| Term | Definition |
| infrastructure | the basic |
| chernozem | a rich topsoil found in the Russian steppes and other mid-latitude grasslands |
| genocide | the systematic killing or intentional destruction of a people |
| civilization | an advanced culture |
| fertile crescent | a region in the middle east where farming and the first civilizations developed |
| yurt | A round tent made of wooden framework and covered with felt or skins |
| trade defict | the situation in which a country imports more than it exports |
| anarchy | political disorder and violence |
| charparral | pride in ones nation |
| zionist | a member known as a zionism founded to promote the establishment of an independent Jewish state |
| nomads | a person who travels from place to place |
| mosques | An Islamic place of religious worship |
| desalination plants | the process of removing salt from seawater so that it can be used for drinking and irragation |
| minaret | a tall slender tower attached to a mosque |
| Agricultural revolution | The change from nomadic hunting and gathering to farming that took place about 8000 b.c |
| potash | a mineral used in explosives and fertilizer |
| trade surplus | The situation in which a country exports more than it imports |
| Autonomy | Independence |
| muezzin | I Islam , a crier who calls the faithful to prayer five times each day from a minaret |
| monotheism | The belief in God |
| fundamentalism | a set of religious beliefs based on a strict interpretation of a sacred text |
| falaj system | an area that has its own government but is controlled by an outside power |
| desertification | the transformation of arable land into desert either naturally or through human intervention |
| embargo | a severe restriction of trade with other countries |
| drip irrigation | a process by which precisely controlled amounts of water drip directly onto plants from pipes, thus perserving precious water resources in dry areas. |
| protectorates | a type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates |
| desalination | the process of removing salt from seawater so that it can be used for drinking and irrigation |
| poaching | illegal hunting |
| militia | a citizen army |
| mandate | a commission from the League of Nations authorizing a nation to govern a territory |
| self-determination | the right of a people to decide their own political future |
| nationalism | |
