Across
- 3. of the Rock- A shrine in Jerusalem, located on the Temple MOunt, which houses the spot where muslims believe Muhammad rose into heaven and where Jews believe Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac to God.
- 5. A region in Southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which was the location of some of the earliest civilizations in the world; part of the culture known as Fertile Crescent
- 8. A displaced group of Arabs who lived or still live in the area formerly called Palestine and now called Israel
- 11. One the two main branches of Islam, comprising about 83 percent of all Muslims including those in Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan
- 12. Strip- A territory along the Mediterranean just Northeast of the Sinai Peninsula; part of the land set aside for Palestinians
- 15. Converts crude oil into useful products
- 16. An Islamic place of worship where Muslims pray facing toward the holy city of Mecca
- 17. Flat- Flat land made of chemical salts that remain after winds evaporate the moisture in the soil
- 19. Water- Water pumped from underground aquifers
- 23. One of the two main branches of Islam including most Iranians and some population of Iraq and Afghanistan
- 25. The founder and prophet of Islam who lived part of his life in the city of Mecca
- 28. Ethnic group is Southwestern Asia that has occupied Kurdistan located in Turkey, Iraq, Iran for about a thousand years and who have been involved in clashes with these three countries over land claims for most of the 20th century
- 30. Nation- A nation of people that does not have a territory to legally occupy, like the Palestinians, Kurds, and Basques
- 32. The holiest city of Islam located in Saudi Arabia where people make pilgrimages to fulfill Islamic religious duty
- 34. Wall- For Jews its the holiest site in Jerusalem the only remaining portion of the Second Temple
- 35. Height- A hilly plateau overlooking the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee
Down
- 1. Workers- A largely unskilled laborer, often an immigrant from South and East Asia; brought in to the oil booming countries fill job openings that the region's native peoples find culturally or economically unacceptable
- 2. A strict Muslim group in Afghanistan that has imposed rigged rules on society
- 4. The removal of salt from ocean water
- 6. Resources- The skills and talent of employed people
- 7. A riverbed that remains dry except during the many rainy seasons
- 9. River- A river of Southwest Asia which supported several ancient civilizations and flows through parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iran and empties into the Persian Gulf
- 10. A form of government in which religious leaders control the government relying on religious law and consulting with religious scholars
- 11. Commodity- A resource so important that nation will go to war to ensure its steady supply
- 13. A movement that began in the 19th century to create and support a Jewish homeland in Palestine
- 14. Oil- Petroleum that has not yet been processed
- 18. A place where water from an aquifer has reached the surface; it supports vegetation and wildlife
- 20. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, a group established in 1960, by some oil producing nations to coordinate some policies on selling petroleum products
- 21. Bank- In Israel, a strip of land on the West side of the Jordan River, originally controlled by Jordan, which is part of the land set aside for Arab Palestinians
- 22. Liberation Organization (PLO)- A group formed in the 1960’s, to regain the Arab land in Israel for Palestinian Arabs
- 24. A monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and the biggest cultural and religious influence in North Africa
- 26. al-Khali- Also known as the Empty Quarter; one of the largest sandy deserts in the world, covering about 250,000sq miles located in the Arabian Peninsula
- 27. Sea- A landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan, that is so salty nothing can live in these waters
- 29. Irrigation- The practice of using small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground to conserve water to use for crops
- 31. River- One of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia; it supported many ancient river valley civilizations and flows through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
- 33. River- A river that serves as a natural boundary between Israel and Jordan flowing from the mountains of Lebanon with no outlet to the Mediterranean Sea