Geography: World Issues
Exam Review
( Terms, Concepts, and Skills )
Some Terminology
issue
subjective
objective
bias
Old core
New Core
Near Core Periphery
Far Core Periphery
globalization
transnational
corporations
sustainability
Gaia hypothesis
limits-to-growth thesis
cornucopian thesis
demography
agricultural revolution
industrial revolution
free market economy
command economy
economic liberalism
Keynesian economics
progressive government
neo-liberalism
free trade agreements
NAFTA
odious debt
debt relief
bankruptcy
geopolitics
ideology
democracy
authoritarian nation
communism
terrorism
state terrorism
state-sponsored terrorism
chemical terrorism
bioterrorism
nuclear terrorism
counterterrorism
amnesty
grasshopper effect
temperature inversion
CFC’s
bioaccumulation
POP’s
Love Canal
Sydney Tar Ponds
aquifer
eutrophication
Basic Skills:
-
general world map knowledge (ie. Where major events are taking place or have taken place.)
Concepts:
World Views
- Perspectives
-Right wing / Left wing & authoritarian / Libertarian, Centrist.
- Current four world model
- Old Core, New Core, Near-core periphery, Far periphery
Globalization; various types (pro/con)
Economic Issues
- Economic systems (philosophies)
- free market economy vs. command economy
- economic ideas and policies
International Debt Crisis
- How the debt crisis happened?
- Debt Relief (HIPC / Jubilee)
Demography
- Trends in Populations; Pop. Explosion & Declining birth rate
- Where?
- Stages of population growth
- hunting and gathering
- Agricultural revolution
- beginning of civilization – why/how?
- Industrial revolution
- The Population Explosion
- China’s Approach
- effects and effectiveness
- Implications of the Birth Dearth
Water Issues
-
Surface water pollution
- Sewage / chemical / agricultural
Large Dams (pro / con)
Water Transfers (pro / con)
Air Issues
- Impact of POPs
- London Smog vs. LA Smog
- Ozone Layer (Depletion)
- Montreal Protocol
Geopolitics
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-
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Democratic states
Authoritarianism
- Absolute Monarchy
- One-Party Nation State
- Military Authoritarianism
- Religious Nation State
Communism
The Cold War
- Major players involved
- Containment strategy of the West
- Spheres of influence leading to “proxy wars” ( examples )
Hard Power versus Soft Power ( types of measures that can be taken against other nations)
Terrorism:
Objectives
1) to attain a specific goal
2) to cause widespread fear and anxiety
3) to provoke the target government into overreacting and evoking harsh counterterrorism measures.
4) the government uses it to force obedience from the general population.
Motivations
1) Rational
- methodical approach
- well planned and thought out
- creates fear without a corresponding backlash against them.
2) Psychological
- sense of purpose
- “true believers”
- opponents are evil; thus it is easy to be violent against them.
- no compromise in beliefs, often splits into splinter groups.
3) Cultural
- cultural and religious values are seen to be under threat.
- a duty to act
- not all followers agree with the “cause.”
Nature of Terrorist Threat
- “high-concept, low-tech” approach; jet aircraft.
- weapons of mass destruction
- biological - Anthrax - US postal office / government offices
- Smallpox - no one is vaccinated since the 1970's
- chemical - Sarin gas - Tokyo subway system
- nuclear
1) buy bomb - al-Qaeda tried ( post- Soviet Union )
2) build bomb - very difficult, $$$
3) hybrid bomb - easier to do; nuclear waste material & explosives.
4) blow-up a nuclear power plant. - hard - buildings are very durable