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WorksheetsSW Asia Review
Total questions: 105
Worksheet time: 53mins
Which rivers flow through Turkey and Iraq?
Tigris and Euphrates
Nile and Congo
Indus and Ganges
Danube and Rhine
Which river is the key water source for Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria?
Jordan River
Euphrates River
Tigris River
Nile River
What is the 120-mile man-made waterway that is used to transport goods from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea?
Suez Canal
Strait of Gibraltar
Panama Canal
Bosporus Strait
Much of the world’s oil supply is shipped through the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula called the
Strait of Hormuz
Suez Canal
Dardanelles
Gulf of Aqaba
Large supplies of the world’s oil can be found at the bottom of the
Persian Gulf
Red Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
What is the body of water between northeast Africa and Asia called?
Red Sea
Arabian Sea
Black Sea
Bay of Bengal
Disputes over what two natural resources are problematic for many Southwest Asian countries?
Water and oil
Timber and coal
Gold and diamonds
Fish and fertile soil
What are three major water problems in Southwest Asia?
Water pollution, water shortages, and unequal distribution
Flooding, hurricanes, and avalanches
Glacier melt, tidal waves, and tsunamis
Drought, monsoons, and blizzards
The water supply in the Middle East is being threatened by climate change, shrinking aquifers, and overpopulation. What is most likely the biggest challenge in finding a way for the nations there to cooperate to solve these problems?
Long-standing political conflicts and mistrust
Lack of scientific knowledge about water
Abundance of fresh water in the region
No shared rivers between nations
The process of removing salt from salt water in order to make it suitable for farming and drinking is known as
desalination
irrigation
filtration
chlorination
Because of its harsh climate, which country must rely on desalination plants to provide most of its citizens’ drinking water?
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Syria
Yemen
Which country’s water treatment plants have been damaged by decades of war?
Iraq
Israel
Oman
Qatar
Pollution from oil spills on the Black Sea contaminate this country’s water supply
Turkey
Jordan
Yemen
Lebanon
Which best describes the climate of much of Southwest Asia?
Hot and dry with limited rainfall
Humid and tropical with heavy rains
Cold and snowy year-round
Mild with frequent fog
Most people in Southwest Asia generally live near
rivers and coasts with reliable water sources
remote deserts far from water
mountain peaks
the interior of empty deserts
The climate of Southwest Asia has led much of the region to experience a scarcity of
water
coal
timber
arable land
Because mountains block winds coming from the oceans, much of the interior of Southwest Asia is
dry and desert-like
rainy and tropical
icy and tundra-like
humid with frequent storms
Over the last 50 years, people have been leaving the nomadic life to live here
in cities and towns
on isolated farms
in mountain camps
on fishing boats
Most people in Southwest Asia belong to which ethnic group?
Arabs
Kurds
Persians
Turks
Which best describes the religion of Arabs?
Most are Muslims, though some follow other faiths
They are evenly split among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Most are Buddhists
They practice no organized religion
Today, most Iranians speak Farsi, and belong to this ethnic group
Persians
Arabs
Kurds
Turks
What ethnic group lives in the mountains of Turkey and Iraq?
Kurds
Arabs
Persians
Pashtuns
Where do most Middle Eastern Jews live?
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Yemen
Where did Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originate?
Southwest Asia (the Middle East)
South Asia (the Indian subcontinent)
East Asia
North Africa
Which religion is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ?
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Hinduism
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Judaism?
Belief in many gods
Observance of traditions and laws recorded in the Torah
Belief in one God
Historical roots in the ancient Hebrews
How are the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike?
They are monotheistic and share some common traditions
They all worship many gods
They originated on different continents with no common figures
They require no sacred texts
Which monotheistic religion is the oldest?
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Sikhism
Who founded the religion of Islam?
Muhammad
Abraham
Jesus
Moses
Who drew up the boundaries for the new countries formed after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire?
The United States
Local tribal leaders
European powers such as Great Britain and France
The newly formed League of Arab States
Why did Great Britain put governments friendly to European powers in place in the Middle East?
To encourage immediate independence for all peoples
To reduce European influence in the region
To maintain political influence and secure access to resources and trade routes
Because local elections demanded it
What problems did the new boundaries cause as people found themselves living in newly created countries?
They united all ethnic groups under a single religion
They placed different ethnic and religious groups together or split them apart, leading to conflict
They eliminated competition for natural resources
They ended all colonial influence
What is "anti-Semitism"?
Support for establishing a Jewish homeland
Prejudice and hostility toward Jews
A political movement in favor of immigration
A type of European government
What caused many Jewish immigrants to flee to Palestine in the early 1900s?
Economic opportunities in the oil industry
Religious persecution and pogroms in Europe and Russia
An invitation from the Ottoman sultan
Droughts in North Africa
Anti-Semitism spread rapidly throughout Europe when which political party came into power?
The Communist Party
The Labor Party
The Nazi Party
The Green Party
The Nazis' plan to exterminate all the Jewish people in Europe became known as
the Marshall Plan
the Final Solution
the New Deal
the Great Leap Forward
What was a goal of Zionism?
To create a Jewish homeland in Palestine
To convert all Europeans to Judaism
To expand the Ottoman Empire
To promote Pan-Arabism
Why did many countries in the United Nations feel it was right to create the state of Israel?
To punish Great Britain after World War II
Because of sympathy for Jews after the Holocaust and support for a Jewish homeland
To divide the Middle East evenly among European powers
Because oil companies demanded it
What are the Five Pillars?
Belief, prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca
Belief, baptism, communion, confession, and tithing
Meditation, yoga, pilgrimage to Varanasi, dietary laws, and caste duties
Prayer, animal sacrifice, fasting at Lent, tithe, and pilgrimage to Jerusalem
The split into Sunni and Shia divisions of Islam can be traced to
a disagreement over the Arabic language
a dispute about who should succeed Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community
a conflict about trade with Europe
differences over the Five Pillars
Which of these types of government allows citizens to have the greatest amount of political influence?
Autocratic
Oligarchic
Democratic
Theocratic
In an autocratic government, freedom of speech is usually
fully protected by law
limited or not allowed
encouraged by opposition parties
guaranteed by elected representatives
Which type of government would most likely abolish all opposing political parties, the direct election of leaders, and freedom of speech?
Autocratic dictatorship
Parliamentary democracy
Federal republic
Constitutional monarchy
In what year was the new state of Israel created?
1917
1948
1967
1973
How did Arabs living in Palestine feel about the new state of Israel?
They broadly supported it and moved into Israel
They rejected it and felt their land had been taken
They were indifferent and left the region
They supported it only after 1973
Today, a major cause of conflict in the Middle East is fighting between which two groups over land?
Kurds and Persians
Israelis and Palestinians
Turks and Armenians
Egyptians and Sudanese
Which was a cause of the Persian Gulf War?
Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990
Iran invaded Iraq in 1980
Saudi Arabia attacked Iran over oil fields
Israel blockaded the Suez Canal
Which person did the actions listed: invaded Kuwait in 1990 and fought a war against a U.S.-led coalition during the Persian Gulf War?
Osama bin Laden
Saddam Hussein
Yasser Arafat
Ayatollah Khomeini
A United Nations inspection team was in Iraq for seven years finding and destroying these:
ballistic missiles only
gold reserves
weapons of mass destruction such as chemical and biological weapons
nuclear power plants used for electricity
When did terrorists attack the World Trade Center in New York City?
June 6, 1944
September 11, 2001
October 31, 1999
December 7, 1941
What led the US to bomb and invade Afghanistan in 2001?
A border dispute with Pakistan
Afghanistan’s invasion of Kuwait
The Taliban sheltering al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks
A United Nations vote on sanctions
Which person did the actions listed: led al-Qaeda and planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States while operating from Afghanistan?
Saddam Hussein
Osama bin Laden
Bashar al-Assad
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
The ruler of your country has always made all of the political and economic decisions for the country. The citizens do not always agree with his decisions, but they have no power to change anything. He alone makes the decisions and has unlimited power. Which form of government do you have?
Constitutional monarchy
Absolute monarchy under an autocracy
Parliamentary democracy
Federal republic
In which type of government are citizens MOST likely to choose their leader?
Autocracy
Oligarchy
Democracy
Absolute monarchy
What role do the people play in Saudi Arabia's government?
They elect the king directly
They vote for the prime minister
They have very limited political participation under an absolute monarchy
They choose members of the national legislature in free elections
Which country has an absolute monarchy?
Israel
Turkey
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Which statement describes the power of a monarch in an absolute monarchy?
The monarch rules only as a ceremonial symbol
The monarch shares equal power with the elected parliament
The monarch holds unlimited power and is not limited by a constitution
The monarch is elected by the people every four years
In Turkey and Israel, the people hold the ultimate power and vote to elect government representatives. What type of government do both countries have?
Autocratic government
Democratic government
Absolute monarchy
Military dictatorship
The two predominate forms of democratic governments are parliamentary and ________.
absolutist
presidential
theocratic
federalist
In a parliamentary democracy, the head of government is part of the ________ branch.
judicial
executive
legislative
federal
In Turkey, the president is both the chief executive and the head of state. What type of democracy is this?
Parliamentary democracy
Presidential democracy
Absolute monarchy
Theocracy
You have just turned 18 and are voting for the first time in your life. You will be voting directly for the president of your country and for other elected officials. Which form of government do you have?
Parliamentary democracy
Presidential democracy
Absolute monarchy
Single-party oligarchy
What type of democratic government is being described: citizens elect the legislature, and the legislature chooses the head of government (prime minister)?
Parliamentary democracy
Presidential democracy
Absolute monarchy
Confederal system
Which of the following is NOT one of the basic questions that all economic systems must answer?
What to produce
How to produce
For whom to produce
How to make sure everyone has a job
A market economy is very different from a command economic system or a traditional system. Which of the following is found in a market economy?
Private ownership and prices set by supply and demand
Government planners set all prices and production targets
People trade only by bartering based on custom
The state owns all land and businesses
In a command economy, economic decisions are made by the ______.
government
consumers
private companies
local families
Between Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, identify where Saudi Arabia’s mixed economy lies on the economic continuum from command on the left to market on the right.
More command‑leaning than the others
Exactly in the middle
More market‑leaning than the others
How are goods and services exchanged in a traditional economy?
Through bartering and trade based on customs
By online marketplaces
With government ration coupons
Only by using paper currency
Who owns the resources in a command economy?
The government
Private individuals
Foreign companies
Community cooperatives
The Israeli Knesset has recently elected a new prime minister (chief executive). Which form of government does Israel have?
Parliamentary democracy
Presidential democracy
Absolute monarchy
Theocracy
If Turkey and the United States are both presidential democracies, how do they determine their leaders?
Citizens elect the president in a national vote separate from the legislature
Members of parliament choose the chief executive
A monarch appoints the chief executive
Military leaders select the president
Who selects the Prime Minister of Israel?
The Knesset (parliament)
All citizens in a direct national vote
The Supreme Court
The president acting alone
What is evident of a country that has a parliamentary democracy?
The legislature chooses the prime minister
The president is elected separately from lawmakers
A monarch holds all governing power
There are no political parties
What is Islamic (Sharia) law?
A set of religious laws based on the Quran and Islamic teachings
A civil code written by parliament
International trade regulations
Unwritten local customs only
There are no truly pure market economic systems, but which of the following countries is the closest in Southwest Asia?
Israel
Turkey
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Most democratic nations have ______ economies.
mixed
traditional
pure command
subsistence
Which of the following BEST describes a market system?
Producers and consumers make choices and prices are set by supply and demand
Government planners set production levels and prices
People produce only what custom dictates for their families
The state owns all land and companies and assigns jobs
Between Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, identify where Israel’s mixed economy lies on the economic continuum from command on the left to market on the right.
More command‑leaning
In the middle
More market‑leaning
This is an economic system where people follow the occupation of their ancestors.
Traditional economy
Command economy
Market economy
Mixed economy
Between Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, identify where Turkey’s mixed economy lies on the economic continuum from command on the left to market on the right.
More command‑leaning than Israel
In the middle between command and market
More market‑leaning than Israel
Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia can all be described as having what kind of economy?
Mixed economies
Traditional economies
Pure command economies
Pure market economies
Why do countries choose to specialize?
To produce goods and services more efficiently and trade for others
To avoid trading with other nations
To produce every good they might ever need
To keep unemployment high
Which Middle Eastern country primarily specializes in fuel resources, such as oil and natural gas?
Saudi Arabia
Israel
Turkey
Jordan
What is NOT a benefit of specialization?
Being able to produce all goods a country needs by itself
Greater efficiency in production
Higher quality and productivity
Increased trade with other nations
Which Middle Eastern country specializes in technology?
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Yemen
The number limit on how many items of a particular product can be imported from a particular country is the ______.
quota
tariff
embargo
subsidy
Which trade barrier sets up a complete ban on trading between countries?
Embargo
Quota
Tariff
Exchange rate
If Turkey wanted to stop trading with a country who developed weapons of mass destruction, what trade barrier should it use?
Embargo
Tariff
Quota
Subsidy
When a government decides to increase a tariff, it increases the amount of a tax placed upon ______.
imports
domestic goods
exports to allies
all sales inside the country
If Israel wanted to decrease the amount of oil imported from Saudi Arabia, what trade barrier should it use?
Quota
Tariff
Embargo
Sanction on exports
If Saudi Arabia wanted to increase the price of imported Japanese automobiles, what trade barrier should it use?
Tariff
Embargo
Quota
Price ceiling
What is a main reason for people to exchange currency?
To buy and sell goods with countries that use different currencies
To avoid paying domestic taxes
To create inflation in their own countries
To donate to foreign charities
Why was OPEC created?
To coordinate oil production and influence world oil prices among member nations
To ban all oil exports to non‑members
To replace the United Nations
To set exchange rates for all currencies
Where are most members of OPEC located?
Southwest Asia (the Middle East)
Europe
East Asia
North America
Countries with high literacy rates typically have a ______.
higher standard of living
lower GDP per capita
weaker human capital
smaller labor force
Which factor of economic growth is described as the skills, knowledge, and education of workers?
Human capital
Capital goods
Natural resources
Entrepreneurship
If Syria wants to invest in human capital, what can it do?
Improve education and worker training
Buy more factories and machines
Discover new mineral deposits
Print more money for consumers
Why is it important for a country to invest in human capital?
It raises worker productivity and can increase GDP
It guarantees that prices will never rise
It eliminates the need for technology
It replaces the role of entrepreneurs
Which factor of economic growth is described as factories, machinery, and technology?
Capital goods (physical capital)
Human capital
Natural resources
Currency reserves
Which is NOT an example of capital goods?
Wages paid to workers
Delivery trucks used by a company
Factory machines and tools
Computers used in an office
Which is an example of a company investing in capital?
Purchasing new machines for a factory
Running an advertising campaign
Providing extra vacation days
Cutting prices on existing products
Who is an entrepreneur?
A person who takes risks to start and operate a business
A government official who sets trade policy
A worker performing a routine assigned job
A banker who only holds customer deposits
Which statement is true regarding the relationship between GDP and entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs can increase GDP by creating new businesses, jobs, and products
Entrepreneurs always lower GDP by increasing competition
GDP rises only when governments run all businesses
Entrepreneurs do not affect a country’s GDP
A product of the earth ("gift of nature") that people use to meet their needs is a ______.
natural resource
capital good
service
currency
Because of the region’s unequal distribution of oil, GDP per capita among Southwest Asian countries tends to ______.
vary widely from country to country
be exactly the same everywhere
always be low for every country
increase at an identical rate each year
