Which branch of government is responsible for making and carrying out the laws in a parliamentary system of government?
The legislature
In a presidential system of government, how is a president chosen?
In a separate vote from the one that chooses the legislature
What are the Five Pillars?
FIve basic obligations that Muslims are supposed to do in their lives
Why is Iran sometimes called a theocratic republic?
Both an elected parliament and powerful religious leaders lead Iran's government
Who takes on the financial risk in starting a new business in a market economy?
Entrepreneurs
Why do most economies in the world today operate somewhere in between a market economy and a command economy?
Most countries have found they need a mix of free market and government control to be successful and protect consumers
How has Israel made up for its lack of natural resources?
They have developed a strong technology sector of their economy
What is the definition of economic specialization?
Producing those goods a country can make most easily so they can trade them for goods made by others that cannot be produced locally
Why is it important for nations to have a system to convert from one currency to another?
Converting to different currencies makes it possible to buy and sell goods between nations with different types of money
Israel has made heavy investment in capital goods in all of the following
Defense, oil industry, and communications
The economy of Saudi Arabia is based on which of the following?
Oil and natural gas
When the Ottoman Empire ended and new countries were created, what problems did the new boundaries cause as people found themselves living in newly created countries?
The new countries often included people who did not have very much in common
Which describes "anti-Semitism"?
Hatred of Jews simply because they practice Judaism
Why did so many countries in the United Nations feel it was right to create the state of Israel in 1948?
Many felt the Jews deserved help because they had suffered so much in the Holocaust
What was the outcome of the 1948 War between the new state of of Israel and the Arabs living in and around Palestine?
Israel won the war and the new State of Israel was even larger than originally planned
Why did the United Nations form a coalition to stop Iraq from taking over the country of Kuwait in 1990?
The United Nations has to intervene whenever any member nation has a conflict with another country
What led the United States to bomb and invade the country of Afghanistan in 2001?
The U.S. believed the government of Afghanistan was offering safety to al-Qaeda, the organization that led attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001
Why did the United States go to war against Iraq in 2003?
The United States believed Iraq was developing nuclear weapons and offering aid to groups like al-Qaeda
What is one of the reasons Iraqis had difficulty forming a new government after the fall of Saddam Hussein?
There are many religious and ethinic groups in Iraq who want power
Why is the Suez Canal so important to international shipping?
The Suez Canal makes it possible to get from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea without sailing all the way around Africa
Which are connected by the Strait of Howmuz?
The Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea
Why are technologies like desalinization and drip irrigation not more widely used to reduce water shortages in Southwest Asia?
The technologies are too expensive
Many of the largest cities in Southwest Asia are located on or near
Major rivers
Which best describes the climate of much of Southwest Asia?
Hot and dry
Which best describes the religion of those who call themselves Arabs?
Most are Muslim though there are also many Christians and those of other faiths
Which are connected by the Suez Canal?
The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
Which is TRUE of the difference between an ethnic group and a religious group?
All members of a religious group worship the same god; members of an ethnic group may have different religions
Which person is a common figure in the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
Abraham