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 God. |
protectorates | An area that has its own government but is controlled by an outside power. |
chaparral | A type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates. |
poaching | Illegal hunting. |
mosques | An Islamic place o religious worship. |
muezzin | In Islam a crier who call the faithful to prayer five times each day from a minaret. |
minaret | A tall slender tower attached to a mosque. |
desalination plants | The process of removing salt from seawater so that it can be used for drinking and irrigation. |
nomads | A person who travels from place t place. |
trade deficit | The situation in which a country imports more than it exports. |
trade surplus | The situation in which a county exports moue than it imports. |
autonomy | Independence. |
genocide | The systematic killing or intentional destruction of a people. |
nationalism | Pride in ones nation; the desire of a culture group to rule themselves as a separate nation. |
chernozem | A rich topsoil found in the Russian steppes and other mid-latitude grasslands. |
fundamentalism | A set of religious beliefs based on a strict interpretation of sacred text. |
yurt | A round tent made of a wooden framework and covered with felt or skins. |
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 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 fertilizer. |
fertile crescent | A region in the Middle East where farming and the first civilizations developed. |
militia | A citizen army. |
anarchy | A political disorder and violence; lawlessness. |
embargo | A sever 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. |
secular | Worldly, not related to religion. |
shah | The title of a former ruler of Iran. |
ayatollah | A religious leader among Shiite Muslims. |