Middle East Geography Vocabulary

Gaza Strip

• The border area between Jordan and Israel

• A coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea bordering Israel and Egypt

• The disputed area of the Muslims and Palestinians

• The area held by the Israelis

Irrigation

• Underground tunnels in Southwest Asia that bring water from the hills to dry plains

• The process of removing salt and other chemicals from the salt water

• The process of using salt water for drinking water

• Providing water for crops

Underground Aquifers

• Underground tunnels in Southwest Asia that bring water from the hills to dry plains

• The use of water wheels

• Layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped

• Using pumps to gain access to fossil water

Drip irrigation

• Watering fields

• A system using computers, that measure out how much water each plant receives

• Using hoses to water plants

• Tapping fossil water

Desalination

• The process of removing salt and other chemicals from the salt water

• Providing water to crops

• The drinking of salt water

• The addition of salt to fossil water

Hydroelectric Power

• The building of dams on rivers

• The collection of river water behind a dam

• Creating a reservoir lake on a river

• Electricity produced from the energy of running water

OPEC

• Operation of Petroleum Exporting Countries founded to set oil prices and polices

• Original Petroleum Exporting Countries founded to set oil prices and policies

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries founded to set oil prices and policies

• Organizing Petroleum Exporting Counties founded to set oil prices and policies

Nomads

• Sunni Muslims

• People who hunt and gather

• People who move from place to place, usually traveling by camel, looking for water or food

• People who live on the areas surrounding the desert

Subsistence Farming

• Growing food to provide for the sustenance (that which sustains life; nourishment, food) of your family

• Growing enough food to sell at the farmer's market

• Growing food to sell to the government

• A government coop that grows food

Qanats

• Underground tunnels in Southwest Asia that bring water from the hills to dry plains

• Layers of untapped fossil water

• Layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped

• Underground lake