HI-Q: Geography

oasis

an area in the desert where vegetation is found because water is available, usually from underground springs

Mesopotamia

the "land between the rivers" where Sumer Babylonia, Assyria, and Chaldea all built empires

Palestinians

the Arabs and their descendants who lived or still live in the area formerly called the Palestine Mandate. some have been displaced in the region

Mecca

the holiest city of Islam

desalinization

the removal of salt from ocean water, is done at technically sophisticated water treatment plants

Gaza Strip

a 139-square-mile plot of land along the Mediterranean Sea, annexed by Egypt in 1948, but captured by Israel in 1967

Taliban

a fundamentalist Muslim political group that was protecting Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan

Dead Sea

a landlocked salt lake

Islam

a monotheistic region based on the teachings of its founder, Muhammad

Zionism

a movement begun in the 19th century to reestablish a Jewish state in the Jewish homeland

stateless nation

a nation of people without a land to legally occupy (Kurds)

strategic commodity

a resource so important that nations will go to war to ensure its steady supply (oil/ "black gold")

Wadi

a riverbed that remains dry except during the rainy seasons

Dome of the Rock

a shrine in Jerusalem (third most holy city for Muslims- after Mecca and Medina) that houses the spot where Muslims believe their prophet Muhammad rose into heaven

West Bank

a strip of land on the west side of the Jordan River, annexed by Jordan in 1948, but captured by Israel in 1967

Sunni and Shi'ite

after the death of Muhammad, Muslims divided into two main branches. about four out of five Muslims are Sunni, most Iranians are Shi'ite

Rub al-Khali

also known as the Empty Quarter, the most famous desert in the region, locally called "place where no one comes out"

Kurds

an ethnic group in Southwestern Asia, estimated 5,000 died from the chemical weapons attack

refinery

converts the crude oil into useful products

salt flat

created when winds evaporate the moisture in the soil and chemical salts remain

drip irrigation

developed by Israelis, uses small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground to conserve water used for crops

Jordan River

flows down the mountains of Lebanon near Mt. Hermon, provides water, flows into the Dead Sea

Palestine Liberation Organization

formed in 1964 to regain the land of Israel for Palestinian Arabs

Muhammad

founded Islam, lived part of his life in the city of Mecca

OPEC

in 1960, a group of oil-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, established an organization to coordinate policies on selling petroleum products. the group is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Western Wall

modern Jews come to pray at the holiest site in Jerusalem, a portion of the Second Temple known as the Western Wall. the only remaining piece of the Second Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans

crude oil

petroleum that has not been processed

mosque

place of worship for Muslims

theocratic

religious leaders control the government, governments of lands controlled by Muslims were theocratic

human resources

the skills and talents of their people - Southwest Asian nations are developing theirs

Golan Heights

thousands died in the 1967 war when Syria and Israel fought for control of the Golan Heights. also called Al Jawlan; a hilly plateau overlooking the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.

guest workers

to fill the job openings, companies recruited people, mostly from South and East Asia. mostly unskilled laborers

Tigris and Euphrates

two of the most important rivers, supported several ancient river valley civilizations in the Fertile Crescent

fossil water

water pumped from underground aquifers