APHG
Practice Questions
Unit I: Basic Concepts
1. Who is responsible for the creation of the word, “Geography”?
A. Eratosthenes
B. Ptolemy
C. Aristotle
D. Battuta
E. Mercator
2. Who was the first on record to propose the world as round?
A. Eratosthenes
B. Ptolemy
C. Aristotle
D. Battuta
E. Mercator
3. Who made more accurate maps in the 15th century?
A. Eratosthenes
B. Ptolemy
C. Aristotle
D. Battuta
E. Mercator
4. The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole is
A. Projection
B. Space
C. Place
D. Scale
E. Site
5. “1/24,000” and “1:24,000” and “1 inch equals 1 mile” are all examples of
A. Projection
B. Space
C. Place
D. Scale
E. Site
6. What refers to the physical gap or interval between two objects?
A. Projection
B. Space
C. Place
D. Scale
E. Site
7. The level of detail and the amount of area covered on a map depends on its
A. Projection
B. Space
C. Place
D. Scale
E. Site
8. The scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map is called
A. Projection
B. Space
C. Place
D. Scale
E. Site
9. All of the following are map projections, except
A. Mercator
B. Robinson
C. Goode’s Interrupted
D. GIS
10. Which of the following projections manifests in a rectangular shape?
A. Mercator
B. Robinson
C. Goode’s Interrupted
D. GIS
11. Which of the following projections manifests in an oval shape?
A. Mercator
B. Robinson
C. Goode’s Interrupted
D. GIS
12. Every projection of a round globe onto a flat map results in
A. Scale
B. Space
C. Distortion D. Site
E. Situation
13. Earth’s spherical shape poses a challenge for cartographers because drawing Earth on a flat piece of
paper unavoidably produces some
A. Scale
B. Space
C. Distortion D. Site
E. Situation
14. Distortion is especially severe on what kind of maps?
A. Small Scale B. Large Scale C. All Scale
D. No Scale
E. None of the Above
15. Which of the following is NOT a type of distortion common among global maps?
A. Shape
B. Distance
C. Relative Size
D. Direction
E. Culture
16. Which of the following maps is rectangular at the poles and distorts relative size?
A. Mercator
B. Goode’s Interrupted
C. Robinson
D. GIS E. None of the Above
17. Which of the following maps has comparatively limited distortion in relative size and direction?
A. Mercator B. Goode’s Interrupted
C. Robinson
D. GIS E. None of the Above
18. Which of the following maps has the fewest distortions save direction?
A. Mercator
B. Goode’s Interrupted
C. Robinson
D. GIS E. None of the Above
19. The value of GIS comes from
A. its accuracy and attractiveness
B. its efficiency
C. its ability to show relationships among different kinds of information
D. its ability to calculate whether relationships between objects on a map are significant or coincidental
E. All of the above
20. The acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from other longdistance methods is know as
A. GPS
B. GIS
C. TNC
D. AARP
E. PDQ
21. Geographers map the distribution of urban sprawl and agricultural practices with
A. GPS
B. GIS
C. TNC
D. AARP
E. PDQ
22. The system that determines accurately the precise position of something on Earth is known as
A. GPS
B. GIS
C. TNC
D. AARP
E. PDQ
23. The geographic concept that a specific point on Earth is distinguished by a particular character is
known as
A. Place
B. Location
C. Region
D. Movement E. Diffusion
24. When a geographer describes Louisville, KY as a mid-sized city located on the Ohio River near the
falls and home of the Kentucky Derby, that geographer reflects the principle of
A. Place
B. Location
C. Region
D. Movement E. Diffusion
25. The name given to a specific place (or location) on earth is known as
A. Place
B. Site
C. Situation
D. Toponym
E. Location
26. The toponym of Boulder, Colorado reflects
A. Early Dutch Influence
B. Early European Influence
D. The Influence of Local Floral E. None of These
C. The Influence of the Environment
27. Site, another way to describe a place, emphasizes
A. Physical Characteristics, like Climate, Water Sources, and Topography
B. Relative Location
C. Region
D. Movement
E. None of These
28. Situation, another way to describe the location of a place, emphasizes
A. Physical Characteristics, like Climate, Water Sources, and Topography
B. Relative Location
C. Region
D. Movement
E. None of These
29. The statement: “Louisville, KY is along the Ohio River near the Falls of the Ohio” reflects which
geographic principle?
A. Site
B. Situation
C. Movement
D. Toponym
E. None of These
30. Geographers describe a feature’s position on Earth by identifying its
A. Place
B. Location
C. Region
D. Movement
E. Diffusion
31. Positioning a place on the grid of latitude and longitude is known as
A. Place
B. Location
C. Region
D. Movement
E. Diffusion
32. The statement: “New York City is located at 74˚ west longitude and 42˚ north latitude” reflects
A. Place
B. Location
C. Region
D. Movement
E. Diffusion
33. An arc drawn between the North and South poles on a globe, is known as
A. Meridian
B. Parallel
C. Latitude
D. Longitude E. None of These
34. A meridian actually helps to measure
A. North and South
B. East and West
D. South and East
E. South and West
C. North and West
35. The meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, is 0˚ longitude, and
is known as the
A. Optimal Meridian
B. Maximum Meridian
C. Prime Meridian
D. Initial Meridian
E. Past Meridian
36. A parallel is
A. a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians
B. an arc drawn between the North and South poles on the globe
C. the meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England
D. the imaginary line that passes around the center of the earth
E. none of these
37. The location of each meridian is identified on Earth’s surface according to a numbering system
known as
A. Longitude
B. Latitude
C. GMT
D. GPS
E. GIS
38. The numbering system to indicate the location of a parallel is called
A. Longitude
B. Latitude
C. GMT
D. GPS
39. In determining time, each 15˚ of longitude is equal to
A. 1 hour
B. 2 hours
C. 3 hours
D. 4 hours
40. If the time in Greenwich, England is 7pm, the time in New York City is
A. 1pm
B. 2pm
C. 3pm
D. 12am
E. GIS
E. 5 hours
E. 1am
41. If the time in Greenwich, England is 12pm, the time in New York is
A. 6am
B. 7am
C. 8am
D. 7pm
E. 8pm
42. If the time in New York City is 5pm, the time in Los Angeles is
A. 7pm
B. 8pm
C. 2pm
D. 3pm
E. 4pm
43. The line of 180˚ longitude is known as the
A. Major Meridian
B. Prime Meridian
D. Equator
E. International Time Line
C. International Date Line
44. If you cross the International Date Line moving in an easterly direction from Australia to Hawaii, you
move your clock
A. Forward by 24 hrs
B. Back by 24 hrs
C. Forward by 12 hrs
D. Back by 12 hrs
E. None of These
45. In the Land Ordinance of 1785, the township is a square of
A. 7 miles by 7 miles
B. 6 miles by 6 miles
C. 5 miles by 5 miles
D. 1 mile by 1 mile
E. None of These
46. Some North-South lines of the Land Ordinance of 1785 are called
A. Base Lines
B. Sections
C. Townships
D. Principal Meridians
E. None of These
47. Some East-West lines of the Land Ordinance of 1785 are designated
A. Base Lines
B. Sections
C. Townships
D. Principal Meridians
E. None of These
48. According to the Land Ordinance of 1785, Township T24N R1W would be
A. North of the Baseline and East of the Meridian
B. South of the Baseline and West of the Meridian
C. North of the Baseline and West of the Meridian
D. South of the Baseline and East of the Meridian
E. None of These
49. According to the Land Ordinance of 1785, Township T22N R1E would be
A. North of the Baseline and East of the Meridian
B. South of the Baseline and West of the Meridian
C. North of the Baseline and West of the Meridian
D. South of the Baseline and East of the Meridian
E. None of These
50. A township is divided into 36 sections, each of which is
A. 7 miles by 7 miles
B. 6 miles by 6 miles
D. 1 mile by 1 mile
E. None of These
C. 5 miles by 5 miles
51. The portion of land most settlers bought under the Land Ordinance of 1785 was
A. 100 acres
B. 120 acres
C. 140 acres
D. 160 acres
E. 180 acres
52. The portion of the United States NOT really impacted by the Land Ordinance of 1785 is the
A. East
B. West
C. North
D. South
E. Southwest
53. Also called a uniform region or a homogeneous region, an area within which everyone shares in
common one or more distinctive characteristic is known as a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
54. Also called a nodal region, an area organized around a node or focal point is called a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
55. Also called a perceptual region, a place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity is
known as a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
56. The “South,” where all soft drinks are known as Coca-Cola, is an example of a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
57. A newspaper distribution area is best described as an example of a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
58. The city-county merger of Louisville, KY created a region best described as a
A. Formal Region
B. Functional Region
C. Vernacular Region
D. Characteristic Region
E. None of These
59. The Cultural Ecology/Environmental Determinism approach to Geography of Carl Ritter (1779-1859)
suggests
A. That the physical environment causes social development
B. That the human element is more important than the environment in cultural processes
C. That social, political, and religious systems are more important than the environment
D. That people can be productive in tropical areas despite the heat
E. None of these
60. The Regional Studies Approach/Cultural Landscape/Possibilism approach to Geography of Carl Sauer
(1889-1975) suggests
A. That the physical environment causes social development
B. That the human element is more important than the environment in cultural processes
C. That physical processes like climate and vegetation are more important than humans
D. That people who live in the tropics are unproductive because the heat makes them lazy
E. None of these
61. The belief that Caribbean people are naturally lazy and unproductive because of the heat reflects
A. Regional Studies Approach to Geography
B. Cultural Landscape Approach to Geography
C. Possibilism Approach to Geography
D. Environmental Determinism
E. None of These
62. When people make igloos in the snow to survive in arctic regions, that reflects
A. Regional Studies Approach to Geography
B. Cultural Landscape Approach to Geography
C. Possibilism Approach to Geography
D. A-B
E. A-C
63. Polders found in the Netherlands reflect
A. Regional Studies Approach to Geography
B. Cultural Landscape Approach to Geography
C. Possibilism Approach to Geography
D. A-C
E. None of These
64. The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing
distance from its origin is known as
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
65. What geographic principle is reflected by the fact that the density of “Philly Cheese Steak”
restaurants declines as you travel west?
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
66. What principle is reflected by Nike, which has head quarters in Oregon, manufactures in Asia, and
distributes globally?
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
67. A company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just
where its headquarters or shareholders are located is known as
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
68. The change in the amount of time that it takes to travel from Europe to the United States from
weeks to hours over the past hundred years reflects
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
69. The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as a result of improved
communications and transportation systems is known as
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
70. Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making business worldwide in scope
is known as
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
71. Trading on the floor in London or New York and on the Nikkei Index reflects
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
72. Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making culture worldwide in scope is
known as
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
73. The popularity and addition of Blue Jeans to wardrobes around the world reflects
A. Distance Decay
B. Space-Time Compression
C. Globalization of Economy
D. Globalization of Culture
E. Transnational Corporation (TNC)
74. The total number of people divided by the total land area is known as
A. Density
B. Arithmetic Density
C. Agricultural Density
D. Physiological Density
E. None of These
75. The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture is known as
A. Density
B. Arithmetic Density
C. Agricultural Density
D. Physiological Density
E. None of These
76. The number of people per unit of arable land is known as
A. Density
B. Arithmetic Density
D. Physiological Density
E. None of These
C. Agricultural Density
77. Which density measure suggests that a country has little farmland compared to its population?
A. Density
B. Arithmetic Density
C. Agricultural Density
D. Physiological Density
E. None of These
78. Which density measure suggests that a country is efficient with its agricultural production?
A. Density
B. Arithmetic Density
C. Agricultural Density
D. Physiological Density
E. None of These
79. Which of the following countries is likely to have the highest physiological density?
A. Canada
B. Australia
C. Egypt
D. Russia
E. China
80. Which of the following countries is likely to have the highest agricultural density?
A. Canada
B. Australia
C. Egypt
D. Russia
E. China
81. The point of origin for a particular characteristic is known as
A. The Place
B. Genesis
C. Hearth
D. Home
E. None of These
82. The spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected is known as
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
83. The spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another is
known as
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
84. The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority of power to other person
or places is known as
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
85. The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process is
known as
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
86. The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population is known as
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
87. This type of diffusion spreads like a wave among fans in a stadium, without regard for hierarchy and
without requiring permanent relocation of people
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
88. The diffusion of Hip-Hop music from urban centers to isolated, rural areas describes
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
89. Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese, which are languages now spoken in North and South
America reflect
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion
90. When the founders of the United States decided on a capital that reflected the architecture of
ancient Greece, even though they had never been there, they reflected
A. Relocation Diffusion
B. Expansion Diffusion
C. Hierarchical Diffusion
D. Contagious Diffusion
E. Stimulus Diffusion