Unit 8 World Geography – Flashcards
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A large landmass that is smaller than a continent
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Subcontinent
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A storm system with strong winds that spin in a circular motion
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Cyclone
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Winds that change direction according to the time of year and bring heavy rains in the summer
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Monsoon
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A religion that began as a protest against the caste system
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Jainism
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A Hindu social group
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Caste
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A religion in which followers worship many gods
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Hinduism
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The main ethnic group in both Pakistan and Afghanistan
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Punjabi
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What are the Central Asia states?
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1) Kazakhstan 2) Kyrgyzstan 3) Tajikistan 4) Turkmenistan 5) Uzbekistan
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What are the Caucasus states?
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1) Georgia 2) Azerbaijan 3) Armenia
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What are the main sub-regions?
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1) West Siberian Plains 2) Turan Plain 3) Desert
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What is the main religion of Central Asia and the Caucasus states?
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Islam
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What are the key industries of Central Asia and the Caucasus States?
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Mining and processing oil
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What are the consequences of shrinking of the Aral Sea?
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As the Aral Sea began to shrink, it grew more salty. Freshwater fish living in the sea began to die. Ships were stranded on the salty deserts that were once seashores. Salt blew over the lands nearby and damaged the soil. The soil could no longer be used as farmland.
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What are the most common religions of India and its Neighbors?
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Hinduism and Islam
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What are the important rivers of India?
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1) Brahmaputra River 2) Indus River 3) Ganges river
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Major languages of India
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Hindu
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What is the main physical regions of India and its Neighbors?
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1) Mountains 2) Indo-Gangetic Plain 3) Deccan Plateau 4) Great Indian Desert
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What countries are largely Buddhists?
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Bhutan and Sri Lanka
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What crops are exported by India?
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1) Cotton 2) Tea 3) Rice 4) Cashew Nuts 5) Spices
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What does Sri Lanka export?
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1) Tea 2) Diamonds 3) Emeralds 4) Rubies
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What are the three main geographic regions in Pakistan?
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1) Mountains 2) Dry Plateau 3) Lowlands along the Indus River
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What are the three main geographic regions in Afghanistan?
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1) Highlands 2) Dry Plains 3) Deserts
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Why have Afghans settled in Pakistan?
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Poverty
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What is Pakistan's largest industry?
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Food processing
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What is Pakistan's and Afghanistan's largest environmental problems?
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Deforestation and Soil Erosion
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What sea is surrounded by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan?
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The Aral Sea
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What sea is between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan?
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Caspian Sea
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What is the capital of Azerbaijan? Turkmenistan?
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Azerbaijan: Baku Turkmenistan: Ashgabat
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What region is south of the Caucasus States?
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Middle East
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What 3 countries in this region are the farthest east?
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1) Russia 2) China 3) Afghanistan
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How did the Silk Road play a part in the history of this region?
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Europe and Asia traded along an overland trade route known as the Silk Road
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What 2 deserts cover most of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan?
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Turkmenistan: the Kara-Kum Desert Uzbekistan: Sandy Deserts and Dunes
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Why does little water reach the Aral Sea?
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When the Soviet Union controlled this area, so much water was taken out of the river that little water reached the Aral Sea
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Why does most of the Caucasus region have a highland climate?
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There is a big range in temperature because the high mountains block the warm winds from the Mediterranean and Black Sea
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What seems to be a slightly unusual aspect of Lake Balkhash?
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Lake Balkhash is a large lake in southwestern Kazakhstan. It is shrinking because of all the water taken out of the rivers that feed it. The western half of the lake is fresh water but the eastern half is salt water
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What part of central Asia has a steppe climate?
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North
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Which country has been invaded the most and by whom?
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Armenia. the smallest country of the region, has been invaded by Romans, Persians, Turks, Mongols, and Russians
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Why can it be a problem if many ethnic groups live in one country?
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Some groups want to break away and be independent
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How does the ethnic background of Tajikistan stand out from the other countries?
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The Tajik people are neither Turkic nor Mongol, but are related to the people of Iran. They are descended from Persians who ruled the area about 2,500 years ago
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How did the Soviet Union interfere with Islam while it controlled many of these countries?
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During the Soviet era, the governments discouraged religion throughout the region. No money was given to mosques, which are Islamic places of worship. All students had to study Communism. Factories did not give workers time for the daily prayers required for Muslims
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Why are the Caucasus called "the Mountains of Tongues"?
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The Caucasus were called "the Mountains of Tongues" because hundred of languages were spoken
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What family of languages of Kyrgz, Kazakh, and Uzbek belong to?
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Turkic
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Why are Azerbaijan and Armenia fighting?
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Azerbaijan has a conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Nagorno-Karabakh is surrounded by Azerbaijan, but most of the people living there are ethnic Armenians
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What caused Astana in Kazakhstan to become a modern city in just 10 years?
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Kazakhstan has found new wealth in oil and natural gas which led to the rapid growth of its cities. Many people have moved from rural areas to cities to find jobs
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Why is much less produced by privately owned businesses?
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The people have little experience running companies. One result is that much less is produced
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Which countries in the region have oil and natural gas deposits?
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Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan
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Who helped build a pipeline in Azerbaijan? In Kazakhstan?
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Azerbaijan: Western Companies Kazakhstan: China
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How did Uzbekistan become the 5th largest producer of cotton in the world when crops can be grown on only 11% of its land?
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Irrigation
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What environmental problems in the region did the Soviets contribute to?
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The Soviets were more interested in growing cotton than the environment. To improve production, the Soviets used harmful chemicals to kill pests and protect against plant diseases. Many chemical fertilizers were used in the cotton fields which caused a lot of pollution
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What do the problems with the Aral Sea and chemical fertilizers have in common?
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They are both affecting people who live in the area
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Where is the Indian subcontinent located, and what type of landform is it?
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The Indian subcontinent is a peninsula surrounded by the Indian Ocean
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What formed the Himalayas?
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The Himalayan mountain range formed as a result of collision between the Indian plate and Eurasian plate which began 50 million years ago and continues today
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Which subcontinent nation is an island?
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Sri Lanka
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How did the Himalayas get their name?
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Himalayas means "Home of the Snows" in Nepali, the official language of Nepal. Glaciers and snow cover the mountains year round
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Why can so little of the Deccan plateau be farmed?
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The western and southern parts have little rain, so farming is difficult
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What is the direction of summer monsoons winds, and what do they bring?
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In summer, wind blows from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and bring in heavy rain
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How are the autumn monsoons different?
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In autumn, the monsoon changes to the northeast
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The Ganges
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It begins in the Himalayas and flows to the Indo-Gangetic Plain. One-third of India's people live on this plain
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The Brahmaputra
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Has the greatest volume of water of all the rivers in India because of the heavy rains that fall in the lands it drains. The low flood plain and delta of the two rivers make up most of Bangladesh
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The Krishna River
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It starts in the western Ghats and flows east into the Bay of Bengal. The rivers is long but does not carry much water
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The Godavari
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Begins in the western Ghats and flows southwesterly for over 600 miles until it too empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its delta on the east coast is one of India's main rice-growing areas. The Narmada flows into the Arabian Sea
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How would you describe the culture of this region?
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This region has many cultures with great diversity in religion, languages, and education
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What is India's national language, and what language is used in government and business?
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Hindu is India's national language. From 1750-1947, India was a colony of Great Britain, so English is the language of government and larger businesses
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What problem caused by the diversity of languages in India?
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There are more than 200 languages spoken on the continent
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Why did the partition of India cause problems?
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People lack of food, housing, health care, or educational services. The average income in India is only $530 per year
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What new countries arose out of this partition?
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India and Pakistan
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How does Kashmir illustrate the problem of religious conflicts in India and Pakistan?
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Most of the people of Kashmir are Muslims, but India claims that Kashmir is part of its country; the risk of war is high
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Why are the monsoons important to farmers?
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Many farmers depend on monsoon rains to grow crops
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What do the region's river provide?
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Cheap hydroelectric power
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Which nation has the most coal and iron ore?
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India's Deccan Plateau
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Which nation exports gemstones?
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Sri Lanka
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What prevents India from making the most of its steel industry?
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India's steel mills are old and inefficient
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What is the main cause of water pollution?
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Human waste is the main cause of water pollution because there aren't many systems that removes human waste properly
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What mountain range is in eastern Afghanistan?
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Hindu Kush
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What country borders Pakistan on the east?
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India
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What country borders Afghanistan on the west?
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Turkmenistan
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What river flows through most of Pakistan?
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Indus River
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Which country has most or all of the lower elevations?
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Pakistan
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What country is north and west of Pakistan?
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Afghanistan
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To what U.S. state does Pakistan compare to in its size
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The size of Texas
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Why have many different groups tried to control Afghanistan?
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It's an important crossroad
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What early civilization ruins are still visible along the Indus River?
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Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
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Why are the mountain glaciers important?
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When they melt, they feed the Indus River and its tributaries
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Why is the Indus River important?
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It carries twice as much water as the Nile River does. It has 5 important tributaries: The Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers
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What is the problem with most of Afghanistan's rivers?
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The dams have not been cared for, and none of them are working well
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What is the climate like on the Balochistan Plateau?
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The plateau is stony and dry. The rivers and streams contains water only after it rains
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What is Punjab and how did it get its name?
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Punjab means "The Five Waters". The people call the area Punjab because the five important tributaries of the Indus flows through it
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What languages do people in Afghanistan speak?
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Pashto and Afghan Persian (Dari)
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What kind of Muslims are most people in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
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Sunni Muslims
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What sort of rules and beliefs do the Taliban follow?
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The Taliban follow a strict form of Islam. They believe women cannot work outside the home
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What is terrorism?
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The use of fear and power to control people
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Why are Pakistan and Afghanistan dependent on food imported from other countries?
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Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are poor countries. Both receives large amounts of foreign aid from the United States and other countries.
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What is the problem with Afghanistan's natural resources?
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Afghanistan has not developed its resources
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Why have environmental problems not been an important concern for Pakistan?
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Pakistan is trying to grow enough food for its people and trying to develop industries; they haven't paid much attention to the environment
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Why are many of these countries' forest disappearing?
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Firewood
