World Geography
Semester Exam Review Spring 2012
Define:
1. Apartheid – legal segregation in S. Africa, ended
2. Aquifers - underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials
3. Arable Land - suitable for farming
4. Commercial Farming - farming for profit (opposite of subsistence farming)
5. Continentality – distance from the sea impacts the amount of precipitation an area gets.
6. Desalinization plants - removal of saline/salt from sea water.
7. European Colonialism – expansion of Europe to other areas across the globe, mostly tribal areas such
as Africa, The Americas, India, Australia
8. Feudalism in Japan – Japanese class structure was based on this.
9. Green Revolution – agricultural movement to feed the growing Indian population, use of science &
technology to grow more food.
10. Infrastructure – system of roads, schools, hospitals etc needed to have a well functioning country.
11. Irrigation - artificial application of water to the land or soil. Used for farming & agriculture.
12. Monsoons (what & where) – wind system that brings month of rain followed by months of dry
weather. Farmers depend on this for their crops/agriculture.
13. Oceania – Islands in the Pacific are referred to as “Oceania”
14. OPEC – Organization of Oil Exporting Countries
15. Peninsula – land surrounded by water on three sides (ex: Florida)
16. Ring of Fire – Volcanic & earthquake prone area in the Pacific caused by plated tectonics.
17. Sepoy Mutiny – rebellion of Indians against the British
18. Slash & Burn – planning an area over & over until the soil loses its fertility. Commonly practiced by
subsistence farmers.
19. Subsistence Farming – just enough to feed the farmer & family (opposite of commercial farming)
Economic Systems:
20. Traditional - bartering, no money is exchanged (ie trade a sheep for 10 chickens etc)
21. Mixed – a combination of Free Enterprise & Socialism (what most countries are)
22. Free Enterprise/Market/ Capitalism– private citizens own & operate businesses
23. Socialism - the people operate the businesses (those who do the DEED the $$)
24. Command Economy – Government owns & operates all businesses (those in NEED get the $$) The
Soviet Union used poster propaganda to promote this way of life when they changed over to
command economy after the fall of the Tsar.
Answer the following questions:
25. Describe the conflict between India & Pakistan – current fighting over land in the Kashmir region
(South Asia). Tensions due to the fact that both have nuclear weapons.
26. Describe the conflict between Mainland China (PRC) & Taiwan (ROC). Chinese Nationalists fled to
Taiwan from mainland China after China fell to Communism. Taiwan is wealthy, due to its trade with
the West, known as an “Economic Tiger”
27. Describe the impacts of the Aswan High Dam. Be sure to include both the positive & the negative.
Positive: controlled the flooding, provided electricity; Negative: farmers lost out on valuable silt,
natural fertilizer brought on by the flooding of the Nile.
28. Describe the implications that irrigation projects have had on the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea is shrinking
(recent years has actually started coming back), pollution & desertification occurring here.
29. Describe the significance of these waterways: Suez Canal – waterway connection the Mediterranean
and the Red Sea. Singapore – strategic for trade & The Strait of Hormuz – Strategic as most of the
World’s oil ships through here, Somalia – Somalia is dangerous due to the anarchy & thus piracy in
this country.
30. Does Japan have an abundance of natural resources? What has this led to? Japan has a lack of natural
resources, which has led to imperialism.
31. How did the Indian Caste System impact social status? Birth determined social status. You could not
change castes during your present lifetime, only by reincarnation.
32. How did the USSR utilize propaganda to promote the ideas of the new communist government?
Propaganda Posters
33. How does physical geography impact population density? People tend to live where there are river
systems, fertile land. NOT where there are deserts.
34. How have the natural resources of the Middle East impacted the public attention that this region
receives? Due to the Oil/Petroleum in this region, there has been more public attention
35. What disease has had the largest impact on Africa in recent history? AIDS
36. What is the Arab-Israeli conflict & what are they fighting over? Both claim that this land (Palestine)
belongs to them.
37. What is the connection between economic systems and GDP? The more private ownership a country
has the higher the income. Less private ownership (ie command, lower the income)
38. What is the economy of India based on? Exports, telecommunications
39. What is the primary economic activity of SW Asia? Oil exports
40. What landforms are found in Africa? Deserts: Sahel & Sahara, River: Nile
41. Where are most of the urban centers of China located? Why? Along the SE coast, due to natural
resources & climate
Locate & describe the geography of…
42. Amazon - Brazil
43. Bikini Atoll - islands in the Pacific, site of US nuclear testing
44. Mongolian Steppes – forms a crescent around the Gobi desert, temperate grasslands, shrublands &
savannahs area.
45. N/S Korea – located between China & Japan. North Korea: Communist Dictatorship, South Korea –
Freem Market Economy
46. Sahara – desert on the continent of Africa, very few people live here
47. Siberian Plain – in Russia, snow, tundra. Harsh climate leads to low population
48. The Outback – dry desert region in the center portion of Australia. Created by the E (elevation) in
LEMPOSA