Geo 120 Midterm 1 Short Answer
Briefly explain the following terms: adiabatic lapse rate, orographic effect, continentality.
Adiabatic lapse rate: the rate of moving air mass cools or warms with changes in elevation, which is usually around 5.5 degrees F per 1000 feet .Orographic effect: the influence of mountains on weather and climate, usually referring to the increase of precipitation on the windward side of mountains, and a drier zone (or rain shadow) on the leeward or downwind side of the mountain. Continentality: Tendency of land to experience more thermal variation than water. Continental climates exhibit temperature extremes of warmth during the summer and cold during the winter.
Discuss the nature of colonialism in the Caribbean and then examine its long-term legacies.
Caribbean colonial history is a patchwork of competing European powers fighting over profitable tropical territories. By the 17th century, the Caribbean had become an important proving ground for European ambitions. Europeans viewed the Caribbean as a strategically located, profitable region in which to produce sugar, rum, and spices. Geopolitically, rival European powers also felt that their presence in the Caribbean limited Spanish authority there. However, Europe's geopolitical dominance in the Caribbean began to diminish by the mid-19th century, just as the U.S. presence increased. To this day, the United States exerts considerable influence in the Caribbean, which was commonly referred to as "America's backyard" in the early 20th century. The stated foreign policy objectives were to free the region from European authority and encourage democratic governance. Yet time and again, American political and economic ambitions undermined those goals.
What are the major causes and effects of climate change?
Climate change affects all other environmental processes. It affects both averages and extremes. Hot and Cold, Wet and dry, wind speeds and storm frequencies, sea levels, snowpack and snowmelt. With climate change dry areas are going to get even drier, canada isn't going to be as cold. CRAZY hot near the equator, Agricultural production would drop substantially because growing seasons would be too short (like in Canada)
Why is there a water shortage in this region, and how have people attempted to adapt to this water shortage?
Globalization and urbanization; Qanat system
What are Maroon societies and how do they provide a strong reflection of African roots in the Caribbean today?
Communities of runaway slaves - termed maroons in English - offer interesting examples of African cultural diffusion across the Atlantic. Hidden settlements of escaped slaves existed wherever slavery was practiced. While many of these settlements were short-lived, others have endures and allowed for the survival of African traditions, especially farming practices, house designs, community organization, and language.
Culture is an important aspect of the human experience. Define the term and then discuss and analyze the four categories of culture presented in the text, along with an examination of the phenomenon of cultural imperialism.
Culture: learned and shared behavior by a group of people that gives them a distinct "way of life"
Explain the following terms: demographic transition, life expectancy, population pyramid
Demographic transition: A conceptualization that tracks the changes in birth rates and death rates over time.Life Expectancy: demographic indicator that contains information about health and well-being in a society. Population Pyramid: the structure of a population measuring the percentage of young and old, presented graphically as a pyramid-shaped graph. This graph plots the percentage of all different age groups along a vertical axis that divides the population into male and female.
Discuss efforts at regional integration in the last 50 years, including the formation of CARICOM.
Difficult task in the Caribbean is increasing economic integration. It is difficult with scattered islands, a divided rimland, different languages, and limited economic resources hinder the formation of a meaningful regional trade bloc. Economic cooperation is more common between groups of islands with a shared colonial background. The goal of regional cooperation was to raise employment, increase intraregional trade, and ultimately reduce economic dependence. CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market) represents the former English colonies. It proposed an ambitious regional industrialization plan and the creation of the Caribbean Development Bank to assist the poorer states.
Where has the decline of wildlife in this region been especially problematic? What are some of the initiatives that have been undertaken to conserve this resource?
Eastern and Southern Africa; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species was a worldwide ban on ivory trade; rhinoceros is especially threatened; National park for rhinos
In which countries in this region is deforestation especially problematic, and in which countries is it not so?
Ethiopia (long ago reduced as local populations relied on such woodlands for daily needs) Kenya (slower because of Green Belt Movement) Sierra Leone/Ghana and Madagascar (commercial logging and agricultural clearing)
True/False: The Caribbean region lies on four different tectonic plates
False (Only 3)
What is GNP and what are its shortcomings as an indicator of economic development and social well-being?
GNP: Gross national product. It is incomplete and sometimes misleading economic indicator because it completely ignores non market economic activity, such as bartering or household work, and also does not take into account ecological degradation of natural resources.
Describe the migration patterns that are common in the Caribbean, including those that lead its residents to North America.
Given the region's high educational rates and limited employment opportunities, Caribbean countries have seen their people emigrate for decades. After World War II, better transportation and political developments in the Caribbean produces a surge of migrants to North America. Driven by the region's limited economic opportunities, a pattern of emigration to other Caribbean islands, North America, and Europe began in the 1950s. Labor-related migration: intra regional, seasonal migration is traditional. Crucial in this exchange of labor is the flow of cash remittances. Immigrants are expected to send something back. Labor-related migration has become a standard practice for tens of thousands of households in the region.
Discuss how global terrorism has forced geographers to redefine and expand our conceptualization of globalization and geopolitics.
Global Terrorism is going beyond nationalist or regional geopolitical aspirations
Compare and contrast deforestation in Haiti and the Caribbean Rimland. What are the factors that have contributed to greater conservation of forests in the Rimland?
Haiti's forests are almost gone, whereas the Rimland forests are less threatened, has more forest cover. Forests cleared for plantation mono-cropping. Factors contributing to conservation of forests in the rimland might be that the soil was not ideal works for sugarcane, and other important crops at the time. In Haiti, the forests were constantly cleared and older ones abandoned or fallowed in an effort to keep up sugar plantation. It is estimated that 3% of Haiti remains forested.
3 arguments that climate change is natural
In the past, CO2 rises have occurred after temperature rises. We don't have accurate temperature readings (most temperature is on the ocean). It was hotter during the medieval times than now.
Discuss the impact of falling oil prices on the region. What countries will prosper and what countries will suffer?
Indicates increased global energy production by non-OPEC producers such as Canada and the US... suggests more competition that might decrease OPEC's importance. government programs in many countries are being cut as a result.Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Libya, Algeria
According to the authors of your text, globalization is the most fundamental reorganization of our planet's social and economic structures since which of the following events?
Industrial Revolution
Why was the Berlin Conference both an important event and an important symbol of European colonialism in Sub-Saharan Africa?
It was important because it changed the political boundaries for the worse in Africa. It is an important symbol of European Colonialism because it showed everyone how they could take over such a big land mass such as Africa
Describe the demographic statistics and measurements used in the text to examine and compare populations
Life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, gender equity, and income.
What countries comprise the Maghreb of Southwest Asia/North Africa?
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
Discuss the various aspects that geographers examine in urban settlements
Most of the world still lives in rural areas, but since 2015 we've seen a major spike
True/False
Most tropical rainforests are found near the equator
Explain the following terms: natural population increase, crude birth rate, crude death rate, total fertility rate.
Natural population increase: annual growth rate for a country or region as a percentage increaseCrude birth rate: total number of live births per year to every 1,000 of the populationCrude death rate: total number of deaths per year to every 1,000 of the populationTotal fertility rate: number of children a woman bears between 15-49 (children bearing years)
Summarize the major forces shaping recent migration patterns in the region.
North African emigration: leave in search of better employment in western EuropeIran: family planning is issue. Iranian women now defer childbirth and use contraceptives; growth rate now lowSaudi Arabia: remains among highest; women hold traditional place in society and little emphasis on family planningpg. 230.... rural to urban; foreign workers to areas within region with large labor demands; political instability
Describe the characteristics of Plantation America, emphasizing its cultural and economic underpinnings and legacy.
Plantation America: A cultural region extending from Brazil to the southeastern United States. European elite ruling class dependent on African labor. Relied on mono-crop production. Creolization came to be, which consists of the blending of African, European, and some Amerindian cultural elements into the unique cultural systems found in the Caribbean. Today the structure of Caribbean communities reflects this plantation legacy. Many of the region's subsistence farmers are descendants of former slaves and continue to farm their small plots and work part-time as wage laborers on estates, especially in Haiti.
Discuss the environmental degradation and poverty that is prevalent in Haiti. Be certain to emphasize the historical factors that have led to this situation in the country.
Plantations destroyed large amounts of people and lifestyle. Mono-cropping also damaged long-term agriculture, as well as deforestation.
Describe the major landforms and general distribution of climate types of Sub-Saharan Africa
Plateaus and Basins; Southern and Eastern Africa=High Africa Western and northern Africa=Low Africa; Great Escarpment Watersheds: rivers end where collection of water is. Soils infertile; most is in the tropical latitudes, the far south of continent extends into subtropical and temperate belts, rainfall determines different vegetation belts; Tropical forests, savannas and deserts
3 arguments that climate change is man-made
Previous temperature rises weren't caused by CO2, but now the CO2 makes things worse. We do have accurate readings, we take things into consideration. Medieval warming was likely local warming only.
In what region of Sub-Saharan Africa is desertification most severe? a)the Sahel b)the Kalahari c)South Africa d)the Horn of East Africa e)the Congo
Sahel
Discuss the various aspects that geographers examine in urban settlements
Size, density, and population
What was the Kyoto Protocol, who were the major countries involved in this initiative, and how did it finally come to be international law in 2005?
The Kyoto protocol was when the UN created an initiative for the most pollutant countries to cut back on their greenhouse gas emissions. This had the force of international law, with penalties for those countries not reaching their emission target rates. The countries involved were the United States, Japan, China, Russia. In 2005 it became law when Russia ratified it.
Describe and analyze the nature of U.S. involvement in the Caribbean from 1898 to the present.
The first victory was the military defeat of Spain: In the Spanish-American War of 1898, US troops intervened in the Spanish Caribbean colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico as well as in some Pacific islands where President William McKinley (1843-1901) established US military governments. In 1902, Cuba became "independent", but, according to the Platt Amendment of 1901, under US protection. From 1880 onwards, the United States strengthened its economic interests in the Caribbean. US corporations, such as the Standard Fruit Company and the United Fruit Company, could acquire land anywhere in the Caribbean territories and thereby established many new plantation systems.
Explain how Antarctica contributes to our understanding of climate change
The presence of the high ice sheet and the polar location make Antarctica a powerful heat sink that strongly affects the climate of the whole Earth. Furthermore, the annual sea ice cover around the continent, which seasonally reaches an area greater than that of the continent itself, modulates exchanges of heat, moisture, and gases between the atmosphere and ocean and, through salt rejection when it freezes, forces the formation of cold oceanic bottom waters that spread out under the world's oceans. Alterations to this system will affect climate all over the planet.
Discuss the rise of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. In which countries are the rates higher or lower? What are the factors that have contributed to the higher and lower rates in these locations?
The rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the Caribbean has come down in the past decade, but it is still twice that of North America, making the disease an important regional issue. Roughly 250,000 people between the ages of 15-49 were living with HIV/AIDS in 2012. Factors contributing to higher rates of HIV/AIDS: Poverty, gender inequality, misinformation, and stigma attached to people infected with HIV contributed to the spread of the disease in the 1990s and 2000s. Also, the considerable movement among the island nations and the commercial sex trade, encouraged by a strong tourism economy. Reflecting global patterns, heterosexual sex is the main route of HIV transmission in the Caribbean, often associated with paid sex. In Haiti, 1.8% of the population between the ages of 15-49 is infected with the virus. The infection rate is 1.8% in Jamaica, 2.3% in Belize, and 2.8% in The Bahamas.
Which of the following islands is NOT part of the Greater Antilles? Cuba, Hispaniola, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago
True/False: A "Qanat" is an irrigation system that taps into groundwater through a series of gently sloping tunnels.
True
True/False: The Nile River is the world's longest river
True
What attributes help make the Caribbean a distinct region?
Unique language, African-influenced religions,
Annually, an area of tropical forest the size of __________ is destroyed.
Wisconsin
Discuss the relationship between water resources and the role of women in the developing world
Women have to take care of the sick children, adding another time consuming task to their already busy days. Women are also the primary conveyers of water from wells or streams to their homes. Water sources for 1/3 of the worlds developing nations are found more than .5 mile away from residences. To meet water needs, women spend about 25% of their day carrying water. (about 40 billion hours a year are spent collecting and carrying water).Women carry these heavy water buckets on their heads, eventually leading to chronic neck and back problems, which also leads to childbirth complications. Their water carrying responsibilities also usually interfere with their schooling, leading to a high dropout rate, furthering female illiteracy in rural villages.
Discuss the meaning of the term "Tyranny of the Map" in relation to Sub-Saharan Africa.
boundaries have made it difficult to build cohesive states because rival groups are joined and ethnic groups are separated
What effect has HIV/AIDS had on Sub-Saharan Africa? In which areas of the region has the spread of this disease been the greatest? What are the reasons for the variation of rates of this disease among different countries in the region?
concubines spread has to do with being in Southeast Africa they'd have a long term relationship in Southeastern Africa then would go sleep with more people; hard time accessing needed drugs to stop; hard time accessing contraceptives; limited education; found in subsaharan africa (southeastern part); effects: life expectancy rates tumbled, high child mortality
Identify the role of cultural variables in understanding key regional conflicts in North Africa, Israel, Syria, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula.
different religions in the area (sunnis, shiites)uneven distribution of oil wealthlanguage differencescultural differences
What factors explain the large family size of Sub-Saharan Africa? What conditions would be necessary to encourage parents to have smaller families? What might be some of the effects of having smaller families?
disproportionate impacts of AIDS on women in Africa. combination of cultural practices, rural lifestyles, child mortality and economic realties. women married young; limited formal education available to women; children are source of labor; social security for when parents get old; urbanize Africa; better healthcare: created social welfare programs in the cities; less people to feed and better economically
Explain how latitude and topography produce the Middle East's distinctive patterns of climate.
mostly composed of deserts and uplands; continuousbelt of desert stretches eastward across interior North Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, and into central and Eastern Iran; elsewhere variety of climates; Atlas mountains and nearby lowlands of Morocco, Algeria nad Tunisia experience a Mediterranean climate, dry summers and cooler, wet winters.
Summarize the geography of oil and gas reserves in this area. How has the distribution of fossil fuels in Southwest Asia and North Africa affected economic development and standards of living in the area? Use specific examples in your answer.
northern africa: large sedimentary bases for oilIran and Qatar: natural gasSaudi Arabia: petroleumwealth is with the resourcesstandards of living: countries with oil=best standard of livingSaudi Arabia is best place with oil reservesIran is high as well but their government sucks so they still live in povertycontains 7% of the world's population but 69% of the world's proven petroleum reserves
What are the historical roots, current areas of contention, and settlement attempts of the Arab-Israeli conflict?
pg 241; 1948-creation of Jewish state of Israel. After WWII, the UN divided the region into two states, one to be Jewish and one Muslim.. Arab Palestinians rejected and resulted in war. Jewish forces won. The SixDay war of 1967 was most important. Geographical issues will remain at the center of conflict. Israelis continue their search for secure borders to guarantee political integrity. two-state vs one-state solution.
Describe the traditional roles for Islamic women in this region and provide examples of recent changes to these roles.
really restricted; seclusion; veils; now they can ride bikes and drive cars but still restricted; Saudi Arabian women can now drive in government cars; as women get more rights they still wear the clothing because it is their religion
3 pros of globalization
spread of democracy, new wealth, mixing of cultures
3 cons of globalization
widening gap between rich and poor, environmental problems, 20% of the world consumes 86% of the resources
What is the Sahel and what are the problems currently facing this African region?
zone of ecological transition between the Sahara to the north and the wetter savannas and forest in the south; popular symbol for dangers of unchecked population growth; 6 years of drought followed by second drought; desertification is the major problem
