Umm, Geographically Speaking Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jordan

The name that the river and the country share is Jordan. Gadara was one of the cities of the Decapolis. As such, it was a hotbed of cultural activity during Greek and Roman times, attracting writers, philosophers, artists, and poets. Menippus the cynic, Meleagros the epigrammatist, and Theodoros the rhetorician all hailed from this city.

It was a Roman resort because of the nearby Himmet Gader Springs. It is mentioned in Matthew 8:28-34 as being the place where Jesus cast demons out of two mad men.

Answer: Iraq

Umm Qasr is an important port in Iraq, near the border with Kuwait. It grew in importance during the Iran/Iraq War because the port city of Basra was too close to Iran. After this war, access to Umm Qasr was one of the disputes between Kuwait and Iraq that led to the Iraqi invasion in 1990.

After the Persian Gulf War, Saddam Hussein moved a lot of commerce away from Basra to Umm Qasr to punish Basra for being part of the uprising against him. During the Iraq War, the port was the scene of fierce fighting and took several days to fall.

After being cleared, it became an important port for the delivery of humanitarian aid for Iraqi civilians.

Answer: U.A.E.

Umm al-Quwain is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). It is the least populated of the seven and only about 290 square miles in size. It is known for being one of the more laid-back and peaceful of the emirates. It is home to the world's largest aquapark, Dreamland. It has many other amenities and attractions for tourists.

Answer: Syria

Damascus is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and is the capital of Syria. Umm el-Marra is the site of one of the most significant archeological finds in Syria, a tomb complex that dates back to between 2500 and 2200 B.C.

They are the oldest known tombs in the region and comparable to the ones found in Ur in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) during the same time period, although not as elaborate. Tuba appears to have been an important trading center and is mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions as a town conquered during the empire's north Syrian campaign.

Answer: Egypt

Umm el-Qa'ab is the name of a region in Egypt that was used as a burial ground as far back as 3800 B.C. It was the royal cemetery both in pre-dynastic and dynastic times, including the Naqada I period and 1st Dynasty, as well as the last two kings of the 2nd Dynasty. One of the more famous tombs is U-j.

In this tomb, some inscribed tablets were found that are believed to be the oldest known writings of humanity. The Arabic name alludes to all of the pottery found in the region.

Answer: Iraq

The leader was Saddam Hussein and the phrase was "The Mother of All Battles". Umm Al-Hafriyat is an important site in Iraq. It was first excavated in 1977 by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. During this dig, artifacts from the Akkadian period, approximately 2300 to 2100 B.C., were found, along with evidence of occupation of the site from the Uruk period (3500 B.C.), the Ur III to Old Babylonian period (2200-1800 B.C.), the Kassite period (1250 B.C.), and the Seleucid period (300 B.C.).

It was an industrial town with evidence of both pottery and brick-making over extended periods of time.

Answer: Israel

Umm al-Fahm means "mother of charcoal" in Arabic. The village used to be surrounded by natural forests which were used to produce charcoal. Archaeological sites around the city have produced evidence from as far back as the Iron Age up through the Greek, Roman, and Muslim periods.

Although situated in Israel, there is no significant Jewish population in the city. The Islamic Movement controls the politics of the city of approximately 43,000 residents.

Answer: Amman

Jordan's official title is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its capital is Amman. Umm el-Jimal is an important archaeological site because of its Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic ruins. First established in the first century A.D., it was annexed by the Romans in the second century A.D. when they took control of the Nabatean Empire under Trajan.

The settlement was destroyed in the middle of the third century A.D., but re-established as a military outpost in the late Roman period. It reached its zenith in the sixth century A.D. but an earthquake in 748 destroyed it.

Answer: Egypt

Ain Umm Dabadib is an abandoned fortress of a style unknown in the region. It has rectangular towers instead of rounded ones, leading some to speculate that the fortress is from a later time period than the other fortresses in the area. The settlement around the fortress was also quite extensive, with a series of underground aqueducts.

The aqueducts are also of a different makeup than the Roman ones in the area and are closely related to those found in Persia, leading some to speculate that they date back to Darius I. Ten cemeteries have been discovered in the area, along with an Egyptian temple and a Christian church.

Answer: Qatar

Umm Said is also known as Mesaieed. It is located on the eastern coast of Qatar. It is the largest oil exporting port of Qatar and a commercial deep water port. It is an industrial city that produces steel, fertilizers, petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas. Because of its strategic location, the U.S. Central Command began using it as a fuel storage facility in the early 2000s.

It is also a tourist haven because of its almost-perfect weather and security.