1. According to the textbook, which South Asian country is currently the world’s largest
democracy?
c) Bangladesh
d) Nepal
2. Which religious belief came to South and Central Asia in the Middle Ages?
a) Confucianism
b) Buddhism
3. Which country is NOT in Central Asia?
a) Tajikstan
b) Turkmenistan
4. Which country is NOT in South Asia?
c) Pakistan
d) Nepal
5. What is true about the geography of both South and Central Asia?
a) Most of the region is very wet, with even wetter monsoon seasons.
b) Nearly all of the lands in the region have a reliable supply of water and fertile soils.
6. What civilization ruled over all of Central Asia around the year 1200?
a) the Indus River Valley peoples
b) the Timurid
7. Which two countries were involved in the “Great Game” or “Tournament of
Shadows”?
c) Russia and France
d) France and the United States of America
8. According to the text, the Vedas, reincarnation, the Ganges Valley, and “many
expressions of the deity” are all associated with which Central and South Asian religion?
a) Tibetan Buddhism
b) Islam
9. What factor is not a challenge to economic development for a number of countries in
the region?
a) Shift from command-style to market-style economies
d) Lack of infrastructure investment and development
10. Which event do the authors say is a root cause of political tension in South Asia?
a) The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
b) The September 11th attacks on the United States
11. The Silk Road is now used as a metaphor for what?
c) China’s political ambitions to rebuild the Mongol Empire
d) the global diffusion of Islam and Buddhism
12. Samrakand, a center of Silk Road activity, is located in the modern day country of
a) Kyrgyzstan
b) Kazakhstan
13. According to your book, what types of methods and policies are likely to be effective
and acceptable in reducing India’s population growth rate?
a) Strict one-child laws that limit family size
b) Safe, state-promoted sterilization campaigns
14. Which of the following countries saw major earthquakes in 2005 and 2015,
respectively?
a) India and Pakistan
d) Both major earthquakes took place in Pakistan.
15. A one-meter rise in sea level would likely have which of the following effects?
a) Approximately 20 million people from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka would be
displaced
b) Salinization of the soil in north-western India would reach critical levels.
16. Why, according to the textbook, does cotton production in Central Asia have an
impact on the level of water in the Aral Sea?
a) Irrigation canals are sandy and leaky, leading to water waste.
b) Cotton requires a great deal of water, so more is diverted from source rivers before
reaching the sea.
17. Which of the following is among the rising challenges facing India in the near future?
a) Depletion of scarce resources due to overpopulation
b) Inequality between men and women
18. Which country do the authors say is fairly powerful in Central Asia and why?
c) Afghanistan because of strategic importance
d) Mongolia because of its role in history