Chapter 19 Home Work

Chapter 19, Section 1

1. How does physical geography affect farming and fishing in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia?

Answer:
Because most countries in that region have non-arable land, there is not a lot of farming activity.  The few countries with arable land grow citrus fruits, grapes, olives, dates, and cereal crops.  However, the plants grown vary from country to country, depending on circumstances, environment, and the needs and habits of surrounding people.  The many seas and gulfs have resulted in huge fishing industries.

2. How are improvements in transportation and communications changing life in the region?

Answer:

The improvements have made it easier for cultures and people to mix.  It is also easier to trade and to communicate with other nations beyond the ones in their own region.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph comparing some of the similarities and differences in the ways people earn a living, communicate with each other, and travel in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia and in the United States and Canada.

Answer:

Some of the jobs such as farmers, miners, and fishers are similar to jobs in the U.S.  However, it is more common in the U.S. and Canada to have service jobs, while these are a bit more rare in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia.  There, it is more common to have a travel agency job.  Travel methods are similar being provided by cars, airplanes, and trains. However, subways and trains are more common in Southwest/Central Asia and North Africa.

Chapter 19, Section 2

1. How have people in the region dealt with scarce water resources?

Answer:

The people have resorted to desalination when possible, and people are making man-made rivers to drain water from sources into inland people through the Sahara.  If more rivers were completed, then the countries and people would have more water.

2. What are the causes and effects of three of the major environmental problems in the

region?

Answer:
Three main environmental problems in the region are the oil in the Persian gulf, the shrinking seas, and nuclear and chemical dangers.  The oil in the Persian gulf is the result of Kuwait setting fire to their oil wells and Iraqi troops dumping millions of gallons of oil into the Persian gulf.  The result of this spill has been the deaths of millions of birds and marine life.  The shrinking seas has been caused by pollution and overfishing.  the result of this has been the death of fish, the decline of fishing industries, and loss of water.  The nuclear residue from the Soviets' bomb testings have affected Kazakhstan greatly, the citizens suffering from radiation even today.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement: It is necessary for all of the countries in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia to cooperate to develop plans and technologies to bring more freshwater to the region.

Answer:

Yes, it is necessary that they do this.  The people of that region are suffering for water, and at this rate they don't care.  And, if the countries agree and cooperate on a way to deliver freshwater into the region, then there would be no dispute on construction happening in one another's land.  Wars of this would not be necessary if they worked together, and no wars means no unnecessary death and no more economical or environmental damage.