
What are some things that women are not allowed to do in Saudi Arabia that they
can do where you live? - Answer-1) Women can only choose certain college
degrees. They cannot be engineers or lawyers, for example.
2) Women cannot vote in political elections.
3) Women cannot walk in a public spaces or travel without a male relative.
4) Women are segregated from men in the workplace and in many formal spaces,
even in homes.
5) Women need written permission from a husband or father to travel abroad.
6) Marriages can be arranged without the woman's consent, and women often lose
everything in a divorce.
Who are the mutawa'een? When would one encounter them? - Answer-Religious
Police. When someone (primarily women) breaks the religious rules such as a
woman wearing immodest clothing
Who drilled the first offshore Kuwaiti oil well? Why is this significant? - Answer-
Pennzoil (George H.W. Bush). This plays apart in Operation Desert Storm, when the
US "liberated" Kuwait from Saddam Hussein in order to regain control of oil.
Exam Questions and Answers
What is the name of the majority ethnic group that resides in the Maghreb? What is
the main physical feature there? - Answer-Arab-Berber, Atlas Mountains
What have been the main ties between North Africa and European continent? -
Answer-North Africa imports oil, cheap labor
How did the construction of the Aswan High Dam change the way crops are grown
along the Nile River? - Answer-Increased agricultural output, stopped annual
flooding, and caused salt buildup in soil
What political changes have been occurring in North Africa? Why are they
occurring? - Answer-Arab Spring - increased demands for democracy
Why has there been a civil war in Libya? How was the country divided in this civil
war? - Answer-Dissatisfaction with President Gadhafi's authoritarianism and lack of
democratic government. West against East
Where is the African Transition Zone? What does it transition between? - Answer-
Along the Southern border of the Sahara. Transitions between Northern Islamic,
Type B (arid) climate, and Southern Christian/Animist, Type A (tropical) climate
Name the country in the Sahel where slavery has become prominent. - Answer-
Sudan
How has the African Transition Zone divided Sudan? What are the main groups on
each side? - Answer-Sudan is now Northern and Southern, with Black/Arab/Islamic
Sharia Law in the North, and African/Christian/Animist Democracy in the South
What are the most serious problems in the Darfur region of Sudan? Who is
conducting ethnic cleansing and why? - Answer-Arab Janjaweed Ethnic cleansing of
African Darfur people, refugees fled
How did the UN divide Palestine? Why was the division a problem for the
Palestinians? - Answer-Most of Palestine given to Jewish minority, small percentage
given to Palestinian majority
What happened to the Palestinians that lived in the Jewish-controlled areas after
Israel was divided? - Answer-Moved to refugee camps in West Bank and Gaza Strip
What was the Camp David Accord about? Which country's leaders were involved? -
Answer-Israel and Egypt = Egypt promised not to invade Israel again, Israel gave
back Sinai Peninsula
, US President Jimmy Carter
What was so important about the Golan Heights? What is the issue with this
territory? - Answer-Military advantage - overlooks Northern Israel. Israel took control
after second time Arabs invaded Israel
Why would Israel move its capital to Jerusalem and establish it as a forward capital?
- Answer-To solidify their claim to the area
How are the governments of Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon different? - Answer-
Israel ruled by Jewish people, Palestinians separated and disadvantaged
Jordan - constitutional monarchy
Syria - Hafiz al-Assad seized control through coup, rules with military
Lebanon - parliamentary government with specific positions designated to specific
cultural and religious people
Why were there massive protests and demonstrations in Syria in 2011? - Answer-
Lack of democratic reforms, high unemployment, and the loss of civil rights.
Government cracked down hard, killing some, arresting thousands.
Where was the "Paris of the Middle East"? What happened to the city in 1975? -
Answer-Beirut. Infrastructure destroyed by civil war
Where are the mountains located on the Arabian Peninsula? How high do they reach
in elevation? - Answer-Yemen. 12,000 ft
What type of government does Saudi Arabia have? What is the law based on? -
Answer-Absolute Monarchy - Sharia Law
What are some things that women are not allowed to do in Saudi Arabia that they
can do where you live? - Answer-1) Women can only choose certain college
degrees. They cannot be engineers or lawyers, for example.
2) Women cannot vote in political elections.
3) Women cannot walk in a public spaces or travel without a male relative.
4) Women are segregated from men in the workplace and in many formal spaces,
even in homes.
5) Women need written permission from a husband or father to travel abroad.
6) Marriages can be arranged without the woman's consent, and women often lose
everything in a divorce.
Who are the mutawa'een? When would one encounter them? - Answer-Religious
Police. When someone (primarily women) breaks the religious rules such as a
woman wearing immodest clothing
Who drilled the first offshore Kuwaiti oil well? Why is this significant? - Answer-
Pennzoil (George H.W. Bush). This plays apart in Operation Desert Storm, when the
US "liberated" Kuwait from Saddam Hussein in order to regain control of oil.
