World Geography
Final Exam Review
Fall 2014
What two factors affect climate?
• Latitude
• Distance from the
ocean
What is cultural diffusion? Give an example.
• Spread of ideas,
inventions or
patterns of behavior
from one culture to
another
• Ex: Architecture,
restaurant chains
How has global diffusion of advanced computer
and communications technology affected peoples’
access to the following?
• Higher Education
– Increased access
• Pop Culture
– Increased access
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
What indicators are used to determine a country’s
level of development? How would a developed
country’s indicators look?
Developed
• Low infant mortality
• Longer life
expectations
• High literacy rates
Underdeveloped
• High infant mortality
• Shorter life
expectations
• Low literacy rates
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
Define Urban & Rural
• Urban - of, relating to, • Rural - of, relating to,
or designating a city
or characteristic of the
or town.
country, country life,
or country people;
rustic:
Different stages of population
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
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
Why is the US political system so stable?
• Citizens are allowed
to elect government
officials
• If not happy with
officials’ performance,
citizens will not reelect him or her
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
How did Europeans settle the US? What general
direction did population expand from there?
• Started in northeast
• Moved west with
westward expansion
In which province of Canada do most people
speak French? What other language is also
spoken?
• Quebec – French
• Everywhere else English
Which sub region of the United States has the
highest population density?
• Northeast
The spark the triggered the
Great Depression was the
stock market crash in October 1929
On October 29, 1929 (Black
Tuesday) the stock market
crashed
People rushed to sell,
stock prices dropped,
and investors lost a
total of $30 billion
Speculators who
bought on the
margin, could not
pay off their debts
Analyze how homesteading
effected population growth? What
area in the US did it impact the
most?
• Congress passed a law in the late 1800’s
that allowed people to claim public land
and convert it to private through
homesteading
• This impacted the Great Plains the most
Recognize the most important river
system in the United States
• Large river systems, such as the
Mississippi River System shown above,
are geographically important because they
serve as natural drainage systems.
The Great Migration during WWI led to a
concentration of African Americans in northern cities
Explain the main reason for
increased US involvement in the
Middle East after September 11,
2001?
• The need to wage war
against global terrorism
What areas does the Latin America region cover?
• Areas of the western
hemisphere, south of
the United States
Describe religion of Latin America.
• Largest practiced
religion in Latin
America is Roman
Catholic
What are the causes for destruction of the Amazon
rain forest?
• Poverty
• Abuse of natural
resources
• Clearing land for
ranching
• Large national debt
What are the advantages of terraced farming
techniques?
• Reduces soil
erosion
• Allows steep land to
be cultivated
Identify the largest rainforest in
the world.
The Amazon Rainforest is the
largest in the world.
What two cultural influences combined to reflect
Central American culture today?
• Spanish
• Native American
– (Mestizo people)
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
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
Why is African influence present in Brazilian
culture?
• African slaves were
forced to migrate to
Brazil, as well as
other Latin American
regions
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
What physical features in Latin America have
inhibited communication and transportation
systems?
• Mountains
• Rain forests
• River systems
What were the direct effects of the Columbian
Exchange?
• African slavery
• European
diseases
introduced into
Native American
populations
• Exchange of
animals and
plants
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
How did the American Revolution affect Latin
America?
• Inspired leaders of
Latin America to
fight for
independence
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
What does NAFTA stand for? Which countries are
involved?
• North American Free
Trade Agreement
– Canada
– United States
– Mexico
Describe what a fjord is and
where in Europe you would find
them.
• Geologically, a fjord is a
long, narrow inlet with
steep sides or cliffs,
created by glacial
erosion.
• Coasts having the most
pronounced fjords include
the west coast of Norway
What is a polder? Explain the process in creating
polders.
• Reclaiming land
from the sea by
diking and
draining
• explains the
change in land
area along the
coast of the
Netherlands
How did the Bubonic Plague (Black Death)
spread?
• Along the
Mediterranean
Sea trade
routes
• Travel was
faster and
easier by sea
than by land
What are the origins of democracy?
• Athens, Greece
– first society to practice
direct democracy
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
How was England changed by the Industrial
Revolution?
• Urban areas (cities)
grew as more jobs
became available
Between urbanization and the Industrial
Revolution, which is the cause, and which is the
effect?
• Urbanization is an
effect of the Industrial
Revolution
Why did the Jews escape Europe during the
1940s?
• Nazi Germany (Hitler)
targeted Jews
• Suffered persecution
and discrimination
for Jewish religious
views
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
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
WEST!!!!!
European nation has this.
• (parliament)
Describe what happened on
June 6, 1944.
• On June 6, 1944,
the Allies crossed
the English
Channel to begin
the liberation of
France from Nazi
Germany?
Analyze the purpose of NATO?
What countries are in NATO?
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Members include the US, France, United
Kingdom, and Canada
In 1948, Stalin tried to turn
all of Berlin communist &
ordered the Berlin Blockade
which shut down all ground
transportation to West Berlin
In response, the U.S. began the Berlin Airlift
For 11 months, U.S. &
British planes supplies
landed in Berlin to
bring food, fuel, &
supplies
List the countries that made up
the Iron Curtain.
• Poland, Czechoslovakia and East
Germany formed the Iron Curtain (were
communist) after WWII
Why type of climate would cause Northern Brazil
to get so much rainfall?
• Northern Brazil is
located within the
tropical latitudes
Which event had the greatest impact on the culture
of South America?
• Spanish conquerors
(conquistadors)
arrived and took over
Why were the Spanish able to conquer the Aztecs
so easily?
• Spanish
conquistadors had
much better weapons
and military
technology
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
How are architectural styles, which begin in one
cultural region and show up in other cultural
regions, spread throughout the world?
• Cultural diffusion
What are the examples of Human-Environment
Interaction discussed in Chapter 9 Section 3?
• Slash-and-burn
farming
• Terraced farming
• Urbanization
• Tourism
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