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Southwest Asia Quiz

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 16mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Saudi Arabia is to an absolute monarchy as Iran is to a ________.

a)

presidential republic

b)

theocratic republic

c)

parliamentary democracy

d)

constitutional monarchy

2.

The most important connectivity technology in the Arab Spring was:

a)

Television

b)

Newspapers

c)

Word of mouth

d)

Social media

e)

The radio

3.

In many Muslim countries of Southwestern Asia, decisions about political issues are based on:

a)

Sharia Law

b)

The United Nations

c)

A Constitution

d)

Ancient Roman Law

4.

Countries on the Arabian Peninsula, with their substantial energy resources and wealth, have enabled settlement and development by:

a)

their dependency on agriculture

b)

constructing coastal desalination plants

c)

conserving groundwater

d)

burning coal

5.

All the following were benefits of the construction of the Aswan High Dam and other dams on the Nile River except:

a)

produced a lack of silt deposit on the banks of the river and the need for more artificial fertilizers

b)

reduced flooding by controlling the flow of water

c)

provides a year-round water supply for irrigation

d)

generates hydroelectric power

6.

This picture demonstrates architecture associated with which major religion?

a)

Sikhism

b)

Judaism

c)

Christianity

d)

Islam

7.

Which of the following contributed to uprisings in North Africa in 2011 which evolved into the Arab Spring?

I. Increasing awareness of the world through the internet II. Increasing political corruption III. High unemployment rate IV. The desire to institute Islamic-based government

a)

I and II only

b)

I and IV only

c)

II, III, and IV only

d)

I, II, and III only

8.

Which of the following is not a cultural difference between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?

a)

North Africa mainly speaks Arabic languages

b)

Sub-Saharan Africa has more Christians than North Africa

c)

North Africa has a desert climate

d)

North Africa's population is mostly Muslim

9.

A major source of the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians is that each side:

a)

has nuclear weapons

b)

believes in different interpretations of the same religion

c)

has close military alliances with neighboring countries

d)

has historic and religious ties to the same land

10.

The Strait of Hormuz is important because:

a)

It is crucial for the shipment of oil from the Persian Gulf to consumer countries

b)

It connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea

c)

It leads to the Suez Canal

d)

Control of this area is crucial for the military defense of Jordan and Syria

11.

The potential power of the member nations in OPEC lies in their:

a)

Political influence in tropical regions

b)

Military control over strategic waterways

c)

Economic influence over industrialized nations

d)

Control of access to important religious sites

12.

Which of the following statements about the Taliban is false?

a)

The Taliban imposed strict rules on the people's behavior

b)

The Taliban is suspected of supporting terrorists, such as Al Qaeda

c)

The Taliban is responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks

d)

The Taliban still has influence in many parts of Afghanistan

13.

The deserts of the Middle East and North Africa are characterized by populations that:

a)

move to find resources that are thinly dispersed across a vast area

b)

work primarily in small cottage industries

c)

are nonviolent and practice ancient polytheistic religions

d)

organize their society around a matriarch

14.

Why was the state of Israel created?

a)

as an international community to promote peace between Arabs and Christians

b)

to promote peace between Jews, Christians, and Muslims

c)

as a homeland for the Jewish survivors of the Holocaust

d)

as a homeland for Palestinian refugees

15.

Iraq's goals in its 1990 invasion of Kuwait included which of the following?

a)

Increase its share of the world's oil reserves

b)

To oppose western imperialism

c)

Reclaim land seized by the Kurds

d)

Gain greater access to the Red Sea

16.

What is the main idea of the cartoon regarding the U.S. government?

a)

The U.S. government was responsible for removing and destroying the weapons out of Iraq.

b)

The U.S. government was only a puppet of the United Nations in the hunt for weapons in Iraq.

c)

The U.S. government looked for weapons in the wrong place in Iraq.

d)

The U.S. government was untruthful about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction.

17.

The major difference between Shi'ites and Sunnis is that:

a)

they disagree on who is qualified to be a religious leader

b)

one group supports Israel while the other supports the Palestinians

c)

one is from North Africa and the other in the Middle East

d)

Sunnis are mostly found in Iran and Shi'ites are mostly found in Saudi Arabia

18.

Read the statement and decide which religion it is describing. It may have one answer, or more than one answer. Holy book is the Quran.

a)

Judaism

b)

Islam

c)

Christianity

19.

Read the statement and decide which religion it is describing. It may have one answer, or more than one answer. Jesus is the founder of this faith.

a)

Judaism

b)

Islam

c)

Christianity

20.

What is one major concern caused by almost the entire population living around the Nile River?

a)

Lack of access to clean water

b)

Overcrowding

c)

Frequent flooding

d)

Limited agricultural land

21.

What problem do schools, hospitals, and other public entities face in Egypt due to overcrowding?

a)

Lack of funding

b)

Struggling to serve the citizens because the need is too great

c)

Poor infrastructure

d)

Limited access to technology

22.

What physical feature has divided the continent of Africa into two distinct regions?

a)

The Nile River

b)

The Sahara Desert

c)

The Congo Basin

d)

The Great Rift Valley

23.

Culturally, the northern part of Africa is most closely associated with which region?

a)

Europe

b)

Southwest Asia

c)

Sub-Saharan Africa

d)

Central Asia

24.

The majority of Egypt's population is clustered around what geographical feature?

a)

The Gulf of Suez

b)

The Suez Canal

c)

The Western Desert

d)

The Nile River

25.

Which historical event changed the economic situation of the Middle East in the last century?

a)

Nomads became settlers.

b)

Subsistence farming began to thrive.

c)

The urban population exploded.

d)

Oil was discovered.

26.

What was life like in Iran after the Iranian Revolution?

a)

Equality was established between the sexes

b)

Women gained rights that they did not have before the revolution

c)

More modern and free

d)

More traditional and patriarchal

27.

Which of the following resulted from the U.S.-led military coalition’s engagement in the Persian Gulf War?

a)

The Shah of Iran was overthrown.

b)

Saddam Hussein was forced from power.

c)

The nation of Kuwait was liberated.

d)

Iraqi Kurds were granted equal rights.

28.

Which TWO powerful countries have occupied Afghanistan and failed to defeat rebels?

a)

The United States

b)

The Soviet Union

c)

France

d)

China

29.

The source of a major conflict in the Middle East is the 1947 U.N. decision to give an area known as Palestine to Jews leaving Europe after the...

a)

Treaty of Versailles

b)

Holocaust

c)

pogroms targeting them

30.

Which best describes the region of Southwest Asia?

a)

dry

b)

mountainous

c)

moist

d)

flat

31.

The belief that Israel should be a national home for Jewish people is known as...

a)

Christianity

b)

Zionism

c)

Palestine

d)

Judaism