| A | B |
|---|
| crusade | A Christian holy war. |
| Zionism | Movement to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. |
| Sunni | More moderate branch of Islam; includes majority of Muslims. |
| Shiite | More radical branch of Islam; established in Iran. |
| theocracy | Blending of religion & government. |
| Islamic fundamentalism | Conservative Muslim movement to accept western technology but not western values. |
| hajj | Pilgrimage to Mecca; the 5th Pillar of Faith. |
| hejira | Movement of Mohammed out of Mecca which marks the first year in the Muslim calendar. |
| jihad | Muslim holy war; considered by some the 6th Pillar of Faith. |
| Bedouin | A desert nomad (herder) in the Middle East. |
| scarcity | Lack of a resource (which is water in the Middle East). |
| Balfour Declaration | British document of 1917 that supported the creatino of a Jewish state in Palestine. |
| oil | Major resource (75% of world's supply) that keeps the Middle East in the world spotlight. |
| Fertile Crescent | Fertile area along the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. |
| Israel | Small democratic country along the Mediterranean Sea created in 1948. |
| West Bank | Jerusalem is in this area of Israel where Palestinians continue to struggle for self-rule. |
| Jerusalem | City in Israel considered holy by Jews, Christians, & Muslims. |
| Afghanistan | Country west of Pakistan that is ousting its conservative government: the Taliban. |
| Mecca | Holy city of Islam in western Saudi Arabia. |
| Iraq | Country in the Fertile Crescent that refuses westernization & continues conflict with the US. |
| Sahara | Large desert stretching across most of northern Africa. |
| Nile | Fertile river in Egypt that supports a large population. |
| Suez Canal | Man-made body of water connecting the Red Sea & the Mediterranean Sea. |
| Red Sea | Body of water that separates Africa & the Arabian Peninsula. |
| Persian Gulf | Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 to gain access to this body of water. |
| Turkey | Country in the Northern Tier; mostly mountains & plateaus. |
| Istanbul | Strategic city that lies between Europe & Asia. |
| suq | Central marketplace. |
| mosque | Islamic place of worship. |
| PLO | Group that works for Palestinian (Arab & Muslim) self-rule. |
| Yassir Arafat | Leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization for 40 years. |
| Palestine | Holy "Land of Milk & Honey" west of the Jordan River. |
