Fall Semester Exam Review
Define:
1. Physical geography: the study of Earth’s physical features
2. Cultural geography: the study of how humans affect the earth
3. Human geographer: a person that analyzes human aspects of culture
4. Demography: is the statistical study of human populations
5. Population Pyramid: illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a population
separated by male and female
6. Standard of Living: per capita, education levels, food consumption, food production, population
size, and population prediction.
7. Relative Location: the location of a place in relation to another place
8. Absolute Location: the exact location of a place on the earth’s surface
9. Grid System: pattern formed as the lines of latitude and longitude cross one another
10. Latitude: horizontal lines across the earth; 0-90 degrees; part of a grid system
11. Longitude: vertical lines across the earth; 0-180 degrees; part of a grid system
12. Prime Meridian: the line of longitude that divides the earth into the Eastern and Western
hemispheres; 0 degrees
13. Equator: the line of latitude that divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemisphere; 0
degrees
14. Continents: large landmasses on earth; 7
15. Spreading: a process by which new land is created when sea plates pull apart and magma wells
up between the plates
16. Earthquakes: sudden, violent movements along a fault line
17. Archipelago: a chain of islands
18. Isthmus: narrow piece of land connecting two larger pieces of land
19. Valley: area of low land usually between hills or mountains
20. Island: land surrounded by water on all sides
21. Erosion: wearing away of the earth’s surface by wind, flowing water, or glaciers
22. Physical weathering: force that causes rocks to break down into smaller pieces
23. Zero population growth: when birthrates are the same as death rates
24. Negative population growth: death rates are higher than the birthrates
25. Globalization: the process in which connections around the world increase and cultures merge
26. Traditionalism: cultures which follow longtime historical practices or ways of life and who
sometimes oppose many modern innovations
27. Natural resources: substance from the earth that is not made by people but can be use by them
28. Renewable resources: resources that can be replenished and never run out
29. Nonrenewable resources: resources that can not be created and once they run out they are gone
forever
30. Federal system: system of government that divides power between a national government and a
state government
31. Command economy: system under which the government owns the means of production and
distribution
32. Communism: society based on equality in which workers would control industrial production ex:
Cuba
33. Republic: form of government without a monarch in which people elect their officials
34. Democracy: any system of government in which leaders rule with consent of the citizens
35. Monarchy: form of autocratic government; ruled by a king or queen that exercises the supreme
powers of government
36. Absolute monarchy: king or queen with complete and unlimited power to rule their people
37. Oligarchy: system of government in which a small group hold power. Get power from wealth,
military power, social position, or a combination of these elements
38. Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments to the Constitution
39. Constitution: plan of government made for the United States
40. The Declaration of Independence: document declaring independence from British rule
41. Trade surplus: earning more money from export sales than spending for imports
42. Trade Deficit: spending more money on imports than earning from exports
43. Population density: the average number of people living in a square mile or square kilometer
44. Refugee: people who flee or are force to flee a country for their own safety.
45. Immigrant: a person moving into one country from another
46. Emigrant: a person leaving a country to move to another
47. Urbanization: the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas (country side to cities)
48. Humid Continental climate: northeastern US into southeastern Canada; cold winters (blizzards)
and summers get cooler the farther north you are, and Europe
49. Marine West Coast climate: Pacific coast of US; 100+ inches of rain; cool summers and damp
winters;
50. Humid Subtropical climate: long, muggy summers, mild winters; southeastern US; short, mild
winters; year round rain
51. Steppe climate: dry areas, sparse plant life; often border deserts; dry, largely treeless grasslands;
10-20 inches of rain/year; hot summers, cool winters
52. Desert climate: dry areas, sparse plant life; less than 10 inches of rain/yr; hot days, cold nights
53. Tropical rainforest climate: Hawaii; hot and wet throughout the year; avg 80 degrees F.; 80+inches
of rain/year; lush vegetation
54. Tropical savannah climate: Southern tip of Florida; dry winters, wet summers; high year round
temperatures
55. Great divide: high point that determines which direction rivers flow; North America – Rocky
Mountains; east of the Rockies flow to the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Artic; west of the Rockies flow
to the Pacific
56. Fall line: a boundary in the eastern US where the higher land of the Piedmont drops to the lower
Atlantic coastal plain; waterfalls are common; used by many communities for power
57. Faults: cracks in the earth’s crust
58. Prairie: an inland grassland area (grasses can reach 12 feet high); common in the Great Plains
59. Timberline: elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow
60. Tundra: climate zone closest to the polar regions; very cold; winter darkness and bitter cold last for
half the year; indirect sun rays bring constant summer light but little heat; low bushes, very short
grasses, mosses, and lichens
61. Rainshadow effect: dry area found on the leeward side of a mountain range; mountains block
precipitation from falling in an area
62. Windward: facing toward the direction from which the wind is blowing; receives the most
precipitation on a mountain
63. Leeward: facing away from the direction from which the wind is blowing; the side of a mountain
opposite from windward
64. Atmosphere: a layer of gases that surrounds the earth; thins as elevation increases
65. Hydrosphere: the watery areas of the earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of
water
66. Lithosphere: surface land areas of the earth’s crust, including continents and ocean basins
67. Bioshphere: the part of the earth where life exist
68. Embargo: a ban on trade by one country with another
69. Tarrif: a tax on imports or exports
70. Textiles: cotton-based industry
71. Revolution: one rotation of the Earth around the sun; 365 days – 1 year
72. Rotation: one rotation of the Earth on its axis; 24 hrs – 1 day; causes day and night
73. Subsistence farming: producing just enough food for a family or a village to survive
74. Commercial farming: farming organized as a business
75. Timberline: point on a mountain which no vegetation grows past due to elevation
76. Surplus: excess amount
77. Deathrate: the number of deaths/year for every 1,000 people
78. Birthrate: the number of births/year for every 1,000 people
79. Tropic of Cancer: Line of latitude 33 degrees N; farthest point N that receives direct sunlight
80. Tropic of Capricorn: Line of latitude 33 degrees S; farthest point S that receives direct sunlight
81. Hemisphere: half of a sphere or globe, as in the earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres or
Easter and Western hemispheres
82. Ecosystem: the complex community of interdependent living things in a given environment (plants
and animals)
83. Solar System: the sun and planets around it
84. Tectonic plates: slabs of rock whose movement can create physical features
85. Mega city: city with more than 10 million people
86. Aquifer: underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel
87. Weather: condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time
88. Climate: weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
89. Global warming: gradual warming of the earth and its atmosphere that may be caused in part by
pollution and an increase in the greenhouse effect
90. Smog: haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from
automobile exhausts and other pollution sources
91. Less Developed Country: country in the process of becoming industrialized
92. Migration: the movement of people from place to place
93. Culture: way of life of a group of people who share beliefs and similar customs (language, religion,
and history of a people)
94. Hurricane: a large, powerful windstorm that forms over warm ocean waters
95. Blizzard: a snowstorm with winds of more than 35 MPH, temperatures below freezing, and visibility
of less than 500 feet for 3 hrs or more
96. Glacier: large, thick body of slowly moving ice
97. Tributary: smaller river or stream that feeds into a larger river
98. Headwaters: the sources of river waters
99. Mouth: end of a river (usually in a larger body of water)
100.
Delta: alluvial deposit at a rivers mouth that looks like the Greek letter delta ()
101.
Bilingual: speaking or using 2 languages
102. Cordilleras: parallel chains or ranges of mountains
103. Pampas: grassy, treeless plains of southern South America
104. Estuary: an area where the tide meets a river current
105. Lake Maracaibo: in Venezuela contains rich deposits of oil
106. Amazon Basin: tropical climate because of prevailing wind patterns; contains the world’s largest
rain forest
107. Amazon River: the Western Hemisphere’s longest river
108. Lake Titicaca: located in the Andes; the world’s highest navigable lake
109. Rio de la Plata: large estuary where 3 rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean
110. Patagonia: located at the southern end of South America
111. Latin America: (what makes up Latin America): Middle America, the Caribbean, and South
America
112. Indigenous: native to a place
113. Maya: dominated southern Mexico and northern Central America; from a.d. 250 to a.d. 900;
greatest city was Tikal (present day Guatemala); ruled by priests and nobles; economy based
on agriculture and trade; skilled in mathematics; developed accurate calendars; used glyphs;
abandoned cities for unknown reasons
114. Aztec: central Mexico; in the a.d. 1300’s; capital Tenochtitlan; grew beans and maize on
chinampas; structured class system; ruled by an emperor and military officials
115. Inca: time of the Aztecs; est in the Andes mountains; stretched from Ecuador to central Chile;
capital – Cuzco (present day Peru); ruled by an emperor; network of roads; terraces and
irrigation systems; domesticated the alpaca and the llama; no written language; oral storytelling;
used a quipu to keep track of financial records
116. Reforestation: replanting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed
117. Maquiladoras: foreign – owned factories
118. Push Factor: Something that would cause a person leave a place ex: Natural disaster, political
oppression, economy
119. Pull factor: Something that would cause a person to go to a new place: job opportunities, good
climate
120. NAFTA: North America Free Trade Agreement; between USA, Canada, and Mexico; reduces
trade restrictions
121. Hydroelectricity: electricity generated from the energy of water
122. Dialect: a form of a language unique to a particular group
123. Ethnic religion (give ex): Focuses on one ethnic group and generally spreads into culture (Islam,
Judaism)
124. Monotheistic: belief in one god
125. Polytheistic: belief in many gods
126. Nationalism: extreme feelings of pride and loyalty for ones own country
127. Patriotism: love for or devotion to one’s country
128. Terrorism: the use of violence to create fear in a given population
129. Infrastructure: all systems of transportation including roads, ports, highways
130. Peninsula: a stretch of land surrounded by water on three sides
131. Stalactite: dripping limestone-rich water which forms structures on the ceiling
132. Stalagmite: dripping limestone-rich water which forms structures on the ground
133. Who is the leading exporter of silver? Mexico
134. What are the 7 continents? Australia, Africa, Antarctica, Europe, Asia, South America, North
America
135. What landform is the continent of Europe? Peninsula
136. What are low latitudes? Latitudes closest to the equator – warm temperatures
137. What are high latitudes? Latitudes closest to the poles – cold climate
138. What are the layers of the earth and the characteristics of each?
Crust – thinnest layer (surface of the earth)
Mantle- thick middle layer of the earth’s interior structure, consisting of dense, hot rock
Core: Inner core – solid, hot
Outer core – liquid, hot
139. Where is the Amazon located and what is significant about it? In South America, it is the
largest (by volume) river in the world
140. What is the population of Paris? 7 Million
141. Where is the Death Valley and what is significant about it? Located in California; lowest point in
the US and the highest temperature in the US
142. What are everglades and where can you find them? Florida; area of wetlands and swamps
143. What do TODALSIGS stand for?
Title
Orientation
Date
Author
Legend
Scale
Index
Grid System
Source
144. How much of the earth’s surface is covered by land? By water? How much of that is
freshwater?
30%; 70%; 3%
145. Where is Mt. Everest and why is it significant? Highest point on earth; Himalaya
146.
Be able to explain the steps of the water cycle.
Maintains a consistent amount
Evaporation: changing of a liquid into a gas
Condensation: the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air
cools
Precipitation: moisture that falls to the earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow
147. Name 4 major types of landforms.
Mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains
148. What is the Mariana Trench, where is it, why is it significant?
Deepest known depression on Earth; Pacific Ocean
149. Name the 8 planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
a. Which are terrestrial planets? Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
b. Which are gaseous planets? Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus
150. What are the characteristics of a highlands climate? Extremely cold
a. Where would you find it? High elevation
151. How does elevation affect climate? Higher the elevation the colder the climate
152. How does latitude affect climate? High latitudes (closer to the poles) have a colder climate;
lower latitudes (closer to the Equator) have warmer climates
153. What is an equinox? One of two days (march 21 and September 23) on which the sun is
directly above the Equator, making day and night equal in length
a. When do equinoxes take place? March and September
154. What would the natural vegetation be in a desert? Scattered shrubs and cacti
155. What causes seasons? The earth’s revolution and its tilt in relation to the sun
156. What affects temperatures on the earth? The earth’s position in relation to the sun
157. Why must countries trade with each other? Natural resources are distributed unevenly among
countries
158. How is the world’s population distributed? Unevenly distributed
159. What makes up a culture? Language, religion, social groups, government, and economic
activities
160. What are the 3 factors that change cultures? War, trade, migration
161. What makes up an ethnic group? Group of people that have a common language, history, and
place of origin
162. What climate would you find in Hawaii? Tropical
163. Which type of North American landform are rich coal and mineral deposits generally found?
Mountain ranges
164. What do scientists believe about the earth’s continents? That they were once joined in a
massive super-continent called Pangaea and have spread due to continental shifting
165. What occurs when a river is dammed? The river expands upstream creating a lake
166. Why would a dam be built? Flood control, hydroelectricity, recreation
167. What role did glaciers play in forming the Great Lakes? Glaciers carved basins out of bedrock
168. What happens at the poles during summer and winter? Constant sunlight (indirect) during
summer and no sunlight during winter
169. When did the USA declare independence? From whom? 1776, Great Britain
170. Why did Europeans set up colonies in Latin America? Europeans set up colonies in Latin
America to gain wealth for their home countries
171. Where are the Andes mountains? Western coast of South America; world’s longest mountain
range
172. Where is the Atacama Desert and what is significant about it? Chile; One of the driest places in
the world; created by the rain shadow effect
173. When did most Latin American countries gain their independence? The 1800’s
174. What was the official religion of the Spanish colonists? Catholicism
175. What language is spoken in Brazil? Portuguese Haiti? French Bahamas? English Mexico?
Spanish
176. Name the indigenous Latin American empires. Maya, Aztec, and Inca
177. What was the first Latin American country to gain its independence. Haiti from France
178. Where can you find the Straight of Magellan? Very southern tip of South America
179. What is the Panama Canal and what is significant about it? Man made canal in Panama that
connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Allows for much shorter trade routes. Controlled by
the USA until 1999, now controlled by Panama
180. What is the largest country in the world? Russia
181. How many languages are spoken in Europe? About 50
182. Where are the Pyrenees mountains located? Between Spain and France
183. Name the 3 main crops grown in Europe. Grapes, olives, and potatoes
184. Why does Europe have such a diverse culture? Migration, cultural diffusion, and changing
political borders
185. Ring of Fire: Area around the Pacific Ocean that is known for having frequent earthquakes and
numerous volcanoes as a result of the high plate activity
186. Functional Region: a city
187. Formal Region: a region with a specific, defined border
188. Fujita Scale: used to measure the intensity of tornadoes 1-5
189. Richter Scale: used to measure the intensity of earthquakes 1-10
190. What was significant about Chernobyl? It demonstrated the dangerousness of nuclear power
plants, the long term effects of a disaster like this, and demonstrated transboundary pollution.
Similar to the disaster in Japan in 2008
191. Puerto Rico: A territory of the United States, citizens of PR are also citizens of the USA but are
not allowed to vote in presidential elections.
192. What makes up the United Kingdom? Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland
** Be sure you review your maps and know the relative location of significant places: Iberian peninsula,
Italy, Scandinavian Peninsula (what countries make up this area), Strait of Gibraltar, English Channel,
Russia, location of all continents, Canada, Mexico, the USA, Hispanola, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba,
Panama.
The capitals of the following countries:
France, USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Russia, UK, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Italy, and Greece