1. Central, Southwest, South, East, and Southeast

2. Central Asia I.Central Asia is made up of five countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) which are all landlocked. “Stan” means place where one stays. Central Asia was once part of Russia. Russia conquered and colonized Central Asia in the mid-1800s

3. Resistance to Russian rule grew during the 1910s. However, the Soviet government, which took power in Russia after the Russian Revolution in 1917, eventually crushed the resistance and made Central Asia part of the Soviet Union. As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Central Asian countries declared their independence.

5. A.Central Asia is a land of great contrasts in elevation – ranging from below sea level to high mountain peaks. Tectonic forces pushing up created the mountain ranges of Altray Shan, Tian Shan, and Pamirs.

6. B.At the region’s western edge lies the Caspian Sea, which is the world’s largest lake. East of the Caspian Sea is the Aral Sea, both of these lakes has no outlet to the ocean. Just two major rivers flow all the way across Central Asia; the Amu Dar’ya and the Dar’ya. Irrigation drains much of the water from these two rivers.

7. II.Climates and Natural Resources A.Most places in Central Asia have harsh climates. Summer temperatures can rise to 115°F and winter low of -36°F. This region has two large deserts – the Kara-Kum (“Black Sand”) and Kyzyl Kum (“Red Sand”).

8. B.The region’s highest peaks are too cold, dry, and windy for vegetation. Forest grow at middle elevations. Central Asia is known for its many walnut trees.

9. C.Animals that live in the mountains include deer, pheasants and wild boar. One of the world’s most beautiful and endangered big cats, the snow leopard, also lives in the high mountains.

10. D.A tree unique to Central Asia, the saxaul, is one of the few large plants found in the desert. The tree’s dense, heavy wood burns like charcoal. Desert peoples have used it as firewood for thousands of years.

11. E.Water is the most precious natural resource. Coal deposits are common in Kazakhstan. Oil fields are located near the Caspian Sea, but difficult to get to them. Turkmenistan has large natural gas reserves.

12. III.Culture A.Irrigated farming was the traditional way of life in the region’s southern areas. Herding was traditional way of life. A large segment of the population was made up of nomads. Nomads are people who move often from place to place.

13. B.The region’s nomads moved herds from mountain pastures in the summer to lowland pastures in the winter. Unique homes, called yurts, made moving with the herds possible. A yurt is a moveable round house of wool felt mats. The mats are placed over a wood frame.

15. C.Almost two thirds of Central Asians speak a Turkic language. Islam is the main religion. During the Soviet era, the government tried to get rid of all religions. It closed more than 35,000 mosques (Islamic churches) and Islamic schools. Since 1991 the remaining buildings have reopened.

16. D.Textiles are among Central Asia’s best-known art forms. Sheep, goats, and other animals grow long hair that is excellent for weaving into carpets. Red colors and geometric designs are common on most of the carpets.

17. IV.Economic Changes A.Agriculture remains important to Central Asia. Traditional herders raise camels, cattle, goats, horses, and sheep. Uzbekistan is the world’s third-largest exporter of cotton.

18. B.Central Asia has relatively few big cities because, throughout history, most of the people have been nomad farmers. Tashkent, the region’s largest city, has mud-brick homes.

19. C.Many of the people are poor and have few opportunities to improve their lives. Corruption and the lack of democracy (right to vote) are major obstacles to economic growth.

20. I.Landforms and Rivers A.Southwest Asia includes Saudi Arabia and the smaller countries of the Arabian Peninsula. BahrainQatar KuwaitUnited Arab Emirates OmanYemen

21. B.This region is often referred to as the Middle East. The Arabian Peninsula lies between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. To the north and east of the Arabian Peninsula is a region called Mesopotamia, which lies mostly in Iraq. Mesopotamia means “between the rivers.” These rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.

23. II.Climate, Plants, and Animals A.Hot and dry climates dominate the region. Rains come mostly during the winter. The southern interior is a mostly uninhabited desert called the Rub’al-Khali or “Empty Quarter.”

24. B.Shrubs and grasses cover the region’s wide dry plains. Trees are common only in mountain regions. Nearly all the region’s plants have adopted to survive long periods without rain.

25. III.Natural Resources The region’s two most important natural resources are oil and water. Oil is the region’s most valuable natural resource. The oil reserves along the Persian Gulf are the largest in the world.

26. IV.History and Culture A.The world’s first civilizations developed in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C. The people that settled this region were known as the Sumerians.

27. B.The prophet Muhammad, who lived in this region from about 570 A.D. to 632 A.D., established Islam. At age 40, he reported that a messenger from God, the angel Gabriel, told him to preach the word of God. The word God in Arabic is Allah.

28. C.Muhammad spread Allah’s message to his followers, called Muslims. Muslims are people who practice Islam. A holy book called the Qur’an (Koran) contains what Muslims believe to be Allah’s message to Muhammad. The Koran is the teaching of God (or Allah) on how all Muslims should live.

29. D.Most people in Southwest Asia are Arabs, and Arabic is the dominant language. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. It is a key member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, which influences oil prices by controlling supply. By reducing or increasing oil production, OPEC can affect the price of oil and ultimately the price of gasoline.

30. E. Until 2003 Iraq was ruled by a dictator, Saddam Hussein, who used the country’s oil reserve to build a large military. Under Saddam, Iraq invaded its neighbors –Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990 – seeking to gain control of their oil. A group of countries led by the U.S. drove back Iraqi forces in 1991 in a conflict known as the Persian Gulf War.

31. I. Landforms and Rivers A.The eastern Mediterranean region is part of an area often called the Middle East. It consists of six countries: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and the island of Cyprus.

32. B.The region lies on two continents. A small portion of Turkey is located in Europe with the majority of the country located in Asia.

33. C.The Jordan River flows south into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea lies 1,312 feet below sea level. Its shore is the lowest land on the Earth’s surface. The sea is so salty that all swimmers can easily float in it.

36. D.The Dead Sea provides Israel and Jordan with certain minerals, including potash and magnesium. Potash is used to process wool and to make certain fertilizers, glass, and soft soaps.

37. II.Palestine and Modern Israel A.Jews have been persecuted for 3000 years. They were led by Moses out of bondage in Egypt to the promised land (Israel). Although the Jews thought they could live in peace in Israel, they were driven from their homeland by several conquering empires.

38. B.The Muslims conquered the area once known as Israel around 1300 A.D. and renamed the area Palestine. During World War II, German Nazis murdered six million Jews in what became known as the Holocaust.

39. C.A movement known as Zionism began to grow after World War II. Zionism called for Jews to set up their own country or homeland in Palestine, which was originally the Jewish homeland. Arabs (mainly Muslims) already living in Palestine soon became angry at the growing Jewish population in their country.

40. D.In 1947 the United Nations voted to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Palestine for Arabs and Israel for the Jews. Since 1947 the Jews and Arabs have fought several wars for control of land.

41. E.Most people in eastern Mediterranean are Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. All of these faiths are monotheistic, meaning the belief in one God. Jewish religious laws influences Israel’s traditions and customs. For example, because Saturday is the weekly holy day in Judaism, most Israeli businesses are closed on that day.

42. I.Physical Features A.The Himalayas are one of India’s main landform regions. They are the highest mountains in the world.

43. B. The Himalayas affect weather patterns in India. India’s monsoons strongly influence to country’s climate. The wet summer monsoon usually begins about June. Some areas receive 400 inches of rain per year.

44. C.The great Ganges (GAN  jeez) River begins high in the Himalayas’ with melting snow and glaciers. It then flows more than 1,500 miles across India’s northern plains. People use the Ganges as a source of drinking water and fishing. Farmers use it to irrigate their crops.

45. D.To many people, the Ganges is much more than a river. It is Hinduism’s holy river. Hindus believe that just touching the water can wash away their sins. People with various ailments come from near and far seeking the healing powers of the water.

47. E.Tradition says that the Ganges is pure and that nothing can pollute its water. Yet huge amounts of sewage flows into the river, making it one of the world’s most polluted waterways. In spite of these dangers, devout Hindus readily drink and bathe in the Ganges waters.

48. II.British Rule A.By the mid-1800s Britain was in complete control of India. The British brought the English language and English systems of education, law, and government. Beginning in the early 1900s, the people of India began to demand independence from Britain.

49. B.A young lawyer named Mohandas Gandhi led the independence movement. His followers called him the Mahatma, or “Great Soul.”

50. C.Gandhi led peaceful protest marches and urged Indians to boycott, or refuse to buy, British goods. After World War II the British government granted India its independence. To avoid a religious civil war the British government divided the colony into two parts, India and Pakistan.

51. Pakistan was created for the Muslims. India was created for the Hindus.

52. III.Religion A.About 80 percent of India’s people are Hindu. Hindus are people who practice Hinduism. There are many gods and goddesses in Hinduism.

53. B.Followers of Hinduism believe that the soul is reborn again and again in different forms. This process is called reincarnation. The importance of doing the right thing in life is called dharma. Karma is the positive or negative force caused by a person’s actions.

54. C.Hindus believe that people who fulfill their dharma earn good karma and may be reborn as persons of higher status. (doctor, lawyer, politician) Those with bad karma may be reborn as people with lower status or as insects.

55. IV.India’s Economy A.India’s economy is extremely varied and is expanding rapidly. From agriculture in the rural areas to technology in the cities.

56. B.Farming is still the basis of India’s economy. It contributes 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.

57. C.Farms cover about half of India’s total area. Some of the major crops are rice, wheat, tea, and sugarcane. No country grows more peanuts, sesame seeds, or tea than India.

58. D.Millions of Indian women make a living by working at home in small-scale industries called cottage industries. They weave silk fabrics. Ikat is the traditional weaving process in India. Textiles (making of cloth products) is the leading exporting industry in India.

59. E.The government has been successful in attracting high-tech businesses to the city of Bangalore. Bangalore is the second largest computer software producing city in the world. With nearly 5 million people, it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia.

60. V.Cities and Villages A.Crowding, noise, smog, and traffic are part of the daily life in India’s cities. City workers wear European-style clothing and speak English. The working middle class makes up a larger part of urban society. Most live in small apartments with women working alongside men in professional and factory jobs.

61. B.Bombay has about 18 million people. It is the center of India’s huge movie industry. So many films are produced there that the city has been nicknamed Bollywood. Calcutta has more than 12 million people and is one of the world’s busiest seaports. India’s growing population is the cause of most of India’s problems, estimates suggest that India’s population will surpass that of China’s in 2030 with 1.4 billion people.

62. C.Villages tend to have large families because children have to help in the fields. In general, sons are valued more highly than daughters. Sons will also take care of their parents when they are old. Many rural families will continue to have children until they have two boys.

63. D.Women typically wear traditional style clothing in both the rural villages and in the city. The sari is a rectangle of cloth, that is wrapped around the woman’s body. A tight-fitting blouse called a choli is worn underneath.

64. E.A man in the city will wear traditional European clothing, but those in the rural villages men will wear more looser fitting clothing. Like the sari, a lungi is a length of fabric wrapped around the waist.