AP Human Geography Summer Assignment
Part 1: Building Background Knowledge
Part of entering an AP class is an assumption of a certain level of background knowledge and skills. Review the lists below
and label each item on the map (see links). You will take an assessment over this information during the first two weeks of school next
fall. The assessment will be mastery based which means you can take the assessment multiple times but must attain 80% or above to
pass. Think of this knowledge as the ABC’s and 1,2,3’s of geography. Please use the websites listed at the end of this page for
blank outline maps, online map quizzes and other helpful resources.
Basic map and atlas skills –
 Using an atlas to locate information (index or table of contents)
 Reading and interpreting a map
 Using latitude and longitude to locate and find places
Locate the following places and label on a map. You may use more than one map. Know these locations for the testGeneral Stuff
Major Mountain Ranges
Major Rivers
 5 Oceans
 Himalayas
 Rhine
 7 continents
 Rockies
 Amazon
 Equator
 Andes
 Yangtze
 Tropic of Cancer
 Alps
 Mississippi
 Tropic of Capricorn
 Caucasus
 Ganges
 Prime Meridian
 Urals
 Nile
 Appalachian
 Congo
 Mekong
Major Deserts / random other
Major Climate Regions- which Major Bodies of Water
 Great Lakes
stuff
parts of the world fit each
 Sahara
 Mediterranean Sea
category
 Great Sandy Desert
 Tropical
 Black Sea
(Australia)
 Dry/Arid
 Caspian Sea
 Gobi
 Mild/Temperate
 Red Sea
 Siberia
 Continental
 Arabian Sea
 Sahel
 Polar
 South China Sea
 Caribbean Sea
 Aral Sea
Chokepoints (Straits and
Major World Cities
 New York City
 Chicago
Channels)
 Strait of Gibraltar
 London
 Beijing
 Panama Canal
 Tokyo
 Bombay (Mumbai)
 Suez Canal
 Paris
 Mexico City
 Strait of Malacca
 Cairo
 Tehran
 English Channel
 Sydney
 Washington D.C.
 Bosporus & Dardanelles
 Sao Paulo
 Lagos
 Strait of Hormuz
 Johannesburg
 Calcutta (Kolkata)
 Moscow
 Toronto
 Hong Kong
 Singapore
 Shanghai
Canadian Provinces
 British Columbia
 Yukon Territory
 Alberta
 Saskatchewan
 Northwest Territories
 Manitoba
 Quebec
 New Brunswick
 Nova Scotia
 Newfoundland and
Labrador
 Nunavut
 Ontario

Have some sense of
development levels of
regions: Rich (Highly
Developed),
Developing (Middle
Income), Poor (Less
Developed)
Major World Regions – where they are and
some cultural characteristics (major religions,
languages, ethnicities, etc.)
 Middle East
 South East Asia
 South Asia
 Sub-Saharan Africa Sahel Africa
 Latin America
 Central America
 Caribbean
 Western Europe
 Eastern Europe
 Former USSR
 Oceania
Country identification – Locate the following places and label on a map. You may use more than one map. Know these
locations for the testAfrica
North America & South America
Asia (East, South & Southeast)
 Algeria
 Argentina
 Burma/Myanmar
 Botswana
 Bahamas
 Cambodia
 Chad
 Bolivia
 India
 Dem. Rep. of Congo
 Brazil
 Indonesia
 Egypt
 Canada
 Japan
 Ethiopia
 Chile
 Kazakhstan
 Kenya
 Colombia
 Mongolia
 Libya
 Costa Rica
 Pakistan
 Madagascar
 Cuba
 Peoples Republic of China
 Mali
 Ecuador
 Philippines
 Morocco
 El Salvador
 Rep. of China/Taiwan
 Niger
 Guatemala
 Singapore
 Nigeria
 Haiti
 South Korea
 Rwanda
 Honduras
 Sri Lanka
 Somalia
 Mexico
 Thailand
 South Africa
 Nicaragua
 Uzbekistan
 South Sudan
 Panama
 Vietnam
 Sudan
 Peru
 Zimbabwe
 United States
Other:
 Venezuela
 Australia
 New Zealand
Europe
Southwest Asia
Blank Outline Maps:
 Belgium
 Afghanistan
http://www.geog.byu.edu/outlinemaps.dhtml
 Bosnia
 Armenia
 Croatia
 Bahrain
Online Map Quizzes:
 Cyprus
 Iran
http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
 Czech Republic
 Iraq
 Finland
 Israel
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/geography.
 France
 Jordan
asp
 Germany
 Kuwait
 Greece
 Lebanon
Other Resources:
 Italy
 Oman
http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps
 Kosovo
 Qatar
 Luxembourg
 Saudi Arabia
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/
 Norway
 Syria
 Poland
 Turkey
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htm
 Rep. of Ireland
 West Bank & Gaza Strip
ain.htm
 Romania
 Yemen
 Russia
You may also want to consult a world atlas
 Serbia
All 50 US States and Regions
 Slovakia
 Northeast
 Spain
 Southeast
 Sweden
 Midwest
 Switzerland
 Southwest
 United Kingdom
 Rocky Mountain
 Pacific Northwest
You are required to submit the maps you created in
order to receive bonus points.
Part 2: The Nature of Geography
Read chapter one of AP Human Geography: A Study Guide by Ethel Wood (3rd edition).Your assignment is to organize
the key concepts of the chapter into a table as you read. Your table should be set up in the following manner: Divide a piece of
notebook paper into 3 columns, on the left side, write the key concept. In the center column explain the concept IN YOUR OWN
WORDS. In right column, explain an experience from your life or from the real world that demonstrates the concept.
The book can be purchased from Amazon or the GRHS library. This study guide is required for the course and will be used
all year.
Example:
Key Concept
Explanation
Personal or Real Life Example
Absolute Location
Relative Location/Situation
Use of Maps
Map Projections
Scale
Time Zones
Place (not location)
Formal Region
Functional Region
Perceptual Region
Globalization
Geospatial Technologies
Guidelines:
•The assignment will count as part of a major test grade
•All tables must be completely handwritten
•Responses should be written in complete sentences
•Due date: August 26th—the first day of school
•Bonus points will be awarded for those that have completed the entire assignment (part 1 and 2) in a timely manner.
Monday, August 26th +10 points
Friday, August 30th +2 points
Tuesday, August 27th +8 points
Tuesday, September 3rd +0 points
Wednesday, August 28th +6 points
Wednesday, September 4th -20 points
Thursday, August 29th +4 points
Thursday, September 5th -50 points
Any assignments turned in after September 5th will not be accepted. Students who enter
the class late will still be required to complete the summer assignment on an adjusted
schedule.