Deck 10: Central Asia

Question 1

The only feasible way of life on the Tibetan plateau seen so far is nomadic pastoralism based on the yak.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

How do social conditions in the Central Asian countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union compare with social conditions in the other countries in the region?

A) Levels of health and education are relatively low in Central Asian republics that were formerly part of the USSR, and are continuing to decline since the demise of the Soviet Union.
B) Levels of health and education are relatively high in Central Asian republics that were formerly part of the USSR, and continue to rise since the demise of the Soviet Union.
C) Levels of health and education are relatively low in Central Asian republics that were formerly part of the USSR, but are rising since the demise of the Soviet Union.
D) Levels of health and education are relatively high in Central Asian republics that were formerly part of the USSR, but are declining since the demise of the Soviet Union.
E) Levels of health and education in Central Asia are in the middle range, and the demise of the Soviet Union is causing a decline in these levels.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Currently desiccation is a more serious threat to the Caspian Sea than pollution.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the Uyghur language is most accurate?

A) Uyghur is an Indo-European language, and the main native language of Russia's eastern provinces.
B) Uyghur is an Indo-European language, and the main native language of China's Xinjiang province.
C) Uyghur is a Turkic language of the Altaic language family, and the main native language of Russia's eastern provinces.
D) Uyghur is a Turkic language of the Altaic language family, and the main native language of China's Xinjiang province.
E) Uyghur is a Tibeto-Burman language, and the main native language of China's Xinjiang province.

Question 5

What group replaced Turkish control on the eastern steppes of Central Asia?

A) Pashtun
B) Tibetan
C) Mongol
D) Persian

Question 6

What development led to the emergence of nomadic pastoralism in Central Asia?

A) domestication of the apple
B) a climate change that made the region dryer
C) domestication of the horse
D) domestication of wheat

Question 7

The Pamir Knot is a complex tangle of east-west and north-south trending mountain ranges on the borders of Afghanistan,Tajikistan,Pakistan,and China.

Question 8

What transportation technology is needed to take advantage economically of the oil wealth of Central Asia?

A) waterways
B) highways
C) pipelines
D) railroads
E) specialized oil tankers

Question 9

What do most climate change experts predict will happen to Central Asia?

A) It will be hit hard by climate change, leading to melting of glaciers and reduced river flows.
B) Because of the region's low density, the problems will be minimal.
C) This dry region will benefit from higher overall precipitation.
D) The region will move to the forefront of solar energy technology development.
E) This region will not be affected by climate change.

Question 10

In what former Soviet republic did war break out immediately after 1991 between Islamist groups,smaller ethnic groups,and the government?

A) Uzbekistan
B) Tajikistan
C) Armenia
D) Azerbaijan
E) Kyrgyzstan

Question 11

Early urban development in Central Asia was located near

A) ports.
B) the coast.
C) in populated areas.
D) near the silk route.
E) near ports and rivers.

Question 12

Which of the following was not a strategy of the Soviet Union in Central Asia?

A) nurture local nationalisms
B) replace local leaders with Communist Party officials
C) define a series of union republics based on ethnicity
D) creation of complex borders for new republics

Question 13

The Caspian Sea

A) drains into the Mediterranean.
B) has doubled in size over the last few hundred years.
C) is threatened by oil-industry pollution.
D) is in much greater danger than is the Aral Sea is for desiccation due to excess water use.
E) is the smallest lake in Central Asia.

Question 14

Which of the following religions are found among the peoples of Central Asia?

A) Christianity
B) Islam
C) Buddhism
D) Judaism and other minor religions
E) All of the answer choices are correct

Question 15

Virtually the entire area of the Tibetan Plateau is higher than ________ feet above sea level.

A) 24,000
B) 2,000
C) 118,000
D) 150,000
E) 12,000

Question 16

Central Asia's international recognition as a region has increased since the 1990s due to

A) territorial expansion.
B) political participation in global organizations.
C) the discovery of large oil and gas reserves.
D) as a destination for manufacturing firms.

Question 17

Which of the following parts of Central Asia remains relatively unspoiled compared to other areas of Central Asia?

A) southern Uzbekistan
B) northwestern Tibet
C) eastern Kazakhstan
D) Azerbaijan
E) central Kyrgyzstan

Question 18

What is the common language of the former Soviet union republics of Central Asia?

A) Arabic
B) Tajik
C) Persian
D) Pashtun
E) Russian

Question 19

Because the Soviet regime converted most productive pastures into farmland in the mid-1900s to increase the country's supply of grain,northern Kazakhstan

A) has the lowest population density in the region.
B) has a large number of immigrants.
C) has the highest population density in the steppe belt.
D) has serious problems with acid rain.

Question 20

Which of the following is(are)NOT one of the distinctive traditional forms of sport in Central Asia?

A) horse racing
B) wrestling
C) archery
D) cricket
E) cricket and wrestling

Question 21

Since the fall of the Soviet Union,ethnic conflicts have troubled Tajikistan,and Kyrgyzstan.

Question 22

Describe the current state of the economies of Central Asian countries and explain why these countries are generally so underdeveloped.

Question 23

During Soviet rule,immigration of ethnic Russians to Central Asia was encouraged.

Question 24

Describe the distribution of human population in the Tibetan Plateau,other highland areas of Central Asia,Central Asia desert regions,and lowlands.Discuss the ways humans settlement patterns illustrate adaption to often-harsh physical surroundings.

Question 25

Emigration from of Central Asian countries is often to Russia.

Question 26

Although soccer is seen as the most popular sport in most Central Asian countries,Central Asian countries have been slower to embrace the globalization of sports than other regions.

Question 27

What is the overall status of women in Central Asia? Why have women in Afghanistan been so strictly controlled,and what is the nature of that control?

Question 28

Why are ethnic Russians leaving Central Asia?

Question 29

Discuss the major environmental issues in Central Asia.

Question 30

Write an essay in which you discuss the Russian war in Afghanistan,and the subsequent rise of the Taliban.In your discussion,please consider the primary causes of the war,the key players involved,and the Taliban's effect on the country's cultural landscape.