Term | Definition |
agricultural revolution | the change from nomadic hunting and gathering to farming that took place about 8000 b.c. |
civilization | an advanced culture |
monotheism | the belief in one good |
protectorate | an are that has its own government but is controlled by an outside power |
chaparral | a type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates small evergreen trees and low bushes or scrub |
poaching | illegal hunting |
mosque | an islamic place of religious worship |
muezzin | in Islam a crier who calls the faithful to prayer five times each day form a minaret |
minaret | a tall slender tower attached to a mosque |
desalination plant | the process of removing salt from sea water so that it can be used for drinking and irrigation |
nomad | a person who travels from place to place |
trade deficit | the situation in which a country imports more than it exports |
trade surplus | the situation in which a country exports more than it imports |
autonomy | independence |
genocide | the systematic killing or intentional destruction of a people |
nationalism | pride in one's nation; the desire of a cultural group o rule themselves as a separate nation |
Chernozem | a rich topsoil found in he Russian steppes and other mid-latitude grasslands |
yurt | a round tent made of a wooden framework and covered with felt or skins |
fundamentalism | a set of religious beliefs based on a strict interpretation of a scared text |
desertification | the transformation of arable land into desert either naturally or through human intervention |
Mandate | a commission from the league of nations authorizing a nation to govern a territory |
Zionist | a member of a movement known as Zionism founded to promote he establishment of an independent Jewish state |
self-determination | the right of a people to decide their own political future |
drip irrigation | a processes by which precisely controlled amounts of water drip directly onto plants from pipes thus preserving precious water resources in dry areas |
potash | a mineral used in explosives and fertilizer |
fertile crescent | a region in he middle east where farming and the first civilizations developed |
militia | a citizen army |
anarchy | political disorder and violence lawlessness |
embargo | a severe resurrection of trade with other countries |
Infrastructure | the basic support facilities of a community or country such as roads and bridges power plants and schools |
falaj system | in the Arabian peninsula an ancient system of underground and surface canals |
secular | worldly no relating to religion |
shah | the title of the former ruler or Iran |
ayatollah | a religious leader among Shiite Muslims |