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235 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
terms used to describe North Africa and Southwest Asia realm
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desert, which is not entirely correct. Also, "Arab World" and "Middle East."
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True or False all inhabitants of Middle East are Muslim and Arab
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False As with all other realms, there is a great diversity in the Middle East of cultures, ethnicities, and religions.
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True or False the entire Middle East is a desert.
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False. Simply put, this is not the case. there are many different climates.
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True or False Regarding religion, most of the inhabitants of the Middle East are Muslim.
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True, However, there are sizeable Jewish and Christian populations.
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True or False Regarding language, Arabic is most widely spoken
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True. However, there are many other very common languages. Most Israelis, for example, speak Hebrew and English. Most Iranians speak Persianbased languages, and the Turks speak Turkish.
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Much of the Middle East is arid, and vast stretches of land are
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uninhabitable desert.
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True or False most of the people in the Middle East do not live in the desert regions
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True. Rather, they choose to live in the river valleys and along the coasts.
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Most of the nations of the Middle East were created
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during the twentieth century.
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True or False many middle east nations are former European colonies
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True
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Democracy is common in the Middle East
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False. The only true democratic states are Israel and Turkey. Other nations are gradually developing democracy. However, authoritarian rule has been the norm in this realm for much of its history.
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Which nations is/are monarchies with kings that hold absolute power over the government.
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Saudi Arabia and Oman,
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which states is/are theocracies, with religious leaders controlling the government,
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Iran
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True or False Economically, the nations of the Middle East are poor
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False but most are not firsttier states.
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Much of the Middle East is rich in
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petroleum, and thus oil exports play a key role in the economies of many Middle Eastern countries.
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The most significant conflict in the Middle East centers on the role of
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Israel and its place in the realm.
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Israel was created in
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1948 as a Jewish homeland
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Other conflicts in the Middle East have centered on
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religious and territorial disputes among the various nations.
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The Middle East was home to two very important early civilizations:
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Egypt and Mesopotamia. In both cases ancient people established civilizations along fertile river valleys.
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In Egypt, the people settled along
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the Nile River.
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In Mesopotamia the people settled along
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the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
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considered by many to be the greatest of all ancient cultures.
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ancient Egypt
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in the Middle East the most significant institution is
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Islam, and its emergence dramatically transformed the Middle East.
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Islam was founded by
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Mohammed (571632)
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Islam was founded in
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the early seventh century.
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Mohammed lived in
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presentday Saudi Arabia.
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Mohammed spent much of his early life
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traveling in the Middle East,
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as a young adult Mohammed settled in
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the city of Mecca.
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Islamic tradition teaches that Mohammed was visited by
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the Biblical angel Gabriel, and was informed that he was God's last and greatest prophet.
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Mohammed eventually developed
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a devoted following
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after some struggle Mohammed conquered
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the city of Mecca. The faith surrounding his teachings then spread very quickly.
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The holy book of Islam is
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the Koran, and it was written by Mohammed.
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Mohammed affirmed the legitimacy of
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most of the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity.
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Mohammed claimed that
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Jesus was not the messiah (son of God),
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the only significant difference between Islam and Christianity
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is the belief that Jesus was a prophet of God.
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Islam also recognizes the prophecy of Old Testament figures such as
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Abraham and Moses.
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the Islamic faith spread very quickly after
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Mohammed died.
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Much of the spread of the Islamic faith was accomplished by
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military force.
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Who carried the faith westward across North Africa and into presentday Spain
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Islamic armies and missionaries.
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The Islamic faith was also carried
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eastward across Asia and as far east as presentday Indonesia.
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The map on page 350 depicts this spread. Since this time Islam has been a major global religion. Today there are approximately _____ Muslims around the world
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one billion
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it is the world's fastest growing major religion
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Islam.
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after Mohammed's death Islam split into two primary factions:
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Sunni and Shia. In most cases, these two Islamic groups have coexisted peacefully. However, there have been some violent clashes.
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The differences involved
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the leadership and some minor scriptural beliefs.
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Most of the world's Muslims are
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Sunni.
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Presently violence between the Sunni and Shia groups is a major problem in
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Iraq.
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The most prominent Shia nation is
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Iran.
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In the eighth century a group of Middle Eastern tribes began to work together to expand their influence they were loosely known as
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the Turks
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The Turks primary rival was
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the Byzantine Empire,
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The Byzantine Empire existed
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in presentday Turkey and Eastern Europe.
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Over the centuries the Turks gained territory from the Byzantines, and eventually created
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a vast Islamic Empire.
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in 1453, the city of Constantinople fell to the Turks and the Byzantine Empire collapsed. This became
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the Ottoman Empire
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The Ottoman Empire was a major power in both Europe and the Middle East until
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the twentieth century.
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The Ottoman Empire collapsed
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in the 1920s,
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The present state of Turkey was created from
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the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
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Much of the fallen Ottoman Empire’s southern territory comprises
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independent states in the Middle East. These include Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.
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Britain became more involved in the Middle East
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after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and
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many of the presentday Middle East borders were created arbitrarily by
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the British government.
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What has been the driving economic force in the Middle East Since World War II
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oil.
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there are several nations in the middle east that have little or no oil reserves, and
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must import oil.
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The revenues that have been generated from oil sales have enabled many Middle Eastern nations to
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build needed infrastructure such as roads, irrigation projects, and schools.
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Which middle east nation is presently developing a thriving tourist industry
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Dubai.
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Who are the primary purchasers of Middle Eastern oil
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The advanced western nations such the United States and the nations of western Europe
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Most Middle Eastern nations belong to
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the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
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also OPEC members
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Nigeria and Venezuela.
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The OPEC nations are able to work together to
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regulate the price and supply of petroleum around the world. This is considered by many to be a "cartel" that forces nations such as the United States to pay more for oil than it should. However, OPEC is a powerful economic force in the world, and it presently controls oil prices for the benefit of its member nations.
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Before oil was discovered, most of the Middle East was
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considered insignificant by the developed nations of the world.
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One of the great challenges facing the Middle East is
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the advancing of human rights and the rights of women.
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much of the middle east is not democratic. The cultures that inhabit the Middle East do not have
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a history of democratic traditions.
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many of the freedoms that Americans take for granted such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, trial by jury, and equality under the law, are
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not practiced in much of the Middle East.
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Many Middle East traditionalists resist change, and assert that
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social liberalization will undermine their unique culture and introduce problems.
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Middle East reformers assert that the Middle East can only become modernized if
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its nations adopt democracy and human rights similar to the firsttier nations of the world.
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one of the most controversial elements of Middle Eastern culture is
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The treatment of women
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Many nations in the Middle East have traditionally treated women as
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inferior to men.
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In the Middle East women are denied
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equal education, they are legally required to obey their husbands under all circumstances, and they have little recourse if abused. In some nations women are required by law to cover themselves from head to toe in public.
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The attacks of September 11, 2001 were committed by
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Middle Eastern terrorists that harbor deep hatred of the United States.
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the 9/11 attackers are
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arch conservative Islamic fundamentalists that wish to eliminate all elements of western culture from the Middle East
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Conservative Islamic fundamentalists seek to
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drive out all foreigners from the Middle East, dismantle the oil economy, and enact very draconian and intolerant religious laws. This includes severe repression of civil rights and liberties.
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Who was the best known symbol of the conservative Islamic fundamentalist ideology
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Osama bin Laden, now deceased
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Ultimately the terrorists seek
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power for themselves.
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Terrorists profess to follow
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the teachings of Islam, but their religious views meet their own ends, and do not reflect the beliefs of the mainstream Muslim community.
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The overwhelming majority of Muslims reject
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conservative Islamic fundamentalists.
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Economic prosperity, democracy, education, and the chance to create a good life must become
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commonplace in the Middle East.
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Terrorism and radical fundamentalism thrives among
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the poor and uneducated in the Middle East.
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the best way to stop terrorism
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is to build prosperity.
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Arab spring began in
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Iran in 2008,
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Additional Arab spring uprisings spread to
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Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Qatar, and Syria.
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the unifying theme of the "Arab Spring” uprisings has been
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a call for democracy and human rights.
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Most of the Arab Spring protesters are
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younger citizens that are frustrated by lack of economic opportunity.
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The Arab Spring movement is
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ongoing, and its outcome is still unclear.
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several dictatorial regimes have fallen to Arab Spring uprisings, notably in
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Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya.
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The most violent, and tragic, situation involving the Arab Spring movement involves
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Syria, which for more than two years has been embroiled in a brutal civil war. More than one hundred thousand people have died as a result of it
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The region of North Africa includes the nations of
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Egypt, Sudan, Libya & Tunisia
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Egypt is a large nation in
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the northeast corner of Africa.
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most of the Egyptian people live along
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the Nile River.
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The Nile River is
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the longest river in the world, and it plays a crucial role in Egypt's culture and economy the area along the river is very habitable.
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Outside of the fertile Nile Valley most of Egypt is
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desert.
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Millions of Egyptians live traditional lives as
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subsistence farmers. Many of these farmers are poor
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In the 1960s the Egyptian government completed
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the massive Aswan Dam on the Nile.
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The Aswan Dam has
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dramatically increased Egypt's food production, and it generates much of Egypt's electricity.
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the aswan dam has disrupted the Nile's
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natural flood cycles, which has had a significant environmental impact.
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The Aswan Dam has also created
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Lake Nasser, which is by far the largest reservoir of water in North
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Africa Egypt does not produce
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much oil
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Egypt is a former
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British colony, and thus it is closely tied to the west.
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What plays a key role in Egypt’s economy
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Western tourism.
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Egypt has generally been friendly with
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the United States.
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Since independence Egypt has
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held elections, but it has never truly embraced democracy.
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Recent uprisings in Egypt led to
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an overthrow of the leadership, and Egypt's future is unknown.
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As with many Middle Eastern nations, Egypt is heavily divided among Islamic conservatives and reformers. Radical Islamic fundamentalism in Egypt
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has a small presence represented by fringe groups
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The capital of Egypt is
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Cairo
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The Sudan is
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a transition zone between the Middle East and Subsaharan Africa.
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Most Sudanese are
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Muslim.
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The Sudan has been
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a poor nation consisting primarily of subsistence farmers the nation remains impoverished and unstable.
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The Political climate in the Sudan is
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unstable and civil war has been endemic
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During the 1990s large oil reserves were discovered which might change Sudan's
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economic structure.
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Over the past two years civil war in Sudan has
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escalated dramatically
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Which region of Western Sudan has experienced extreme violence as a result of escalating civil war with hundreds of thousands of civilians being attacked and killed
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Darfur
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What has happened earlier this year that could stabilize the nation of Sudan
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the fighting ended, and Sudan was peacefully split into two nations.
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Libya is a former
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French colony that sits west of Egypt.
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Libya is a very arid nation with little
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industry or economic infrastructure.
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True or False Libya has very large petroleum reserves, and the Libyan economy is supported almost entirely by oil export profits.
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True
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Who is Muammar Gadhafi
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a very controversial dictator who ruled Libya since the late 1960s and declared himself to be an enemy of the United States, and staunchly supported radical Islamic militants and was labeled by the U.S. a supporter of terrorism
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In what years did Muammar Gadhafi support attacks against the U.S.
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In the 1980s he supported several terrorist attacks on Americans abroad
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When did the United States retaliated by bombing several Libyan government buildings
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in1987. For many years after that incident the United States had an economic embargo against Libya
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Earlier this year Libya experienced
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a massive popular uprising against Gadhafi.
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After several months of fighting Gadhafi was
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overthrown and killed
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What was the result of Gadhafi’s death and the massive uprising in Libya
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A provisional government has been established, and there is presently a plan to introduce democracy
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Libya's capital is
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Tripoli
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Tunisia is
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a small nation along the North African coast. It has very close ties to Europe,
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the wealthiest of all North African nations is
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Tunisia
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True or false The Tunisian government is striving to diversify its economy and bring greater prosperity
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true
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True or False Tunisia was the last nation to overthrow its dictator during this Arab Spring.
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False – it was first
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Tunisia has recently held elections for
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the first time in its history
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The capital of Tunisia is
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Tunis
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Asia Minor: includes the nations of
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Turkey Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Israel & Iran to Yemen, and east to Afghanistan.
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Iraq is a nation that
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sits between the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey
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Iran has tremendous
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oil reserves
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Iran’s economy has been based almost entirely on oil export profits
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since World War II
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The British created the borders of Iraq during
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the 1920s after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
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The most recent and infamous dictator to rule Iraq is
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Saddam Hussein Hussein took power in Iraq in the late 1970s. He was a brutal megalomaniac, and ruled Iraq with a heavy hand. He murdered anyone perceived as opposing him, and his secret police were guilty of committing many atrocities.
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Iraq fought a brutal and senseless war with neighboring Iran
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During the 1980s - The war ended in stalemate in 1988.
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during the 1980s Hussein was on friendly terms with
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the United States. This was due to Hussein's opposition to the Soviet Union and Communism. In other words, Hussein was one of America's Cold War allies.
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In what year did Saddam's army invade Kuwait, a very small nation to the south of Iraq
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In 1990.
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Who drove Hussein’s army out of Kuwait
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An international coalition led by the United States
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In what decade did the United States sought to isolate Hussein's regime hoping that Saddam would fall from power
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the 1990s
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This isolation of Husseins regime included
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an economic embargo
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the United States invaded Iraq and removed Hussein from power
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In 2003
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the invasion of Iraq was justified by
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the belief by then President George W. Bush that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
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Hussein was eventually
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captured, found guilty of murder, and executed. His trial took place in an Iraqi court and was technically independent of U.S. involvement.
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After the invasion the United States did or did not find any of the presumed weapons
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Did NOT.
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With Hussein gone, Iraq
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descended into chaos as various ethnic groups fought for power. Thousands of Americans, and tens of thousands of Iraqis, died during this struggle
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following the Iraq War most historians and other experts agree
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that the decision to invade Iraq represents one of America’s greatest foreign policy mistakes. Although everyone agrees that Saddam Hussein was a terrible leader, the human cost of the war, as well as the estimated one Trillion dollar cost to the American taxpayers, was far more than anyone thought it would be. Additionally, the fact that Hussein did not have any weapons of mass destruction undermines the very reason the United States chose to invade.
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Kuwait is
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a very small nation that sits on the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
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Kuwait has
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tremendous oil reserves.
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Kuwait's entire economy is based on
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oil exports. Kuwait's oil profits have enabled its citizens to enjoy a high standard of living. Kuwait has close ties to the United States.
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Kuwait has recently begun
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to adopt democracy and social reforms.
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Kuwait is ruled by
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a monarch
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Kuwait has an
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elected parliament that shares power.
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recently women were permitted to
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vote in parliamentary elections. This is a very important step forward for the region, and it is considered very controversial among the Kuwaiti society. Kuwait will likely enact further civil rights reforms in coming years.
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Saudi Arabia is
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the world's largest single oil producer, and it rests on the Arabian Peninsula.
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Saudi Arabia was created
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in the years following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
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The Saudi economy is based
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almost entirely on oil revenue.
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Saudi Arabia is
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a monarchy, and the Saudi Royal family controls virtually all aspects of the government and economy. For many years the Saudi leadership has had close ties to the United States. The two nations have been on very friendly terms, and the USA is Saudi Arabia's largest oil customer.
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The tremendous income from oil revenue has enabled Saudi Arabia to
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modernize much of its infrastructure. Likewise, many of the Saudi citizens enjoy prosperous lifestyles.
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True or false Saudi Arabia is a first¬tier nation
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False, but Saudis tend to live comfortably.
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True or false Saudi oil revenue is a stable form of income
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False, and Saudi Arabia has begun to experience fiscal shortages
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Politically, Saudi Arabia is
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a very conservative Islamic nation and is not a democracy, - its citizens do not enjoy such civil liberties as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Women do not enjoy the same rights as men, and are often treated as second¬class citizens by American standards. Many Saudis are very concerned that outside cultural influences will threaten the traditional Saudi way of life.
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With regards to America, many of Saudi Arabia's Islamic leaders have begun
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to preach a fundamentalist doctrine that criticizes America's presence in the kingdom. the people of Saudi Arabia are deeply divided over the issue of America's role in their nation, and the issue of social reform such as democracy and women's equality. For now, this nation remains an ally in the War on Terror, but experts fear the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalists
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True or false Several of the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks were Saudi citizens
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True including Osama bin Laden
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The greatest challenge facing the Middle East is
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the status of Israel.
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Israel was founded in
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1948 as a Jewish homeland.
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Israel was formed in response to
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the horrors suffered by the Jewish people during World War II.
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Israel was created
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in a region along the Mediterranean coast known as Palestine.
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Prior to the creation of Israel the majority of people in Palestine were
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Palestinian, although Jews had been migrating to the region for several decades.
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The Palestinians are
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Arab Muslims that had lived in Palestine for hundreds of years.
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a very large Jewish population had moved to Palestine and the Jewish people declared the formation of Israel By
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1948
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The creation of a Jewish state in Palestine had earlier been supported by
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Britain.
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When Israel was created hundreds of thousands of Arab Palestinians were
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displaced from their homes, and forced into a region known as the West Bank. Many more migrated to Jordan and other Arab nations.
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The Israeli government justified this removal by claiming that
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Israel must be predominantly Jewish in order for it to survive.
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The Arab nations around Israel rejected
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the removal of Arab Palestinians. They condemned the removal of the Palestinians, and they declared the creation of the Israeli government to be illegitimate.
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The most vocal opposition to the formation of Israel came from
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the Palestinians.
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Over the next several decades what nations fought wars with Israel
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Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon.
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In 1967 Israel won a major victory against its enemies, and
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annexed the Sinai Peninsula by force from Egypt.
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In 1973 Israel won a brief war after being attacked by
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its neighbors.
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The United States and Israel are
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very close allies.
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Politically, Israel is
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a western¬style democracy
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the Israeli people enjoy
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first¬tier economic prosperity
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The United States gives Israel
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several billion dollars per year, much of which is military aid.
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The USA has a strong interest in
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the security of Israel, and has almost universally supported Israel in its conflicts with its neighbors. Although it is a small nation, Israel has a very strong military.
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There are two regions of Palestine today where the majority of Palestinian Muslims live:
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the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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Millions of Palestinians live in
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two regions, and they are, for the most part, impoverished.
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Palestinians have few
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economic and educational opportunities
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|
In recent years Israel has begun
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to build housing settlements in the regions of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is fiercely opposed by the Arab world.
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Israel withdrew from Gaza
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In 2005
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Israel continues to expand its presence in
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the West Bank.
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Israel has settlements in the Golan Heights, which has historically been part of
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Syria
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The Palestinians wish to
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create their own independent nation in the West Bank, and accuse Israel of seeking to force them out of the region.
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For decades Palestinians have fought against
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Israel by committing acts of terrorism. Today the most common forms of attack are suicide bombers that blow up public places such as cafe's and busses.
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Suicide bombers are
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condemned by The international community
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there are many radical Islamic groups that
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pledge to destroy Israel. The radical groups often support these acts of terror
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The four areas of greatest dispute are:
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the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem.
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Both Israel and Palestine claim
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Jerusalem to be their own.
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Another important issue in dispute by Israel and Palestine is
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the right of Palestinians that were displaced in 1948 to return.
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Israel has already made peace with
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Egypt and Jordan.
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For many hundreds of years Iran existed as
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the Persian Empire
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In 1979 Islamic fundamentalists led by the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew
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the Persian government and established Iran as a conservative Islamic nation
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Khomeini despised
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the United States, and briefly held a number of American embassy workers hostage
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the United States and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations Since
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the 1979 revolution.
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There is a full trade embargo between
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Iran and The United States
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The United States accuses Iran of supporting
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Islamic terrorists
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Iran maintains a staunch
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anti¬American propaganda campaign
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Economically, Iran has
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large oil reserves, and oil revenue constitutes ninety percent of its income
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The Iranian government is seeking to
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diversify its economy
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The people of Iran elect
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some of their leaders
|
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the true power in the Iranian government is held by
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a group of very conservative Islamic clerics known as mullahs
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Turkey was created
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after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
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Most Turks are
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Muslim
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|
the Turkish government is
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secular
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True or False Turkey is not a first¬tier economic state
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True, but the government is working very hard to diversify its economy and bring greater prosperity.
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True or False Turkey is a true democracy
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True, and the people of Turkey enjoy many of the same civil rights as western nations.
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True or False Turkey is not a strong military ally of the United States
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False, Turkey is presently seeking to join the European Union. Such membership would bring great benefits
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Afghanistan is/is not truly part of the Middle East
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Is not, but it is important to the region.
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Afghanistan was created by
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Britain and Russia during the nineteenth century.
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|
Geographically, Afghanistan rests
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north of Pakistan and east of Iran
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|
the Soviet Union sought to control Afghanistan
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During the twentieth century
|
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during the 1980s Afghanistan engaged in
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a disastrous military occupation.
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The Soviets withdrew in
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the late 1980s,
|
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a group of radical Islamic fundamentalists took control of the Afghan government
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in the early 1990s Named the "Taliban,"
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The Taliban forced the Afghan people to
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live by a very intolerant and dogmatic set of Islamic codes. For example, under Taliban rules women were horribly mistreated, and non¬Muslims faced execution
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Virtually every nation in the world rejected
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the Taliban government
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Which nation was the only nation in the world to formally recognize the Taliban as legitimate
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Saudi Arabia
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Osama bin Laden found the Taliban appealing, and he moved to Afghanistan
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in the late 1990s
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|
The Taliban supported Osama Bin Laden, and he used Afghanistan as
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a base to launch attacks against the United States. The September 11 attack was one of several that had occurred during these years
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|
After September 11 the United States invaded
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Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban government
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|
The US military remains involved in a fight against
|
Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.
|
|
Afghanistan is
|
a failed state. It has virtually no economic infrastructure and its future is uncertain.
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