Middle East and North Africa

A sect of Islam distinct from Shia in that its adherents do not believe that the succession of the Prophet Mohammed should be hereditary and follow family bloodlines.

A tall tower in a mosque initially used to call worshippers to prayer.

Originally refers to manuscript in which the original script was overlain by subsequent scripts but some still remain visible.

The process by which water is transferred from land to the atmosphere by evaporation from soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.

An austere form of Sunni fundamentalism in the Islam religion that is heavily promoted by Saudi Arabia.

A nomadic people living in the desert regions of the Middle East and North Africa.

French expatriates living in Algeria.

A crop that is easy to bring to market and is also considered a primary good, such as wheat.

An underground layer of rock that bears water.

A political party that rued Iraq from 1968 to 2003.

A belief and adherence to the idea that Jewish people should be allowed to establish and maintain their own state in Israel.

A more formalized written standard form of Arabic that is commonly used across the Arab-speaking world, in contrast to the multiple forms of spoken Arabic.

Back to top