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AP Human Geography
Chapter 7, Ethnicity
1. Define ethnicity (use the glossary).
2. According to the author, what are the three main reasons why ethnicity is a
controversial topic in our culture?
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3. How is ethnicity different from race?
4. What is the link between ethnicity and geography?
5. Why is ethnicity important to study in an era of globalization?
Key Issue I.
Where Are Ethnicities Distributed?
A. Distribution of Ethnicities in the United States
6. What are the two largest ethnic minorities in the United States? What percent of the
total population are they?
Clustering of Ethnicities
7. At what scales do ethnicities cluster?
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a. Regional Concentrations of Ethnicities
8. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Percents
Distribution
Hispanic or
Latino/Latina
Trends
African
American
Asian
Americans
American
Indians and
Alaska
Natives
b. Concentration of Ethnicities in Cities
9.
African-Americans
Hispanics
State Scale %
Chicago, Il
Detroit, MI
New York City, NY
10. Describe the distribution of ethnicities at the state level for California and Texas.
11. What is a visible marker on the landscape for remnants of old ethnic neighborhoods
in many cities in the United States?
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12. How have the ethnic concentration urban neighborhoods changed from the early 20th
century to the late 20th century?
African American Migration Patterns
13. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Source Area(s)
Forced
Migration
From Africa
Immigration
To The
North
Expansion
Of The
Ghetto
Routes of Migration
Destination(s)
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Differentiating Ethnicity and Race
14. What is the reasoning for why scientists reject the notion of race?
15. What is the technical definition of racism?
Race in the United States
16. Although there are 14 divisions for race on the Census form, what are the recent
trends with respect to categorical percents and those that check other race? Why?
“Separate But Equal” Doctrine.
17. Describe the geographic implications of Plessy v. Ferguson.
“White Flight.”
18. What was the geographic response to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,
Kansas? Use Detroit’s population statistics to support your answer.
19. What was blockbusting and how did it lead to unique geographies for whites and
blacks?
Division by Race in South Africa
20. Describe how apartheid led to the geographic separation of people in South Africa.
21. What are the historical/cultural roots of apartheid?
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22. Even though apartheid has been abolished in South Africa, what are the geographic
and economic legacies of this oppressive system?
Key Issue II.
Why Have Ethnicities Been Transformed into Nationalities?
23. How is nationality different from ethnicity?
Rise of Nationalities
24. How and when did the American nationality form?
Nation-States
25. What is a nation-state, and what is often given the rationale for forming one?
26. Using Figure 7-21, (pg.245) describe the evolution of European state boundaries to
coincide with linguistic distributions. How did the distribution of German speaking
peoples become seriously problematic!
Nationalism
27. What methods do states or nationalistic groups do to maintain nationalism?
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28. Fill in the chart with examples.
Centripetal Forces
Centrifugal Forces
Multinational States
29. Describe the difference between a multiethnic state and a multinational state. Give
examples.
30. How is the UK an example of a multinational state? What is the strongest element of
nationalist pride in the UK?
Former Soviet Union: The Largest Multinational State
31. Fill in the charts with the basic information for each country.
Ethnic Breakdown
Cultural Elements
Ethnic Breakdown
Cultural Elements
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Belarus
Moldova
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Ukraine
Ethnic Breakdown
Cultural Elements
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Russia: Now the Largest Multinational State
32. How many nationalities does the Russian government recognize, and what is the
general distribution of these minorities?
33. Describe the historical/cultural background of Chechnya, and detail the Russian
response to their independence movement.
Turmoil in the Caucasus
34. How did the Soviet system keep ethnic tensions in check?
a. Azerbaijan
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35. What issues do Azeris face in Iran?
b. Armenia
36. Why is Armenia so unique for the region? What difficulties have they had in forming
a nation-state?
c. Georgians
37. Why has Georgia’s cultural diversity been a source of unrest? What role has Russia
played in this situation?
C. Revival of Ethnic Identity
38. How did Karl Marx view nationalism? How did communist encourage centripetal
forces?
39. Why have ethnic forces become more important than national forces in the late 20th
century? Give specific examples.
Key Issue III.
Why Do Ethnicities Clash?
A. Ethnic Competition to Dominate Nationality
1. Ethnic Competition in the Horn of Africa
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40. Fill in the chart for the ethnic conflicts taking place in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia & Eritrea
Sudan
Somalia
Who (is
involved)?
What (is
happening)?
When (did
these events
take place)?
Where (is
this
happening)?
Why (is this
happening)?
B. Dividing Ethnicities Among More Than One State
1. India and Pakistan
41. What the basis for separating West and East Pakistan from India?
42. Describe the massive migration that occurred as a result of the partition of India?
43. What is the source of conflict in the region of Kashmir?
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44. How do Sikhs complicate the situation in South Asia?
Global Forces, local Impacts, Dividing the Kurds
45. Describe the geographic distribution of Kurds (Kurdistan) and the percent of the
population they are in each country.
46. How did Kurdistan lose its state status?
47. Why have the Turks suppressed Kurdish culture?
48. How successful have Kurdish resistance tactics been? Give examples.
49. How have the Kurds fared in Iraq since the first Gulf War in 1991?
Key Issue IV.
What Is Ethnic Cleansing?
50. Define ethnic cleansing?
51. What is the point of ethnic cleansing?
A. Ethnic Cleansing in Europe
52. Give examples of ethnic cleansing during and right after WWII.
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53. What are some recent examples of ethnic cleansing in Euro
1. Creation of Multiethnic Yugoslavia
54. Explain briefly the steps taken to create Yugoslavia
55. Fill in the matrix with the appropriate information for the former Yugoslavia.
Neighbors
Republics
Nationalities
Languages
Religions
Alphabets
Currency
2. Destruction of Multiethnic Yugoslavia
56. For how long did Yugoslavia work? Why did it work? What are the major reasons
why it broke up?
a. Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia
57. Why was it difficult to create a viable country for Bosnia & Herzegovina?
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58. How did Croates and Serbs bolster their case to break away from Bosnia &
Herzegovina?
59. Why was ethnic cleansing on the part of Bosnian Serbs against Bosnian Muslims
especially severe?
b. Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo
60. Why did Serbs engage in ethnic cleansing against Kosovo? What were their
historic/geographic claims to the territory?
61. How did the NATO respond to the atrocities in Kosovo? What were the final results
of the military intervention?
c. Balkanization
62. Define balkanization. How did Balkanization lead to WWI? Can you think of any
other areas of the world that are susceptible to balkanization?
B. Ethnic Cleansing in Central Africa
63. Why is there is so much ethnic cleansing in Africa? Who is most responsible for
laying the groundwork to help create this situation?
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