World Geography Final Exam Review

Fall 2013

1. How has global diffusion of advanced computer and communications technology affected peoples’

access to the following?

• Higher Education– Increased access

• Pop Culture– Increased access

• Maintaining traditional customs– Decreased interest

2. How can a more diverse culture be created when new immigrant groups move into existing

local cultures? • By keeping some

ideas of the original culture, while incorporating some of the local culture

• Much like the ingredients of a “salad bowl” instead of a “melting pot”

3. What has happened to the cultural landscapes of commercial areas worldwide, thanks to the

diffusion of popular American chain restaurants?

• They have all begun to look very similar– like seeing

McDonald’s on the city’s streets

4. List several problems that occur when tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon, rapidly

disappear. • Animal habitats

destroyed for human use

• Less trees to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen

• Destruction of medicinal plants that heal and cure disease

5. What are the effects of the Industrial Revolution

in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century? • Early 1800s -

Europeans immigrated to the US for economic and job opportunities in the Northeast

• 1860 – 1900 –

about 14 million Europeans arrived to work in the US

6. What are the EPA and the Clean Air Act? How

do they protect the air quality? • Environmental

Protection Agency– Agency designed to

protect human health and the environment

• Clean Air Act– Ensures air quality is

not dangerous to humans

7. What indicators are used to determine a country’s level of development? How would a

developed country’s indicators look?

• Low birth rate• Low infant mortality• Longer life

expectations• High literacy rates• High education levels• High standard of

living

8. How did the formation of the European Union

cause a population shift? • Western Europe had

an abundance of employment opportunities

• People from other regions migrated there for jobs

9. Why is African influence present in Brazilian culture?

• African slaves were forced to migrate to Brazil, as well as other Latin American regions

10. What happened in Eastern Europe in 1989,

and what changes took place as a result? • Collapse of the Soviet

Union• Moved away from

communism• Eastern Europe was

adopting more democratic ideals through cultural diffusion

11. What four factors affect climate?

• Wind and ocean currents

• Latitude• Elevation• Topography

12. What were the direct effects of the Columbian

Exchange? • African slavery• European

diseases introduced into Native American populations

• Exchange of animals and plants

13. How did the construction of the interstate

system in the 1950s change the urban landscape? • People were able to

move to suburbs and drive into work

• Economic activity was not limited to being in the city center

• Economic activity expanded away from city center

14. How do people maintain their culture? Give an example.

• By passing ideas down from generation to generation

• Parents/grandparents teaching stories, recipes and way of living to their children/grandchildren

15. How does Earth’s tilt affect seasons?

• Different parts of earth receive the sun’s direct rays at different times of the year causing temperature differences

• At the poles, times of constant direct sunlight and constant lack of sunlight

16. What is cultural diffusion? Give an example.

• Spread of ideas, inventions or patterns of behavior from one culture to another

• Ex: Architecture, restaurant chains

17. How was England changed by the Industrial

Revolution? • Urban areas (cities)

grew as more jobs became available

18. Where in the world are climates the warmest

year-round? • Between the Tropic of

Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, along the equator

19. What is the climate of Northern Europe in the

winter? • Very cold winters in

Scandinavian peninsula (Northern Europe)

• Norway, Finland, Sweden – people interact with cold environment

20. Why is the US political system so stable?

• Citizens are allowed to elect government officials

• If not happy with officials’ performance, citizens will not re-elect him or her

21. How does the Panama Canal help the

economy of Panama? • Opens a trade route

between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans

• Cuts expenses of having to travel around the tip of South America to trade

22. Why type of climate would cause Northern

Brazil to get so much rainfall? • Northern Brazil is

located within the tropical latitudes

23. Which event had the greatest impact on the

culture of South America? • Spanish conquerors

(conquistadors) arrived and took over

24. Why did favelas expand in the 1970s in Latin

America? • Migrants arriving from

rural areas – Poor people, large

numbers– Could not afford to

settle in city center

25. How did Europeans settle the US? What general direction did population expand from

there? • Started in northeast• Moved west with

westward expansion

26. How did the Bubonic Plague (Black Death)

spread? • Along the

Mediterranean Sea trade routes

• Travel was faster and easier by sea than by land

27. Why did population in California change so

drastically from 1848-1849? • News of the discovery

of gold in California• People from all over

the world migrated to search for their share

28. Why did the Jews escape Europe during the 1940s?

• Nazi Germany (Hitler) targeted Jews

• Suffered persecution and discrimination for Jewish religious views

29. Why were the Spanish able to conquer the Aztecs so easily?

• Spanish conquistadors had much better weapons and military technology

30. What types of agriculture practices did the Inca use that made them an agrarian society?

• Terrace farming• Showed that they

cooperated and planned crop growth

31. What do the Aztec and Mayan calendars and the use of “zero” indicate about pre-Colombian

people?

• They both made advances in math and science

32. How did the American Revolution affect Latin America?

• Inspired leaders of Latin America to fight for independence

33. Describe religion of Latin America.

• Largest practiced religion in Latin America is Roman Catholic

34. What are the origins of democracy?

• Athens, Greece– first society to practice

direct democracy

35. What are the causes for destruction of the

Amazon rain forest? • Poverty• Abuse of natural

resources• Clearing land for

ranching• Large national debt

36. What are the advantages of terraced farming

techniques? • Reduces soil erosion• Allows steep land to

be cultivated

37. What areas does the Latin America region

cover? • Areas of the western

hemisphere, south of the United States

38. Between urbanization and the Industrial Revolution, which is the cause, and which is the

effect?

• Urbanization is an effect of the Industrial Revolution

39. What physical features in Latin America have inhibited communication and transportation

systems?

• Mountains• Rain forests• River systems

40. What are some effects of colonial rule in Latin

America? • Control of power by

few wealthy land owners

• Poverty for everyone else

• Resources were exported, leaving the region economically weakened

41. What is subsistence agriculture? Where can it

still be found in Latin America today?

• Growing just enough food to feed family

• Still practiced in rural areas, like Incan settlements in Peru

42. What two cultural influences combined to

reflect Central American culture today?

• Spanish• Native American

– (Mestizo people)

43. What does NAFTA stand for? Which countries

are involved? • North American Free

Trade Agreement– Canada– United States– Mexico

44. What happened to European cities as a result

of the Industrial Revolution?

• They grew in size

45. What effects did industrialization have on farming in the

United States?

• Decrease number of people farming, due to industrialized farm equipment

• Increase size of farms to feed bigger population

46. What is hydroelectricity? How might climate

changes affect production?

• Less rainfall leads to decrease in water flow, which reduces force with which hydroelectricity is produced

47. What is a polder? Explain the process in

creating polders. • Reclaiming land from

the sea by diking and draining

48. List the 5 peninsulas in Europe and the

countries that make up each. • Iberian

– Spain and Portugal

• Scandinavian– Norway, Finland, Sweden

• Balkan– Greece

• Jutland – Denmark, small part of

Germany

• Italian - Italy

49. How are architectural styles, which begin in one cultural region and show up in other cultural

regions, spread throughout the world?

• Cultural diffusion

50. Which subregion of the US is associated with

the following?

a. wheat and automobiles – The Midwest

b. gateway to America

– The Northeast

c. crops and the “sunbelt” – The South

d. easier to settle because of air conditioning and irrigation

– The West

51. In which province of Canada do most people speak French? What other language is also

spoken? • Quebec – French• Everywhere else -

English

52. What is the European Union, and what is its

major function? • Economic union of

select European countries

• Share resources, money system, open borders, common market

53. Which subregion of the United States has the

highest population density? • Northeast

54. What are the examples of Human-Environment

Interaction discussed in Chapter 9 Section 3? • Slash-and-burn

farming• Terraced farming• Urbanization• Tourism

55. What are the geographic coordinates of the North Pole? Of the South Pole?

• North Pole90º North

• South Pole90º South