World regional Geography Exam 3 KSU Max Lu
Major Religions of India
Composition % of total population Hindus - 79.80% Muslims - 14.23% Christians - 2.30% Sikhs - 1.72% Buddhist - 0.70% Jains - 0.37% Others (including Bahá'ís, Jews, and Parsis) - 0.89%
Exceptions to Islam's dominance in North Africa and Southwest Asia
Crusades defied the dominance, holy war waged by christians against islamic expansionists in an attempt to reclaim land taken by previous islamic endeavors.
The names and locations of the three major rivers in South Asia
Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra Rivers.
The areas occupied by Israel
Stretches west of Jordan river to mediterranean sea,
What is meant by the regions "crossroad location"
At the junction of Europe, Asia and Africa • Crossroad = conflicts
Major features of Hinduism
Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion to still be practiced on a mass scale (including Judaism) It spawned a series of other faiths (Buddhism, Sikhism) which are categorized together as "Dharmic" religions. It was the first religion to address the concept of eternity - that time, space, etc. are endless. It argues that soul cannot die, that all life is equal, all religions are equal. There are 4 goals in Hinduism: the first is material well being, the second is pleasure (sexual and otherwise), the third is the fulfillment of responsibilities and the last is self actualization: the merger of an individual soul with the divine.
The major physical regions in India, where is India's major desert area?
India is divided into seven physiographic regions. They are 1. The northern mountains including the Himalayas, which includes the Kuen Lun and the Karakoram ranges and the northeast mountain ranges. 2.Indo-Gangetic plains - large floodplains of the Indus and the Ganga-Brahmaputra river systems. 3.Thar Desert - forms a significant portion of western India. Spread over four states in India— Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat it covers an area of 208,110 km² (80,350 mile²). Most of the Thar Desert is situated in Rajasthan, covering 61% of its geographic area. Most of the desert is rocky, with a small part of the extreme west of the desert being sandy. 4.Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau 5.East Coast 6.West Coast 7.Bordering seas and islands
Where did Islam originate?
Islam originated in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century
The major issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict
Israel has many conflicts with its surrounding neighbors and is working on peace agreements. The conflict Israel has to deal with is religion. Israel and its Islamic neighbors are constantly at a conflict. Israel's future depends on a satisfactory settlement with its Palestinian minority, as well as normalized relations with moderate and secular Arab states. 1. Borders - defining each country's territory 2. Jerusalem - deep seeded hatred/fight for the religion which claims god-given right to holy land 3. refugees - Palestinian refugees stuck in political limbo, not allowed right of return to Israel for purpose of keeping Israel a predominately jewish nation 4. Security - Israel being a nation roughly the size of new jersey having confrontation with much larger neighboring Arab states
Major Languages of India
Language families Aryan and Dravidian Hindi and English- official languages No National language 22 official languages > 600 dialects 1635 mother tongues *Hindi is dominant language with 27.6 percent of the population speak it
The role of agriculture in India's economy/workforce, major crops grown
Neoliberalism: deregulation to spur business activity •Privatization of state-managed economies •Lowering of international trade tariffs •Reduction of gov't subsidies •Cutting corporate taxes •Agriculture provides most jobs •Dependent on varying physical geography •Unproductive -Low yields -Access to fertilizer/pesticides -Inefficient land ownership Major crops: 1. Rice 2. Millet 3. Wheat
Why the "Middle East" is referred to as that
Reflects a Western (European) bias "Near East" - Turkey "Middle East" - Egypt, Arabia, Iraq "Far East" - China, Japan
Major sports, Largest Film industry, arranged marriage, dowry
Soccer (Indian Football) and Cricket Bollywood -ranks first in terms of annual film output Arranged marriages have been part of the Indian culture since the fourth century. Dowry: property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage. - many deaths of females due to failure to meet expected dowry's
What are the two branches of Islam, how do they differ and where are they distributed?
Split after the death of Muhammad • Sunnis - About 95% of the world's Muslims - Followed Muhammad's father-in-law, Abu Bakr • Shiites (Shi'a) - About 3 % of Muslims - Claim their leaders act in accordance with true Islamic authority, descended through Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Imam Ali, and through Ali's son, Hussein - Shiite: from Arabic Shi'at Ali ("follower of Ali") - Mainly in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan - Ali's tomb is in Najaf, Iraq
Brief history of India
The Indus valley civilization saw its genesis in the holy land now known as India around 2500 BC. The people inhabiting the Indus River valley were thought to be Dravidians, whose descendants later migrated to the south of India. The deterioration of this civilization that developed a culture based on commerce and sustained by agricultural trade can be attributed to ecological changes. From the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, large areas of India were annexed by the British East India Company of British Empire. During the first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched with the leading party involved being the Indian National Congress which was later joined by other organizations. The subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British provinces were partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely states all acceded to one of the new states.
The rivers associated with the ancient civilizations in this region (middle east)
The Nile in Egypt Tigris and Euphrates run through Irag and define the Mesopotamia region
The Green Revolution
a period when agriculture in India increased its yields due to improved agronomic technology. It allowed developing countries, like India, to overcome chronic food defects. -started in India in the early 1960s -higher-yielding varieties of wheat -led to the increase in production needed to make the country self-sufficient in food grains
What is monsoon, and what are the prevailing directions of wind in the summer and winter?
a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region. Monsoons cause wet and dry seasons throughout much of the tropics. Summer: associated with heavy rainfall. It usually happens between April and September. As winter ends, warm, moist air from the southwest Indian Ocean blows toward countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The summer monsoon brings a humid climate and torrential rainfall to these areas. Blows north Winter: lasts from October to April, is less well-known than its rainy summer equivalent. The dry winter monsoon blows from the northeast. These winds start in the air above Mongolia and northwestern China.
The Caste System
categorized in 4 main castes, with the basic make up of a man of Purusha. •Brahmin (head) - educated & priests •Kshatriyas (arms) - warriors & kings •Vaishays (thighs)- merchants & landowners •Sudras (feet) - peasants & laborers •Untouchables - technically do not belong to any caste- collect garbage and clean up human waste
The three monotheistic religions originated from this region
• Birthplace of 3 great monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Oil reserves in the mideast
• Contains about 60% of the world's petroleum reserves • Particularly in the Persian Gulf states and emirates, and Libya and Algeria •Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq have the world's 2nd, 4th and 5th largest largest oil reserves • Saudi Arabia produces about 11% of the world's oil • Iran produces about 5%, and Iraq 4% • "Black gold" has transformed the Arab world
Physical characteristics of Middle East
• Desert - water is scarce • Oil • Religion - crossroads location • Conflict - sacred places / contested meanings • Trade - long history of being the "middle man" • Occupancy - long history of human habitation but also outside influence
The two ancient civilizations in North Africa and Southwest Asia: key contributions
• Early Civilizations - Nile River valley (Egypt) - Mesopotamia (Iraq): Tigris, Euphrates Location of where earliest cities first arose • Birthplace of 3 great monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam • Domestications of many plants and animals: wheat, barley, apples oxen, sheep, goats, etc
Five pillars of islam
• Profession of faith "There is but one God, and Muhammad is his apostle" • 5 prayers a day Before sunrise, at noon, halfway b/w noon and sunset, after sunset, after dark • Giving of alms Voluntary, based on financial surplus, not income • Fasting in the month of Ramadan No food or water from dawn to sunset Eid al-Fitr: Big celebration at the end of Ramadan • Making of hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's life time if able 1. Repeated expression of the basic creed 2. Daily prayer 3. Month of daytime fasting 4. Almsgiving 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Population distribution in south Asia
•Uneven distribution •70% rural, in half a million villages physiologic density "too many mouths to be fed" "Realm is overpopulated"
