2750 exam 3

in what ways has middle east and north africa rivers been related to political conflict?

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what are the five pillars of islam?

1. repeating the profession of the faith 2. praying five times a day facing mecca 3. charitable giving 4. fasting from sun up to sun down during the holy month of ramadan 5. making at least one pilgrimage (hajj), to mecca if financially and physically able.

approximately how many languages are spoken in india?

1600 different languages, about 400 of which are spoken by 200,000 or more

the earliest civilization in south asia emerged in the area of the indus river. approx when was this civilization in existence? the location of this civ was most likely in what present day country?

5300 years ago, between 3000 and 2000 BCE. it was called the harappan civilization, located in present day pakistan

what percentage of the population in the region of north africa and middle east follows some form of islam?

96%

what three main languages dominate the region? know which of these language families each of the following languages belongs to: Arabic, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian, Turkish

Semitic, Indo-European, and Turkic Arabic- Semitic Hebrew- Semitic Kurdish- Indo-European Persian- Indo-European Turkish- Turkic

explain the causes of the winter monsoon and summer monsoon. what are the diffs between them?

Winter- dry monsoon High pressure over land, air moves from land to water When cold air is characteristic of that region during winter, remember that the colder air sinks and creates high pressure, certainly higher in north than south. High pressure moves toward low pressure so you get prevailing winds going from land to sea. (look at graphic to visualize) There can be exceptions when areas of wind are passing over land before water and can get moisture, but generally drier The opposite: The summer wet monsoons- You get low pressure over land, and air moves from water to land. The air coming from sea to land is moist, so these places are getting dumped with water week after week, massive flooding occurs. Theres a dramatic shift. Average monthly rainfall goes from negligible in like march to insanely high by July What further complicates these issue is in places like Kolkata, theres a river delta area where major rivers flow out into bay of Bengal, so theres really low lying area here, so when the wet monsoon comes, theres massive flooding. Variation in these monsoons can especially lead to more devastation. Bangladesh is very vulnerable, and is even more vulnerable as time goes on as the sea levels rise. A lot of population is packed into a small area, more and more people would have to be displaced.

who were the mughals and when did they rule areas in south asia? what economic and cultural characteristics are associated with them

a clan of turks from persia (now iran) from the 15th century. they conquered kabul, they had a good taxation system and a new class of bureaucrats.-- south asia became an economic powerhouse, and textiles and other goods were traded widely across the indian ocean around southeast asia

what is the meaning of "jihad"? explain why actions of islamists are not examples of true jihad?

a complex term derived from arabic root meaning "to strive"-- it describes an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith for majority, its a peaceful struggle to establish islam as a universal religion through conversion of nonbelievers the interpretation that a war directed against enemies is a holy war has been used by some islamists to justify their actions, like ISIS or al-Qaeda-- but its not a part of islamic tradition or texts

what was the Great Game

a conflict where the british and russians fought real and proxy wars over political and military control over the khyber pass, which includes both afghanistan and parts of western china

waht is the grameen bank? who does this bank serve? explain how this bank operates in a way that is completely against the established principles of banking. has this concept been successful?

a self help movement, a grassroots organization formed to provide small loans, microfinance, to the rural poor in bangladesh. it claims to be financially sustainable, profit making, and runs completely against the established principles of banking because it lends money to poor borrowers who have no credit

what is "hindutva"? what political party is associated with this movement

a social and political movement that calls on india to unite as an explicitly hindu nation, has given birth to a range of political parties over the years, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). founded in a conservative interpretation of hinduism

describe the political change that happened in south asia after 1857. describe the nature of british rule during the period known as "the Raj"

an anticolonial reaction when an indian army unit rebelled- was a year long civil uprising known as indian mutiny the raj was direct british control over india- western institutions of property and law were extended to secure and maintain rights and control, while modern industrial infrastructure- railroads, roads, bridges, and irrigatin systems- led to increased efficiencies in production and transport. western education flourished

briefly describe the impact of the greeks and romans on the urban landscapes of the middle east and north africa

as greek and roman empires advanced into the middle east and north africa, urban design structures changed producing new urban landscapes that included great estates, large theaters, and other greco roman architectural forms, including images of greek and roman gods. by 4th century CE, christianity, which was supported by growing eastern roman empire, began to take firmer hold and churches

what factors contribute to water scarcity

as the regions pop grows and regional econ demands more water for the manufacturing sector as well as prod for food, scarcity of water becomes more acute in some places econ conditions make access difficult, in others global climate change ando veruse of fresh water have pushed many countries to the brink excessive extraction of water of water from oasis wells depletes oases. chemical fertilizers for agriculture have a direct impact on quality of water available

describe the chaos and violence that occurred at the time of the partition of pakistan and explain reasons for violence

at the moment of partition in 1947, millions of hindus found themselves as minorities in pakistan, whereas millions of muslims felt threatened as minorities in india.. religious violence erupted, and more than 12 million people fled across ational boundaries, largest refugee migration ever recored in the world as many as 1 million people were killed in the confusion

while the oil states in the region have amassed huge levels of wealth from the sale of oil, many of these countries are working to significantly diversify their economies in new ways. why?

because alot of these states are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the demand for oil

explain why child labor is so prevalent in south asia. explain how even formal sector industries have found a way to benefit from child labor

because in environments of extreme poverty, every family member must contribute something and children are expected to do their share. industries in the formal sector take advantage, many firms farm out their production under subcontracting schemes taht are based not in factories but in home settings that use child workers

what factors lead to water scarcity in some urban neighborhoods

because in india, 73% of crops are dependent on groundwater-- the water table has fallen by avg of 2.5 feet per year in last decade because 86$ of water resources are used for agriculture in india, cities most compete with farming for scarce water resources poor water distribution systems contribute to local urban scarcity even when water is plentiful

explain why judaism has a smaller number of followers than the two major religions that developed in this region as well

because it does not seek new converts

english is the first language of fewer than 6% of the population, but it is the lingua franca of the region. why?

because it links indias states and regions, and its a widely recognized common second language throughout the region for commerce, government, and travel

islam had its beginnings in the city of mecca. how does this fact help to explain the rapid spread of islam to other parts of the region and even to areas beyond the region?

because mecca was a node in the trade routes that connected Yemen and Syria and eventually linked the region to Europe and all of Asia

how have the activities of humans affected plant and animal life in the middle east? explain how these activities have accelerated deseritification in the region. what actions have been taken to address this problem?

because national govs lack the resources or in some cases political will to limit environ change, theres intense pressure on changing environments in the region every state in the region except turkey is experiencing desertification there has been some investment in environmental protection or preservation across the region. afforestation programs that convert previously nonforested land to forest by planting seeds or trees are under way. (DEFORESTATION IN LEBANON, TURKEY AND SYRIA) oman and UAE have begun to take a deliberate stand against desertification through the planting of greenbelts

why is tourism such an important aspect of nepal's economy? who are the sherpas? what problems are associated with nepal's trekking industry

because nepal's boundaries have 8 of the 10 highest mountains (including everest) making it a dest for climbers and trekkers. sherpa people are specific, small, nepali ethnic group of around 150k people from rugged part of himalayas- made famous for their support of grueling ascents of everest in particular, sherpa econ depends on serving foreign trekkers risk is because the sherpa economy depends on serving foreign trekkers, all of whom pay for guiding and many of whom are dangerously inexperienced.. also growth of visitors has meant deforestation of hillsides to collect campfire fuel

why is the issue of Israel's claim on Jerusalem a particularly sensitive aspect of the israeli-palestinian conflict?

because of the centrality of jerusalem as an ancient religious space, as well as its contemporary significance as a place of pilgrimage for jews and christians

why was it difficult for many countries in the region to develop stability after gaining full political independence?

because of the europeans were imposing mandates upon the places- areas administered by a european power that were to prepare the mandated regions for self government and future indep. they had to submit to internationally sanctioned guidelines

why did the united states begin a military operation in afghanistan in 2001? has a stable, democratic government been established in Afghanistan?

because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, as a core component of the war on terror, afghanistan became the focus of a us military operation, enduring freedom, which resulted in the defeat of the taliban and installation of a us backed government in kabul in 2001 some progress has been made toward democracy, including election of Ashraf Ghani as pres in 2014, but itss still weak and chaotic afghanistin is still third most corrupt country in the world, and the taliban has managed to survive in the border regions between afghanistan and pakistan

explain the reasons for south asia's serious water pollution and air pollution problems

because only 10% of all sewage is treated, 1769 tons of organic water pollutants are discharged daily into local waters, most of the annual 68.6 million tons of solid waste are burned, dumped into lakes or seas, or deposited into leaky landfills. air pollution comes from coal fired power plants across the country, motor vehicle emissions

why did the un establish trade sanctions against iran? did these sanctions achieve their intended effect? what new approach did the US (along with other major world powers) take toward this issue during the final years of obama presidency?

because the UN does not support anyone having nuclear weapons, and iran declared its inalienable right to pursue uranium enrichment- when iran refused to cooperate with the UN they created the sanctions. Iran declared anyway that it had developed its own uranium to fuel a nuclear reactor changes in 2014 and 2015 along with election of new leadership in Iran has provided space for the international community to work more collaboratively with Iran on its program- this includes the potential for official international oversight of the program.

explain how the practices of rural people contribute to stress on resources in south asia

because the rural people are forced to use their limited resources in increasingly unsustainable ways, depleting sources of fuelwood, exhausting soils, and draining water resources people rely on fuelwood and collected dung as a fuel for cooking.. degrades local forests and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, the burning of these fuels creates a health hazard for women cooking in enclosed spaces

why have many criticized dubai for exploitative practices in its attempts to create this new urban environment?

because while some workers find themselves in state of the art labor house dwellings, many more workers find themselves living ont he outskirts of dubai's massive urban landscape of wealth and consumption in makeshift housing at the margins of construction zones. they will need to come to grips with its exploitative labor practices whick keep international workers from countries like bangladesh and pakistan in substandard living and working conditions

explain how bhutan's model of development and development goals differ from those of most of the rest of the world

bhutan has worked to recognize gross national happiness, rather than economic output, as the measure of national success rather than economic output/input the index used is calculated from answers people gave to a poll about law and order, food and shelter, institutions and infrastructure, work conditions, well-being, and education the king there opened the country to international influence and trade in 1972 but chose to do so no local terms, prioritizing developments and econ change that would bring serenity and satisfaction rather than mere prosperity

describe the ways in which india, pakistan, and bangladesh are making moves toward more sustainable energy. Bhutan is already "carbon neutral" explain

bhutan owes its carbon neutrality to its enormous hydropower potential, 95% of commercial activities are powered by the country's rivers. experiments in pakistan to implement solar power have focused heavily on remote villages where many villagers live entirely off the grid. in bangladesh, biogas digesters are being brought on line, which consume waste and dung and generate energy in 2015, the gov of india set in place a plan to develop 60 new solar cities, in which at least 10% of municipal power would be generated by renewables

what is "brain drain" and how has it affected south asia? what is the cause of a small "reverse brain drain" in recent years

brain drain- some of the most talented and well educated young people have emigrated to europe and US- began with the emigration of physicians and scientists to britain in 1960s and accelerated as south asian students, having completed their studies in brit and american schools, stayed to take better paying jobs rather than return to south asia. also gained popularity among indias cosmopolitan and materialist middle classes as newspaper and television features publicizied the global success of indian emigrants in the last two decades, most distinvtive aspect in the last two decades, most distinctive aspect of the brain drain from south asia has been the emigration of computer scientists and software engineers from india to the US and parts of europe a large number of foreign educated south asians, esp in the tech sector, have chosen to move back to their native countries-- likely because of the economic slowdown in the west and the meteoric rise of the indian economy and its growing middle class

what impact did US involvement in iraq have on political stability in that country and in the broader region?

by 2007, the stability in iraq remained unclear, and president bush ordered, over congressional opposition, a surge of 140,000 troops to iraq with intention of providing security to city of Baghdad and Al-Anbar Province **this is a bit unclear**

do most people of the region live in rural areas or do they live mostly in urban areas (north africa and middle east)

cities have been an important component of this region for thousands of years today the predominant pattern of settlement in the region is a small number of very large cities, a substantial number of medium sized cities, and a very great number of rural settlements.. only about 50 years ago, most people in the region lived in small rural settlements, since political independence and the devel of the oil economy there has been a dramatic increase in urbanization-- although the growth is not even across the region

according to islam, what are the four fundamental functions of god and what role does the individual play in relation to others in society?

creation, sustenance, guidance, and judgment. the purpose of the people is to worship the one true god.- the actions of the individual should serve humanity, not the pleasures or ambitions of the self

who are "dalits" who are "adivasi"

dalit is the preferred name for lower caste groups instead of untouchable, and it means they are oppressed adivasi are tribal people in india who represent a significant part of the manual labor force in the regions where they predominate. tribals tend to hold the least hand, have the poorest job prospects, and live in the msot difficult of conditions

identify the various circumstances that have contributed to the "south asian diaspora" beginning in the 19th century

diaspora is the movement of indians, pakistanis, and bangladeshis abroad- has involved between 5 and 6 million people, most of whom relocated to europe, africa, north america, and southeast asia. origins can be traced to the british empire when demand for cheap labor on plantations and railways was filled in part by emigrants from british india. in the mid 19th century, thousands of indians left for the plantations of mauritius (in the indian ocean), east africa, the west indies, and south africa after WWII, brits received more than 1.5 million south asian immigrants, whose permanent presence filled a gap in labor presence and also enriched and diversified brit urban culture about 800,000 south asians moved to north america, mainly to alrger metropolitan areas, where most found employment in service jobs

approximately when did plant and animal domestication in the region first begin? explain how the domestication of plants and animals eventually led to development of cities and the emergence of powerful civs and empires

domesticated plants: wheat, lentils, chickpeas, animals: pigs, sheep, and camels about 12k years ago. the new tech signaled transition from hunting and gathering to ag and pastoral societies fire, grindstones, and improved cooking tools and pottery also contributed. in about 10k to 7k BCE neolithic stone age- farmers and herders began dry farming, relying exclusively on rainfall pastoralists- groups of herders who relied on pack animals, such as camels and later horse, moved and traded across the regions vast grasslands the working of metal, first bronze, and later iron, helped humans build strong tools of agriculture as well as war. by 4000 bce, humans in this region could produce enough food to support a diverse division of labor. towns and cities emerged as a result

explain the fundamental reason for conflict between jews and palestinians in the middle east. what are the "occupied territories" and how are they related to ongoing tensions?

during WWI, britihs issued balfour dec which was highly problematic because palestinians viewed the arrival of jews as an incursion into their historical homeland. in 1947, with conflict continuing between jews and pales., britain announced it would withdraw from palestine, and the UN, under heavy pressure from the US, responded by partitioning palestine into arab and jewish states israel drove hundreds of thousands of palestinians from their homeland through their expansion. many palestinians were forced to live as refugees in arab countries in the region or under israeli occupation in the west bank, golan heights, and the gaza strip (occupied territories)-- by the 1980s, palestinians in the occupied territories rose up in rebellion, the violent uprising of pales, against rule of israel, known as intifada, often involved frequent clashes between armed israli soldiers and rock throwing palestinian young men

in 1979, the soviet union invaded afghanistan which resulted in armed conflicts taht lasted until 1989. who opposed the soviets? why?

during the 20th century, afghanistan had economic and cultural ties to the soviet union and began to pursue a soviet style program of modernization and industrialization. this provoked resistance from a zealous group of fundamentalist islamic tribal leaders called the mujahideen, who were armed and trained by pakistan. a total of more than 120,000 soviet troops invaded afghanistan to confront the resistance; however, like britsh colonizers before them, they were unable to establish authority in afghanistan outside the capital city of kabul.

What is the green revolution? what are the positive and negative aspects of it?

efforts being made since the 1960s to boost agricultural production through use of modern tech- including high yielding varieties of wheat and corn- but these varieties require more inputs like water, fuel, fertilizer, and pesticides. the result has been an increase in productivity, but also increased dependency on purchased farming products, decreased native seed diversity, and exhausted soils and water supplies

while the countries comprising the "eastern mediterranean crescent" are not "oil states" they still have experienced some economic success. identify the four countries that are included in this category and describe the similarities that these countries share?

egypt, israel, lebanon, and turkey- all four have sizable middle classes, industrial potential, and rich agricultural traditions and growing agricultural economies

indias economy is dominated by what exports and what main emerging industries

exports from india are dominated by petroleum and pharmaceuticals, and the software industry is a big part of the recent growth

how was the development of cities and civilization itself a key condition necessary for the development of a "world religion"

extensive agricultural devel facilitated an increasing division of labor whereby a small elite had time to pursue training in religion, philosophy, writing, and other arts and sciences monotheistic beliefs provided context for the spread of new global religions, as a placeless god could be worshipped by anyone anywhere.

Who held control of the major petroleum and natural as reserves in the middle east during the early 20th century until about 1960?

five US based and two Uk based ccompanies began drilling in Iran in early 1900s, Iraq in 20s, and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 30s. in 1960, enraged by cuts in oil prices made by the 7 big oil companies, the major oil exporting countries in the middle east and north africa established OPEC. OPEC's central purpose is to coordinate the crude oil policies of its members.

explain both the political and economic pull factors that have encouraged migration to the middle east and north africa

founding of israel midcentury drew large numbers of european and middle eastern jews after WWII russian jews arrived as a result of the end of the cold war ethiopian jews have gone there too because of civil war oil economy has also drawn people. in states of the arabian peninsula, small pops, lack of skill, lack of economy, have meant a large number of imported guest workers was needed. many sub saharan africans have migrated from their countries of origin using north africa eas a point of transit into europe and those who cant get into europe join growing immigrant communities in north africa keep in mind that there has been alot of immigration policy favoring muslims to lessen the dislocating impact of foreign workers on local social and cultural systems

in addition to environmental damage, what other concerns are related to the worlds heavy reliance on petroleum and naturla gas

global consumption on it continues to rise, and scientists estimate weve already depleted atleast half of the worlds oil reserves, and also that weve hit out "peak natural gas point" with the natural gas supply becoming too expensive to produce within 20 to 30 years

are squatter settlements a problem in major cities of the region (middle east and north africa)?

governments cant provide housing for all who need it, and squatter settlements have sprung up on unclaimed or unoccupied urban land. these problems do get compounded as the very largest cities in the region continue to attract migrants, who view the most well-known places as possessing the best opportunities for a better life

explain why the conflict in afghanistan has also spilled over into pakistan

happened between 2008 and 2015. several of that countrys frontier districts lie adjacent to the long, remote, mountainous border with afghanistan. these are borders that tribal communities have freely traversed throughout history and where government control has been difficult to impose. because taliban forces operate in these areas, us forces have conducted military operations in the area. these operations in the war on terror include the use of drones, unmanned aerial vehicles flown out of bases in afghanistan and pakistan into pakistani territory that are used to spy and strike enemy targets **

in what south asian countries is hinduism the dominant religion? in what south asian countries is islam the dominant religion?

hinduism- nepal, india islam- afghanistan, bangladesh, maldives, and pakistan

what is the general position with regard to LGBT rights in the middle east and north africa

homosexuality is illegal (either in civil law or by Shari'a law) in all countries in the region except for Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, as well as the west bank controlled by Palestinian authority (but not the Gaza strip, controlled by Hamas).

describe the poverty living conditions that are commonly found in both rural and urban india

illiteracy is common, basic services and amenities are lacking life expectancy is low, hunger and malnutrition are huge, clean drinking water is limited, most poor households dont have access to any kind of bathroom

explain how an effort to provide clean drinking water in bangladesh actually led to a terrible health disaster

in 2000, millions of tube wells in bangladesh were drawing arsenic contaminated water. tube wells are lined with a durable and stable material, usually cement. this makes it possible to sink them deeper, and were installed to provide drinking water free of the bacterial contamination that was killing more than 250k children a year but 77 million people were exposed to toxic levels of arsenic and getting cancer, because the arsenic is naturally occurring in groundwater

in what ways has the UN been in opposition to actions taken by the israeli government?

in 2005, un made israel begin to cede territory back to palestine. in 2003, the UN general assembly coted that the west bank israeli barrier against palestine was in contradiction to international law

explain the tension between secular government and conservative religious groups in south asia

in 2014 the BJP won the national general elections in a landslide victory, launching Narenda Modi into his place as the 15th prime minister of the country, and the first one born after indian independence. modi's election was controversial since, during the time that he served as chief minister of the state of gujarat in 2002, horrific anti muslim riots went unchecked for several days, resulting in the deaths of 1000 people, mostly muslims islam and hinduism both provide cultural symbols and practices that conservative and intolerant groups and parties have rallied around and used to organize. the continued success of secular gov in india, however, and, to a lesser degree in pakistan, shows that these parties and groups are niether universally embraced nor consistently successful

what indication do we have that cars have become important commodities in the middle east (how can we measure this)? what role does the car play in the culture of middle eastern life

in 2015 dubai passed new york city as the city with the worlds highes tnumber of cars relative to the total number of people in 2011, data show that middle east has some of the highest ratios of cars to people in the world. as fertility rates decline, as is happening in wealthier countries like Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain, the ratio of cars to people will become more skewed toward the car middle east is now home to many high end formula one races as well as company specific rases like porsche GT3 cup.

in what south asian countries is buddhism the dominant religion? who is the founder of buddhism? when was the religion founded?

in Bhutan and Sri Lanka, and an enclave of it is found in Ladakh. founder of buddhism is Prince Siddhartha, a religious leader who lived. prior to the 6th century BCE

approximately when did europeans establish permanent ports in south asia? explain the various ways in which brit east india company gained polit and econ control of south asia

in the 1690s, they oushed aggressive imperialist policies in south asia, began direct acquisition of indian territory in pieces, using a strategy of annexing small kingdoms, deposing rulers, and winning pitched battles over other colonial powers (including the french) and their indian allies

when was the Sikh religion founded? in what area of south asia do most Sikhs live? what is the holiest site of the Sikh religion and where is it located?

in the 16th century CE in Punjab. it reamins largely associated with the people of the punjab, where its sacred golden temple sits in the city of Amritsar

what fundamental change in the structure of india's economy happened in the 1990s (in contrast to what it had been from the 1950s to 1990s)

in the 1950s-90s, many key institutions in india- including banks, utilities, airlines, railways, radio, and television, were government owned and operated, most all of these have since been privatized and foreign investment has flowed into the country

describe the ways in which agricultural practices in south asia reflect adaptations to the climates of that region

in the mountain areas of himalayas and the karakoram, teracing of slopes over generations has created a distinctive landscape and allowed sustained agricultural yields amid torrential rainfall and slopes in more arid parts of south asia, they use intercropping- the mixing of different crop species that have varying degrees of productivity and drought tolerance

explain how and why the caste system has led to political activism

increasingly, marginal castes and adivasi communities have become more politically active, and some violent resistance movements are associated with the groups naxalite insurgencies, violent armed uprisings, have occurred across india, especially in the poorest states. because they attack landlords and police stations, the naxalites are considered terrorists by the gov of india, but they have a considerable following in the rural areas and among students

is south asia mostly rural or urban? is this pattern changing? explain

india has the largest rural pop in world, in 2011, approx 65% of pakistan and 71% of india lived in rural pops. but rural to urban migration is shifting the balance toward towns and cities. delhi is the third largest city in the world, with almost 25 million residents in its metropolitan area. the explosion of cities, middle sized urban areas, and large towns has fundamentally changed the character of south asian politics, landscapes, and culture

identify the three main language families of south asia and the areas of the region where each of these language families is dominant

indo european- in Sri Lanka and the Maldives (includes Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Bihari, and Urdu) dravidian- (includes tamil, telegu, kanarese, and malayalam) spoken in southern india and the northern part of sri lanka tibeto-burmese- scattered across the himalayan region

explain what ISIS is and how events in Iraq contributed to the strength of this group

isis' origins go back to the 90's, they adhere to Wahabism, an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam, which wants to purge the region of all those who do not align to their views- the conflict in Syria, where group found refuge, allowed isis to establish itself geopolitically. then they expanded their base into iraq, and the rise of Shi'a political power in iraq, who took control of the gov, and the drawdown of US troops in Iraw helped isis build resentment among iraqs sunni minority against the Shi'a controlled gov. as a result, ISIS was able to recruit new members in iraq relatively easily**

how is "islamism" different from both basic islam and islamic fundamentalism? are most muslims islamists?

islamism is an anti western and anti imperial political movement. fundamentalism represents a strict adherence to the fundamentals of a religious system. islamists resist western forces and globalization- namely modernization and secularization. most muslims are not islamists

why is the growing of opium poppies such an important activity in afghanistan

it can sustain its value despire erratic global markets, its the source of a resin rich in morphine and sold for export. theres a steep markup in price but farmers make reliable profits on it- exports from afghanistan amount to perhaps USD 4 billion

what was the iranian green revolution and when did it take place? why is it described as an inspiration for the arab spring?

it erupted from charges of election fraud in the country. the protests can be seen as inspiration for what become known as the arab spring- protests that occurred across north africa and parts of the middle east in spring 2011

where is the area known as kashmir? what countries are in conflict in this area?

its above pakistan, north east as a result of the de facto borders resulting from armed conflicts after partition, pakistan controls the northwestern portion of what india claims as kashmir, and china controls the northeastern corner. since 1989, more than 30,000 people- separatist guerillas, policemen, indian army troops, and civilians- ahve died in conflict pitting an ongoing, pro-pakistan guerilla campaign against a repressive and violent indian army response

explain where darfur is located and the reasons for the tragedy that has occurred and continues to occur there

its contained by sudan and chad. political conflict began there in 2003, the sudanese gov aimed ot end rebellion in darfur by eliminating all tribal africans. the gov supported a militia of african arabs who call themselves the janjaweed, to undertake one of the most brutal campaigns of ethnic cleansing that africa has ever seen

as mentioned, india has adopted "free market" policies since the 1990s. how has this change affected agriculture in india? who has benefited and who has been hurt?

its enabled farmers with access to large amounts of capital to reorganize their production toward lucrative overseas markets with the result that domestic farmers have to pay more for traditional staples-- eg- many farmers are turnint to the cultivation of flowers and strawberries, which are airfreighted abraod- and now that a global market has become aware of high quality local specialties, such as fragrant basmati rice of the himalayan foothills and the shortseason alphonso mangoes of maharashtra, their prices with india have made them luxury items, out of reach of many consumers who traditionally regarded them as staples modernization of ag has made it more capital intensive since farmers require more cash to pay for expensive inputs and equipment.. roughly 15000 farmers in india annually commit suicide, and risk is highest amongst any small holding farmers, growing cash grops, with debts in excess of 5 USD

in what basic ways does hinduism differ from the three main religions that emerged in the middle east

its not a single organized religion with one sacred text or doctrine, has no unifying organizational structure, worship is not congregational, and there is no agreement as to the nature of the divinity. exists in different forms in different communities, features both formal texts and major common beliefs, as well as diverse regional practices, idiosyncratic deities, and local legends

describe where the fertile crescent is located. what is the historical significance of this area?

its the geographical center of where alot of sophisticated empires have flourished in the region- it arches across the northern part of the syrian desert and extends from the nile valley to the mesopotamian basin in the depression between tigris and euph rivers empires in modern day iraq, present day turkey, the nile valley, and the iranian plateau as well as greece and later rome all controlled parts of this region over the centuries interactions led to exchange of ideas, goods, people, and belief and value systems that helepd tie the region together as well as extend its influence from north africa to europe and south asia

what three major world religions developed in the middle east and north africa region? what is the oldest of the three

judaism, christianity, islam oldest is judaism

describe some of the ways in which use of petroleum and natural gas threaten earths environment

oil spills, humans have dramatically altered the landscapes of the middle east and north africa, ins ome cases eliminating entire species of plants and animals rate at which these natural resource may increase as china and india as well as other new global industrial **not much on this in book either**

in what ways might the concepts of "kinship" and "tribe" pose a threat to country governments

kinship refers to relationship on blood, marriage, or adoption, and is often extended to members of a group, like neighbors or friends tribe is also central to the sociopolitical organization of the region. its a form of social identity created by group members who share a common set of ideas about loyalty, political action, and cultural identity some govs sought to destabilize tribal leadership to control tribal communities and territories. tribal comms often exist at border regions and they have strong historical connections with people in another ocuntry. tribal loyalties can destabilize national govs and serve as spaces for transnational connection at the expense of national unity

south asia has a huge population (nearly one fifth of the worlds population lives in india alone). fertility rates, however, are declining in some countries of the region and vary widely from country to country. explain the most important factors that affect fertility rates in south asia

little of it came from population policies created in the past. the change comes as a result of infrastructural, educational, and economic changes associated with demographic transition. rural health care is better developed and well distributed. with good access to maternal and infant care, infant morality rates are lower, discouraging having more children also higher access to birth control places where the birth rate is still high usually have low women's employment, low women's literacy, and a poorly developed health infrastructure

what happened to the territories that had been controlled by the ottomon empire after the empire collapsed at the end of WWI? why were the people in these territories not happy about this new political arrangement?

mandate holders of the area were required to submit to internationally sanctioned guidelines, requiring that governments be established as first step in preparing for independence. people in egypt, iraq, syria, and palestine all revolted violently against the european presence, by end of WWII all the states in the region gained their independence

when and why did many countries end their nationalization policies in the 1970s and 1980s? how did the ending of these policies affect these countries?

many states began to turn away from nationalization as their economies stagnated, standards of living declined, and debt skyrocketed in the 70s and 80s. many states needed to privatize their economies and open up their markets to receive external aid dollars lead to increasing food and basic necessity costs, cuts on social programs, reductions in public sector investment. urban workers, gov bureaucrats and people on fixed incomes felt the changes. corp farmers were also able to buy up land. rural people began to move into cities, where they saw decreased public services like schools, health care, housing, and clean water. led to an informal economy

two major empires that eventually arose from aryan roots were the mauryan empire and gupta empire. know general time frames and basic characteristics of both

mauryan- 320-125 bce- they conquered and established all over but present day sri lanks and souther tip of india-- eventually ashoka (leader) adopted buddhist teachings bc of all the destruction he caused gupta- 320-480 ce- united north india, regarded as a great classical period- produced decimal system, golden age of sanskrit and hindu art

the idea that women should be subordinate to men is generally held belief throughout the middle east and north africa. describe the ways in which this belief affects women's freedom of movement, economic opportunities, and legal rights

men regard the subordination as natural. women regard it as the product of the society in which they live and therefore as something that can be negotiated and manipulated head coverings are sometimes contigent on national policy and local practice.. but body coverings allow women physical and social mobility in societies that otherwise restrict womens movements to vey private spaces such as the home women need to be covered in public especially in urban areas women do have control over family resources a certian amount, and participation by them in the workforce is much lower for women 15-24 than for men in many places, like saudi arabia, women are only just now gaining the right to vote they have been highly active in political protests in Bahrain, marital rape isnot a crime when committed against a Shi'a woman, genital mutilation is an issue in Egypt, and womens laws regarding who they can marry still limit their flexibility in countries such as Jordan and Kuwait in some countries, women have to renounce their muslim faith (apostasy) if they are going to marry a non-muslim

who was the main leader of the independence movement in south asia? by what means did he gain support? when did independence finally come to south asia?

mohandas gandhi, he advanced a vision of social justice and independence. his followers emphasized methods of nonviolent protest, including boycotts and fasting. finally came to south asia in 1947 **

most people are aware that the mosque is a place of worship for muslims, but what other roles does it play in muslim society?

mosques also serve as law court, school, and assembly hall; adjoining chambers often house libraries, hospitals, or treasuries

explain the push factors that drive migration out of the middle east and north africa

most consistent push factors are war, civil unrest, and lack of economic opportunity. most recent out migration is of syrians fleeing conflict and seeking refuge in large numbers, and also algerians, tunisians, moroccans, etc ahve migrated to europe, as well as turks-- egypt too, because european policies enable temporary workers to take up low paying, low skill jobs that are not economically attractive to europeans

what unifying forces are present in the region? what are some major sources of conflict in the region? how have the actions of europeans and others from outside the region contributed to conflicts in the middle east and north africa?

most of the present conflicts stem from the colonial period- the colonial imposition of borders has created problems for nation building, while the regions strategic importance and rich natural resources make it a source of global focus the most unifying force of the region is islam, and arabic language and culture. some of the various conflicts include that of: iran and iraq (iran=persian, iraq= arabs) kurdistan (minority in turkey and are repressed, move to western europe) darfur- western sudan israeli-palestinian/israeli-lebanese

describe the social and wealth inequalities that exist in the middle east and north africa region

most of the region remains poor and dependent on an increasingly marginalized agricultural sector even despite the huge wealth generated from oil production. extreme concentrated wealth in the region comes from oil based revenues, while states with the largest populations tend to have the lowest per capita wealth.

in what ways has dubai tried to establish itself as a cutting edge 21st century city?

newer branch of the louvre museum, new island enclave, luxury hotels and high class amenities. becoming a global hub for tourism as well as investment. very sustainable, theres a 2021 plan for urban growth making it a "smart city" focused on inclusiveness, sustainability, and good governance.

did boundary confilcts and issues end after the partition? Explain

no, in some ways the states of south asia are still adjusting to it, in pakistan, divergent regional interests in east and west pakistan quickly developed into regionalism, east pakistani leaders called for secession. as a result, the country was split into two independent states in 1971

besides rivers, what are the other sources of freshwater in the region? what potential problems are associated with depending on these sources of fresh water?

oases, which are underground water percolates to the surface. because soil is fertile, they support animal and plant life and ag. but people overuse them.

briefly summarize the issues of oil, water, and political instability in the middle east as it relates to the future:

oil- with it as the foundation of the current global economic system, the region will continue to be important in the global economy for decades- what isnt clear is how new oil production in US and canada will affect global prices,-- also climate change and diminishing oil supplies will affect the middle east and north africa climate scientists have proposed that OPEC establish a production quota system inr esponse to global warming in order to reduce CO2 emissions water- the middle east and north africa arent well adapted to the extremes of the environment as it relates to water, the region is increasingly home to urban societies that have sought to overcome their environmental limitations through extreme exploitation of resources-- this has led to the potential for conflict between countries that share a freshwater resource, such as nile river between sudan and egypt and the jordan river between israel and jordan they need to ADAPT rather than consume as if they arent in an arid region political instability- protests that brought down leadership in egypt, tunisia, and libya have opened opps for new types of gov. w israeli's and palestinians, there are many challenges to establishing peace and the palestinians remain divided between gaza and west bank rise of ISIS has also destabilized region by exploiting the ongoing civil war in Syria and deep political divisions in Iraq

what and where is dharavi? besides the usual issues related to poverty, what additional threats do citizens of dharavi face

one of asia's largest slums, its in mumbai-- half of the 12 million citizens are slum dwellers. the squatters there occupy space near the center of the city on prime property for development so they are constantly facing the threat of eviction

what parts of south asia have generally dry/arid climates?

pakistan, afghanistan, and north west indiaby new delhi and south of karachi a bit

explain what the arab league and the gulf cooperation council are. while these organizations are examples of cooperative efforts between countries in the region, why has their existence not stopped conflict in the region? how might these organizations even contribute to conflict in the region?

pan arabism- a movement across the region to build cooperation across arab nations and also ally arabs against the ottomans and later europeans. arab league- founded in 1945 by egypt, iraq, lebanon, SA, Syria, Transjordan (jordan, as of 1948), and Yemen, emerged out of philosophy called pan arabism. **figure out why it didnt work**

explain the reasons for deforestation in south asia during colonial times. did deforestation continue after independence? explain

partly through farmers, herders, fisherfolk, and artisans drawing on local resources for food, meds, housing materials, and fuel independence after the arrival of european traders and the era of british rule accelerated it because the brits imperial rule broughy systematic clearing of land for plantations and exploitation of valuable tropical hardwoods more so last 50 years even through modernization for expanding domestic economies

name a couple of ways in which cultural practices of the middle east and north africa (food and the arts) have become common in other parts of the world, including the US

popular meze dishes like baba ganoush, falafel, fuul, tabbouleh, and more are available in big cities in regions around the world the traditional belly dance is practiced around the world-- it originated in medieval islamic culture

the earliest urbanization in the region happened in two phases described in your textbook as "primary" and "secondary" urbanization. describe the time frames, and locations, and characteristics associated with each of these phases

primary- happened in middle east and north africa, earliest cities developed in the lower valley of the tigris and euphrates river areas in the fourth millenium bce. early cities here like Kish, Nippur, and Ur, had three main elements: city walls a commercial district suburbs-- that include houses, fields, groves, pastures, and cattle folds majoy producers were fishers and farmers who supported a nonproducing class of priests, administrators, traders ,and artisans. the cities were located at crucial points along natural and well traveled human routes through these trade networks that the ideas developed in meso-urbanization, writing, mathematics, and law- diffused out from this core and into other cultural centers, such as egypt their writing system was later simplified by phoenician traders living along the med coast. thousands of years later the writing system evolved into the alphabet secondary urb- spread from lower mesopotamia and into upper mesopotamia- in areas further north along the tigris and euphrates- by 3rd millenium bce and then throughout the entire fertile crescent into areas like nile valley by 2nd millenium bce. egyptians drew on meso knowledge. other influences on egypt included trade with settlements in the northern red sea, upper nile of sub saharan africa, and eastern med. egypt imported significant quantities of gold, cedar, ebony, and turquoise for their elaborate rituals. trade relations enabled transfer of ideas and tech that enriched all the cultures of the region, including greece and nrome

what was the arab spring and when did it begin? were the arab spring protests successful? explain

protests that occurred across north africa and parts of the middle east in spring 2011- in tunisia it led to end of 24 year reign of president, and democratic elections in egypt, replaced a president of 30 years, and in 2013, a military coup ousted him. in syria, things have been further destabilized in a bloody civil war going on since 2011

british india was divided into the countries of india and pakistan at the time of independence.how was it decided whether a particular area would become part of india or part of pakistan?

some independence leaders sought to follow the european model of building national states on the foundations of ethnicity, with a particular emphasis on language and religion. as a result, a separate muslim majority country called pakistan was formed. admin districts under direct british control that had a majority muslim pop were assigned to pakistan, together with several princely states that were joined to pakistan rather than india, which was to be home to a predominantly hindu population. pakistan was created in two parts, east pakistan and west pakistan, one on each shoulder of india

four broad impacts of climate change on south asia are discussed in the textbook. briefly describe each of these impacts and identify the areas of the region that are most endangered by each of these impacts

storms, floods, sea level rise- increase of intensity in rainfall, and record breaking and recurring floods in bangladesh, nepal, and northeast india more intense, though less frequent typhoons in bangladesh (harder to predict too) coastal areas vulnerable to sea level rise that will accompany melting of polar ice also maldives may eventually be swallowed heat and drought- crops yields have suffered alot from high temps and heat waves, which are more frequent and recurring. failures of monsoon are possible, especially for arid northern india and pakistan, where the monsoon often fails to reach glacial melting and water supplies- status of the himalayan glaciers is uncertain, as the IPCC reports, these glaciers, which cover 17% of the mountain areas of the himalayas, are receding faster than in any other area of the planet.. if they experience severe decline: major rivers like Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra will lose all but their seasonal water sources disease ecology and health- of the many diseases that present a hazard to people in the region, those spread by mosquitoes are especially problematic-- these include malaria, which India's national institute of medical statistics estimates kills more than 40,000 people per year in india alone- with overall global warming, it is reasonable to anticipate that some cities will experience increasingly lengthy mosquito breeding seasons

what countries are included in the sub region known as the "mahgreb"? what economic activities are important in this sub-region?

strong economy based on oil and mineral exploitation, agriculture, and tourism. includes algeria, tunisia, morocco

describe the characteristics of the islamic city

successive islamic empires that have had the most visible historical impact on urban patterns in the region, as islamic architecture and urban form were placed on top of earlier urban forms. at its greatest extent, islamic rule reached westward as far as spain, eastward beyond turkey into afghanistan and india. architecture included distinct public and private spaces parallel to islamic religious practice. also had a central mosque as the citadel or gov center, neighborhoods with clusters of homes for people of same social status, market, public baths used by men. some argue islamic cities borrowed heavily from their predecessors, like roman form

how is israel's relationship with lebanon related to the palestine issue

tension is traced back to the 1967 arab israeli war when palestinians began to use lebanon as a base from which to launch on israel. hezbollah- a lebanon based pol and paramilitary organization- also states as one of their goals the abolition of the state of israel- direct conflicts between the two states include the 1982-2000 israeli occupation of southern lebanon

explain the difference between the Qur'an and the Sunna

the Qur'an, the islamic sacred book, is as directly spoken by God to Muhammad. The Sunna is not a written document but a set of practical guidelines for behavior, the body of traditions derived from the words and actions of the prophet Muhammad.

the next main group to dominate after the harappans were the aryans. when was this group dominant? in what area of south asia did they eventually establish their kingdom?

the aryans were dominant from 1500 BCE to 500 BCE after the fall of the harappans-- it was in pakistan

explain how the processes of plate tectonics are connected with the physiographic features we see in South Asia today

the collision of the south asian plate with the southern edge of Asia sets the stage for the current landforms and hazards of the region the movement of the indian plate into the eurasian plate 10 mya created a zone of turbulent contact and uplift, forming the himalayas and setting the stage for critical earthquake hazards peninsular highlands of india form a broad plateau flanked by two chains of hills. they rest on an ancient layer of volcanic rocks, between 65 and 55 mya, immense eruptions of lava buried parts of the peninsula beneath dense volcanic rock creating the deccan traps formation mountain rim- vast region of spectacular mountain terrain, the mountain rim is known for its remote valleys, varied flora and fauna, ancient buddhist monasteries, and fiercely independent tribal societies ^these mountains also are the source of the indus, the ganga, and the brahmaputra the plains region has long been widely irrigated coastal fringe- the narrow coastal fringe is the product of marine erosion that has cut into the edge of the mountainous peninsular highlands. during rainy monsoon seasons, coastal fringe is filled with luxuriant vegetation, esp along the southwest malabar coast of india and the southwest coast of sri lanka

explain how the activities of humans sometimes increase flooding hazards in south asia

the engineering of the floodplain with extensive levees or embankments make it worse- the levee allow intensive irrigation and some protection from typical rainfall but also accelerate and concentrate floodwaters during more extreme events

how has middle east and north africa influenced the world at many different points in history, and how has the rest of the world influenced it?

the first people who could domesticate plants like wheate, created semipermanent settlements here between 10k and 12k years ago-- this led to some of the earliest large scale societies and writing, mathematics, and cultural-religious systems- this all spread throughout the world through trade, migration, and empire euro colonization in the 20th century, global political conflicts, and the thirst for oil have had an enormous impact on the middle east and north africa

describe some of the ways in which contemporary global culture has affected south asia. in what ways has south asian culture affected the west

the growth of a large and affluent middle class in india has brought western materialism to larger towns and cities through fast food, atm's, name brand clothing, consumer appliances, video games, luxury cars, pubs, clubs, and shopping malls mysticism, yoga, and mediation came to western culture during the 60s. movements of nonviolent protest developed in the 20th century by ghandi such as boycotts and fasting. literature has come to us alot, and food as well like tikka masala

what reasons did the US gov give for attacking Iraq in 2003? was there actual evidence to support these stated reasons?

the motivation of the war, post 9/11, was that Iraq had stockpiled WMD's, despite the fact that the UN weaposn inspector and his team were unable to locate any weapons

explain how nationalist movements contributed to the weakening of the ottoman empire. what modern day country emerged from the last remnant of the empire?

the movements were based around groups of people who shared common elements of culture like language, religion, or history. was problematic bc they ruled through imperial and administrative structure. during WWI, occupation of egypy by britain and tunisia by france exposed the region to democracy. turkey emerged from it

what are the two major freshwater river systems of the region? where are they located?

the nile river- (longest river in the world) flows northward across the sahara from the ethiopian plateau, emptying into the med tigris/euphrates- originate in turkey and flow south through iraq and syria euph flows first through syria while tigris flows directly through to iraq where it forms part of the border between syria and turkey

why has there been a significant decline in the ratio of women to men in the region (based on measurements from 1951 to 2011)

the number of women in the pop per 1000 men declined from 983 to 918. the causes are numerous and include female feticide, and higher rates of female infant mortality. driving factor is a continued preference for boy chuldren and stubbornly persistent system of gendered discrimination

how did the presence of european colonizers affect the religious map of south asia? in what parts of south asia is christianity most common?

the portuguese brought roman catholicism to the west coast of india in the late 1400s, and protestant missionaries, under the protection of the british east india company, began to work their way through the region in the 1800s. christianity is most widespread in the state of kerala, in southwest india, where nearly one third of the population is christian

has rapid economic growth in india over the last couple of decades eliminated poverty in that country? explain

the rapid growth of india's affluent middle class serves to highlight the desperate situation of a larger group: the extremely poor. as of 2012, around 60% of india's rural population lives on less than 50 US cents per day and roughly the same proportion of urban dwellers live on less than 1 USD

most of the middle east and north africa region is characterized by very dry climates which makes agriculture difficult, however, there are exceptions. what places in the region have fertile soils with adequate moisture? why there?

the regions plate tectonics has created highland environments and sources of water for some of the worlds most historically significant river systems-- human adaptation to the environmental conditions of the region led to some of the earliest ag. societies in the world

explain how the creation of the red sea and the mountains of turkey and iran are related to tectonic plate activity

the separation of the arabian plate as it moved eastward millions of years ago developed a rift valley that filled with water, (creating red sea). tectonic activity also produced three mountain ranges across north africa (atlas), through turkey (anatolian plat.) and iran (zagros), and those bordering the red sea.

what group took control of most of afghanistan in the mid 1990s

the taliban, their regime harbored osama bin laden and his al quaeda terrorist network who were responsible for 9/11

what countries of the region (north africa and middle east) have significant populations following religions other than islam? explain

there are more than a dozen christian sects, like coptics in egypt, maronites in lebanon, chaldean catholic church in syria. *you should have info on this in your notes*

what is the general economic change that has taken place in India in recent years? note how this change may affect migration patterns and political attitudes. also notice that, despite these changes, a massive number of people in india remain in poverty

there has been a big increase in number of people in the middle class, the area of fastest growth has been in the service sector, from tech to retail to administration.-- accompanied by booming urbanization and rise in participation in higher education opportunity to live a middle class lifestyle has created a class of western educated professionals where western educated professionals return to india. this new class of consumers also supports candidates who promise to improve infrastructure like roads and public transit

what disaster happened at the union carbide plant in Bhopal India in 1984? why?

there was a toxic gas release, killed thousands of residents and left thousands more permanently disabled-- workers had been encouraged to ignore safety regulations

a long established cultural/social concept known as "caste" is prevalent in south asia. a "jati" can be thought of as a sub-caste associated with a specific traditional occupation. explain how caste and jati affect south asian society

theres several thousand separate jati in india, jati is a system of kinship or groupings. many jati are historically identified by a traditional occupation, from which each derives its name jat (farmer), mali (gardner), or kumbhar (potter) jati are also endogamous- families are expected to find marriage partners for their children among other members of their jati priestly jatis called barhmins are at the top, those who pursue wealth or hold political power are less well regarded, and those who perform menial tasks are teh lowest status- then theres untouchables, who dispose of waste or dead animals among other horrible occupations traditionally, lower caste groups live outside of the main community, bc they could contaminate food and water by touch- were denied access to water wells used by otehr communities, refused education, banned from temples, and subjected to violence and abuse.-- been outlawed since 1950 but its still routine in some areas some papers have matrimonial sections where advertisements for suitable matches for marriages are specified by caste group

when was jainism founded? what fundamental philosophies are common to both buddhists and Jains?

they both stress self control and nonviolence, and their roots also can be traced back to the 6th century BCE.

what was the ottoman empire? what territory did it cover and when did it exist?

they were turkish muslims based on the anatolian plateau. replaced christian greeks as the political power of the region after 1100 CE and ruled much of the region for more than 700 years. at its height, extended from the danube river in southeastern europe to north africa and to the eastern end of the med

after wwii, many countries adopted "nationalization" policies to promote development. explain what nationalization policies are

this involved the conversion of key industries from private to governmental operation and control

describe several ways in which the people of the middle east and north africa have adapted to living in hot, dry climates

through architecture, dress, and patterns of daily and seasonal activity. regoinal archiecture features high ceilings, thick walls, deep set windos, and arched roofs that enable warm air to rise. live around a shady courtyard to enable peopl eto move activities to cooler outdoor spaces that are private clothing like head coverings and robes made from fabrics of light color lower body temp by reflecting sunlight. people migrate to mountainous areas in summer and warmer lowlands in winter to avoid extreme temps

describe the types of economic diversification that have been pursued in these countries

through tourism, trade, and urban development. SA established a plan to build four new "economic cities", for eg Knowledge Economic City to attract foreign information industries. some are also increasing economic diversification by introducing new industries like textile production and food processing plants, while others are developing port facilities to increase their role in global trade

what is OPEC? when and why was it established? explain how opec decisions have affected other countries who rely heavily on fossil fuels

to coordinate the crude oil policies of its members. was created because of people being angry over price curs made by big oil companies. when opec decided in 70s to cut back oil production, raising price of it, created worlds first oil crisis. another crisis happened in 79 further precipitated concern by oil importing countries about their dependence on opecs reserves. to cope with their own needs other countries like russia and the us increased oil production, driving down prices globally.

today, reforestation is occurring in some parts of south asia and the region is described as having high levels of "anthropogenic" forest cover. what does this mean

tree cover created or retained by human beings, which can serve as wildlife habitat

explain how the societal role of religion in the middle east and north africa region differs from the role religion plays in many other parts of the world (even in places like the US where most people claim to follow a particular religion) how is this connected with Shari'a law?

unlike in many parts of the globe where societies have become increasingly secular, religion in this complicated region is often a central feature of everyday life for the vvast majority of the inhabitants.. this esp true in places like SA, Oman, Yeman, Iran, where Shari'a law- a traditional body of law that comes from islamic teachings, constitutes both the legal and political system

what are hydraulic civs?

used the control of water and food that resulted as weapons of control. eg- babylon achieved 2000 years of dominance by increasing control over water through devel of a sophisticated canal system in the tigris and euphrates. control of water enabled babylon to increase agricultural production, build its military strength (including a walled and fortified center), establish a long distance rade network, (through extennsive port facilities), and organize extensive religious and symbolic political control

what is SAARC

was established in 2010 as an economic and political cooperation group that includes india, pakistan, nepal, bangladesh, sri lanka, afghanistan, and the maldives. together, the nations constitute the third largest economy in the world in terms of GDP. efforts are ongoing to open a free trade zone between the member states and to ease visa restrictions

what are the two main sects in Islam and what are their differences? which one of these is most dominant in the region overall? which form of the religion is most dominant in Iran

what divides the sects is disagreement over of the line of succession from the prophet muhammad. diff is who should hold the political leadership of the islamic community and what the religious dimensions of the leadership sohuld be shi'a say that political leader must be divine and come from descendants of the prophet. sunni argue that the clergy (with no divine power) should succeed muhammad. sunni are most dominant in the region, and shi'a is most dominant in Iran

the tourist industry in south asia employs 9% of the total workforce. what are the downsides of having a tourist dependent economy? what is medical tourism?

when a tourism dependent country experiences apparent instability or even a minor disease outbreak, tourists are quick to stay away, making the sector vulnerable to rapid downturns medical tourism- where international visitors come to south asia (especially india( to undergo medical procedures at reduced cost, as much as 85% cheaper than what they might pay at home

explain the tradition of "dowry" in south asia and explain how this practice poses a threat to women. in what other ways is the dominance of men apparent in south asian society

when the marriage of a girl child requires the brides parents to make significant payments to the grooms family, and its lead to dowry murder, where the husbands family harasses or assaults the brides parents to make significant payments to the grooms family. sometimes they murder the wife and then collect another dowry from another girls family theres also selective abortion because of the preference for male children. within marriages, husbands neglect and maltreat many poor women. in afghanistan, womens education is a challenge, only 26% of the countrys population is literate and womens literacy is only 12% among the lowest in the world