Chapter 9 The Economy of British Columbia
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which sectors of the British Columbian economy are not growing in
the early 21st century?
a. service sector
b. tourism and filmmaking
c. high technology
d. mining and forestry
2. Which of the following is most likely to affect the British Columbian
economy?
a. changing global commodity prices
b. changes in British Columbia’s government economic policy
c. several consecutive cool, rainy summers
d. all of these
e. b. and c. only
3. Which sector of the British Columbian economy employed the most
workers in 2007?
a. primary
b. primary manufacturing
c. secondary manufacturing
d. services
4. “Service industries, tourism, forestry, trade, agriculture, and
manufacturing” describes which economic region of British
Columbia?
a. Vancouver Island/Coast
b. Mainland/Southwest
c. Nechako
d. Thompson-Okanagan
5. “Forestry, mining, agriculture, trade and manufacturing” describes
which economic region of British Columbia?
a. Mainland/Southwest
b. Cariboo
c. Thompson-Okanagan
d. North East
6. “Forestry, some mining, and tourism” describes which economic
region of British Columbia?
a. North Coast
b. North East
c. Nechako
d. Kootenay
7. “Forestry, commercial fishing, mining, mineral exploration, smelting,
and pulp milling” describes which economic region of British
Columbia?
a. North Coast
b. Kootenay
c. North East
d. Cariboo
8. “Forestry, mining, agriculture, and tourism” describes which
economic region of British Columbia?
a. Vancouver Island/Coast
b. Thompson-Okanagan
c. North Coast
d. Kootenay
9. “Coal mining, mining and smelting, farming, logging, and tourism”
describes which economic region of British Columbia?
a. Kootenay
b. Thompson-Okanagan
c. Mainland/Southwest
d. Cariboo
10. Which of the following is considered a non-renewable resource?
a. fish stocks off Haida Gwaii
b. oil reserves in the North East
c. forests on Vancouver Island
d. orchards in the Okanagan
11. Which of the following is considered a renewable resource?
a. oil reserves in the North East
b. natural gas supplies in the Peace River
c. fish stocks off Haida Gwaii
d. gold deposits in Kootenay
12. Sustainability:
a. ensures that employment in certain job sectors does not
decline
b. means that resources must be used in a way that ensures
economic growth
c. seeks a balance between a sound economy and a concern for
the environment
d. means that protection of the environment is more important
than economic growth
13. Stewardship:
a. means that protection of the environment is more important
than economic growth
b. seeks a balance between a sound economy and a concern for
the environment
c. means environmental resources are managed with a goal of
sustaining these resources
d. means that resources must be used in a way that ensures
economic growth
14. The mainstay of British Columbia’s exports is:
a. orchard and wine products
b. fish
c. mineral resources including oil, natural gas, and coal
d. forest products
15. Allowable Annual Cut means:
a. half the trees cut must be replaced by new growth
b. all trees cut must be replaced by new growth
c. tree harvest must be constant year to year
d. some trees must be cut every year
16. Amount of British Columbia’s land area set aside for parks in 1992:
a. 12%
b. 10%
c. 8%
d. 15%
17. In response to protests about their practices, British Columbian
forest companies are moving toward which harvesting method?
a. selective logging
b. partial clear-cutting
c. clear-cutting
d. tree farms
18. Which of the following is not an advantage of clear-cutting?
a. it is less expensive
b. it is a safer method for loggers
c. it is environmentally friendly
d. it is an easier method
19. Which of the following is not an advantage of selective logging?
a. it is more environmentally friendly
b. an area retains mush of its natural beauty
c. it is a safer and less expensive method
d. only certain trees are harvested
20. Which of the following makes economic sense in preserving oldgrowth forests?
a. they capture atmospheric carbon
b. they protect endangered species
c. they provide recreational opportunities
d. all of these
e. b. and c. only
21. According to the government, what percentage of logs harvested in
British Columbia are processed in British Columbia?
a. nearly 60%
b. over 80%
c. about 90%
d. 95%
22. Opponents of the export of raw logs believe that:
a. exporting logs means exporting jobs
b. nearly 20 000 jobs have been lost through this practice
c. many companies take advantage of government regulations to
export logs
d. all of these
e. a. and b. only
23. The mountain pine beetle infestation is expected to kill how much
of British Columbia’s interior pine forests?
a. 40%
b. 60%
c. 80%
d. 70%
24. A problem resulting from the mountain pine beetle infestation is:
a. that wood from affected trees cannot be harvested
b. that there is a potential for forest fires due to dry, dead trees
c. that it will take decades to regenerate forests
d. all of these
e. b. and c. only
25. Which type of fish represented 55% of the total value of British
Columbia’s fish catch in 1990?
a. halibut
b. salmon
c. sole
d. trout
26. By 2005, salmon had dropped to what percentage of the total fish
catch?
a. under 35%
b. over 20%
c. just 10%
d. it had actually risen to 60%
27. Which other industry has a major negative impact on salmon
spawning?
a. forestry
b. agriculture
c. tourism
d. mining
28. Which of the following has played a role in reducing salmon stocks?
a. habitat destruction
b. spawning area destruction
c. overfishing
d. all of these
e. b. and c. only
29. Which other fish type has suffered a severe collapse?
a. halibut
b. eulachon
c. herring
d. sole
30. International conservation of salmon is difficult because:
a. the United Nations will not rule on the matter
b. too many different governments must approve any agreement
c. no one is sure where salmon spawn
d. governments are too busy regulating whaling
31. Fish farming:
a. contributes jobs to the economy
b. can lead to disease outbreaks in wild fish stocks
c. produces fish which is inferior in taste to “wild” fish
d. all of these
e. a. and b. only
32. Which of the following is not cited as a negative impact of fish
farming?
a. pollution from fish farms
b. the fact that farmed fish drive down the price of “wild” fish
c. outbreaks of disease from farmed fish
d. fish meal used to feed farmed fish comes from endangered
species
33. Which of the following is the major use of British Columbia’s water
resources?
a. recreational use
b. drinking water
c. hydro power
d. irrigation of crops
34. Recently, BC Hydro has committed itself to:
a. several major hydro dam projects
b. the building of environmentally friendly “min-hydro” projects
c. building more fossil fuel power plants
d. using underground aquifers for power generation
35. The biggest problem affecting the Fraser River today is:
a. overuse of its water
b. a proposed dam at Hell’s Gate
c. pollution from a variety of sources
d. reduction of water flow due to climate change
36. The Fraser River has never been dammed because:
a. it would hinder navigation
b. enough dams have been built elsewhere
c. it would flood too many towns behind proposed dams
d. the Fraser River is a major salmon spawning route
37. The bulk export of fresh water from British Columbia:
a. has been banned by the government
b. is encouraged by the government
c. is the subject of a federal-provincial jurisdiction dispute
d. is regulated by the British Columbian government
38. The total amount of British Columbia’s land surface which is
potentially suitable for agriculture is:
a. 1.1%
b. 10%
c. 15%
d. 22%
39. In order to protect farmland in British Columbia, the government:
a. banned all development in agricultural areas
b. nationalized all farmland
c. created the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)
d. established an Agricultural Land Review Board
40. Under the Agricultural Land Reserve, which of the following is not
permitted?
a. farming
b. forestry
c. building golf courses
d. building housing
41. The greatest pressure on agricultural land comes from:
a. the need to plant trees on such land
b. urbanization
c. flooding from hydro projects
d. insects and other pests
42. Because of urbanization, the amount of land in the Agricultural
Land Reserve:
a. has been increased
b. has been maintained
c. has declined
d. has been subject to multiple-use projects
43. If a golf course is built on land in the Agricultural Land Reserve:
a. the land is removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve
b. the land can be reconverted to farmland at any time by the
government
c. the land remains in the Agricultural Land Reserve
d. the land is rezoned for recreational use
44. A non-renewable resource:
a. once used, cannot be replaced
b. can be reused through recycling
c. must be conserved if it is to last
d. all of these
45. Open-pit mines have which advantage over traditional mines?
a. they are less damaging to the environment
b. they are cheaper to develop
c. they are safer for miners
d. they receive tax breaks from the government
46. A major environmental problem, especially from abandoned mines,
is:
a. bedrock collapse
b. heavy metal leeching into the environment
c. sulfuric mineral out-gassing
d. acid rock drainage
47. Mine tailings damage the environment by:
a. producing unsightly piles of waste
b. producing acid rock drainage
c. introducing heavy metals into the food chain
d. seeping industrial pollutants into the soil
48. In order to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in 2008 the British
Columbian government:
a. closed all fossil fuel power plants
b. toughened its automobile emission regulations
c. introduced a carbon tax
d. pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2020
49. A new, controversial power resource is:
a. Ballard fuel cells
b. geothermal power plants
c. wind farms
d. Coalbed Methane Gas (CBG)
50. Offshore oil and gas development in British Columbia:
a. is not a problem because no such reserves exist
b. has been banned since 1972
c. is currently under active review by the government
d. is supported by a majority of British Columbia residents
51. In British Columbia, approximately how many people are employed
in a service industry job?
a. 3 of 4
b. 5 of 6
c. 4 of 5
d. 3 of 5
52. The high-tech sector makes up about 6% of British Columbia’s
economy. It:
a. employs more people than forestry and mining combined
b. employs few workers
c. is growing more slowly than agriculture
d. is made up of a few, large, sophisticated companies
53. The largest part of the high-tech sector is:
a. computer service
b. scientific research
c. satellite manufacturing
d. information technology
54. Which of the following is not an example of a cultural tourist
destination?
a. The West Coast Trail
b. Barkerville
c. Ksan Historical Village
d. Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden
55. Tourism was established as an industry in British Columbia with:
a. the Cariboo Gold Rush
b. the completion of the CPR
c. the introduction of ferry service to Vancouver Island
d. the opening of Whistler/Blackcomb
56. Which of the following is a reason American film companies make
extensive use of British Columbia?
a. a full range of production facilities
b. a wide variety of landscapes
c. the mild climate
d. all of these
e. a. and b. only
57. Film production can be considered to be an ideal form of economic
growth because:
a. it is labour intensive
b. it is relatively non-polluting
c. it increases foreign investment
d. all of these
58. The Georgia Basin:
a. is British Columbia’s smallest region
b. is home to 75% of British Columbia’s population
c. faces severe pollution problems
d. all of these
e. a. and b. only
59. The Georgia Basin:
a. faces a potential population growth of 40% in the next 20
years
b. has taken steps to restrict all forms of pollution
c. is environmentally protected
d. cannot sustain any further growth
60. Other Coast Salish communities have objected to the Tsawwassen
Treaty because:
a. the Tsawwassen got too much money
b. the agreement depletes the Agricultural Land Reserve
c. of overlapping land claims
d. the treaty process was unfairly fast-tracked