Question | Answer |
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 God |
protectorate | an area that has its own government but is controlled by an outside power |
chaparral | a type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mederterainean 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 seawater so that it can be used for drinking and irrigation |
nomad | a person ho 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 international destruction of a people |
nationalism | pride in one's nation; the desire of a cultural group to rule themselves as a separate nation |
chernozem | a rich topsoil found in the 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 sacred text |
desertification | the transformation or 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 the establishment of an independent Jewish state |
self-determination | the right of people to decide their own political future |
drip irrigation | a process 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 fertilizers |
Fertile Crescent | a region in the Middle East where farming and the first civilizations developed |
militia | a citizen army |
anarchy | political disorder and violence, lawlessness |
embargo | a severe restriction 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 |