Lesson 1: Geography of West Asia
Lesson 2: Geography of North Africa
Lesson 3: The Rise of the Ottoman Empire
1. List the countries of West Asia.
Ans. West Asian countries include Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
2. Which are the three important seas or gulfs surrounding the Arabian Peninsula?
Ans: The Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea.
3. Which countries included North Africa?
Ans. North Africa comprises the modern countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
4. What historical trade routes connected North Africa's ports with the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and
Egypt?
The historical trade routes that connected North Africa's ports with the Iberian Peninsula, Italy,
and Egypt were the overland camel caravan routes that ran from south to north. These routes were
used to transport valuable commodities such as salt and gold from Mali and Western Africa to the
northern ports on North Africa's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
5. Write a small paragraph about the following:
A)Blue Nile
B)Lake Nasser
A)The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately 1,450
km through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major
tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 80% of the water in the Nile during the rainy season.
B) Lake Nasser is a vast reservoir in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. It is one of the largest
man-made lakes in the world. Before construction, Sudan was against the building of Lake
Nasser because it would encroach on land in the North.
6. What significant geographical features are associated with the Atlas Mountains, and how do
they impact the surrounding areas?
The Atlas Mountains stretch from the southwest to the northwest, extending into Algeria.
Morocco's High Atlas Mountains have snow-capped peaks contributing to valleys and
agricultural lands. The middle area, known as the Moyen Atlas, and the Tellian Atlas in the
northeast of the region are part of this mountain range.
7. Write a brief description of the rise and expansion of the Ottoman Empire into the Arab lands.
The Ottoman Empire, emerging from Central Asian Turkish tribes, expanded westward into
Anatolia after defeating the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Over three
centuries, they dominated Anatolia, ventured into Eastern Europe, and established the Ottoman
state in 1299. The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 marked a pivotal moment, leading to
Ottoman rule over a vast territory, including the Arab lands. Under Suleyman the Magnificent, by
1516, Ottoman expansion reached Syria, the Balkans, Iraq, and Egypt, necessitating the creation of
a comprehensive administration to govern these diverse regions.
8. What were Janissaries?
The Ottomans created an elite military corps known as the Janissaries, made up of young men who
were forced to serve in the military. Janissaries were allowed to use muskets and new firearms.
9. What is different about the way the Europeans expanded and the way the Ottomans expanded?
The Ottoman Empire occupied lands that were all joined by land. This differed from the Western
European countries, for instance, the British Empire, Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish Empires, who
founded their empires using the sea.
