Middle East Diversity and Independence Quiz

Nationalism and Independence in the Middle East

• Nationalist groups demanded self-rule or independence in newly formed nations.

Partition of Palestine

• The Palestine mandate was partitioned into Arab areas and Israel due to rising tensions between Arab and Jewish residents over Jewish immigration and land ownership.

Religious Groups in the Middle East

• In Iraq and Bahrain, Sunnis ruled over the Shiite majority.

Challenges to Unity

• Sectarian, ethnic, and religious divisions posed challenges to unity in many Middle Eastern nations.

Kurdish Quest for Independence

• The Kurds have long called for an independent homeland across several countries in the Middle East.

Kurdish Uprising in Iraq

• The Kurdish uprising in Iraq in 1991 was crushed, leading to a massive refugee crisis.

Demographics of Middle Eastern Countries

• Arabs are a majority in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

Post-Ottoman Empire Territories

• The British controlled the Palestine mandate and three provinces of the old Ottoman Empire that formed modern-day Iraq.

Mandate System Goals

• The stated goal of the mandate system in the Middle East was to prepare territories for self-rule and eventual independence.

Tensions in British-Ruled Palestine

• Tensions grew in British-ruled Palestine between Arab and Jewish residents over Jewish immigration and land ownership.

Arab Demands

• Arabs in the region demanded independence and an end to Jewish immigration during the time when Britain supported a Jewish national home in part of the Palestine mandate.

Emergence of Independent Nations

• Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel emerged as independent nations following World War II from the former mandates.