| Term | Definition |
| trade deficit | The situation in which a country imports more than it exports |
| potash | a mineral used in explosives and fertilizer |
| protectorate | An area that has its own government but is controlled by an outside power |
| yurt | a round tent made of a wooden framework and covered felt or skins |
| nomad | A person who travels from place to place |
| genocide | the systematic killing or intentional destruction of a people |
| autonomy | independence |
| 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 |
| anarchy | political disorder and violence; lawlessness |
| chernozem | a rich topsoil found in the Russian steppes and other mid-latitude grasslands |
| minaret | A tall, slender tower attached to a mosque |
| falaj system | in the Arabian Peninsula, an ancient system of underground and surface canals |
| mandate | a commission from the League of Nations authorizing a nation to govern a territory |
| chaparral | A type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates; Small evergreen trees and low bushes, or scrub. |
| secular | wordly, not relating to religion |
| Fertile Crescent | a region in the Middle East where farming and the first civilizations developed |
| militia | a citizen army |
| desertification | the transformation of arable land into desert either naturally or through human intervention |
| trade surplus | The situation in which a country exports more than it imports |
| self-determination | the right of a people to decide their own political future |
| civilization | An advanced culture |
| embargo | a severe restriction of trade with other countries |
| agriculture revolution | The change from nomadic hunting and farming that took place around 8000 B.C. |
| monotheism | The belief in one God |
| desalination | the process of removing salt from seawater so that it can be used for drinking and irrigation |
| shah | the title of a former ruler of Iran |
| mosque | An Islamic place of religious worship |
| Zionist | a member of a movement known as Zionism, founded to promote the establishment of an independent Jewish state |
| infrastructure | the basic support facilities of a community or country, such as roads and bridges, power plants, and schools |
| poaching | illegal hunting |
| fundamentalism | a set of religious beliefs based on a strict interpretation of a sacred text |
| ayatollah | a religious leader among Shiite Muslims |
| muezzin | In Islam, a crier who calls the faithful to prayer five times each day from a minaret |
| nationalism | pride in one's nation; the desire of a cultural group to rule themselves as a separate nation |
