GEO 115: Test 1

What is a pull force? (in migration)

(Positive) favorable conditions that attract people. (jobs, freedom, good climates)

A functional region is defined in terms of the relationship between a (usually urban) node and a

(one where a certain activity (or cluster of activities) takes place). "America's Corn Belt" fits because it forms a region where a specific economic activity dominates.

Define plate tectonics:

A geophysical theory that Earth's outer layer consists of large geological platforms, or plates, that move slowly across its surface.

What world regions are most likely to suffer food shortages?

Africa and South Asia

Ninety percent of the world's population growth occurs in which part of the world?

Africa, south and east Asia, Latin America

What substance accounts for more than half of the human generated greenhouse gases?

CO2 (or CFCs)

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

Canada is slightly larger in land area than the United States, but its population is only about 11% that of the United States.

The grid system we use to determine absolute location:

Coordinate system providing every place on Earth with a specific numerical address based upon latitude and longitude (mathematical location)

What is the process of a colony's gaining (or regaining) control over its territory and establishing a separate, independent government?

Decolonization

In what world region is Swahili a lingua franca?

Eastern Africa

Wheat, cattle, and horses are common sights in North American today. Why?

Europeans deliberately brought them to the region during their 400 years in North America

Term to describe a group of people who share a common culture, language, and political identity:

Nation

What is a push force? (in migration)

Negative conditions that drive people from a location (war, unemployment, natural disasters)

Researchers in which field of geography study the processes by which the physical landscape is shaped?

Physical Geography

What is shown in a population pyramid?

Population's age and gender structure. This graph depicts the percentage or a population that is male or female in different age classes from young to old.

By what name do we know the place where two tectonic plates are forced together?

San Andreas Fault, California

What refers to the relationship between the distances shown on the map and the actual distances on the earth's surface?

Scale

Which North American region was hit by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005?

Southeast

What world region is experiencing the highest rate of tropical deforestation?

Southeast Asia

How do the authors of your text define globalization?

The increasing interconnectedness of people and places through converging economic, political, and cultural activities.

What is Geography?

The study of our planet's surface and the processes that shape it.

According to the core-periphery model, which of the following countries is part of the core?

United States, Canada, western Europe, and Japan

What countries are the percentage of its population living in cities probably less than 75 percent?

Zimbabwe, only 34 percent live in cities

Define Demographic Transition:

a conceptualization that tracked the changes in birth rates and death rates over time. (stages 2 and 3)

As climate is defined in the textbook, what reflects a climatic change?

a documented or predicted change in the temperature, winds, and precipitation patterns that differs from the current climate. Global Warming

What is a stateless nation?

a nation without a state Ex. Palestine, Kurdistan, and Saami

What is a universalizing religion?

a religion that attempts to appeal to all peoples regardless of location or culture (christianity, islam, buddhism)

What is an ethnic religion?

a religion that is identified with a specific ethnic, tribal, or national group (Judaism, normally do not actively seek new converts)

Latitude (one element for absolute location) includes:

called parallels, run east-west around globe. Used to locate places North & South of equator.

Perceptual (vernacular) region explains it is a region because:

defined solely in people's minds as spatial stereotypes that have no visible boundaries in the physical landscape. EX: the South, Midwest, Silicon Valley, New England, etc.

What is the major trend in agriculture in North America in recent years?

fewer farms, but they are larger in size

What are characteristics of culture?

it is learned, and is a behavior held in common by a group of people. "way of life"

Tropical forests are not well-suited for intensive agriculture because:

land is not as fertile as it appears

What are some possible effects of climate change?

major shift in agricultural areas. -rising sea levels, warming oceans, etc.

An element that might define a formal region is:

mountain range, valley, or climate -culture features can also be used to define formal regions...certain language is spoken

With what bioregion is the term "steppe" associated?

shorter, less dense grasslands - Russia, Southwest Asia

Which stages of the Demographic Transition is the rate of natural increase (RNI) low?

stage 4 - RNI results from a combination of low birth rates and very low death rates

What type of pollution is the greatest cause of acid rain?

sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere

What activities are most likely to occur in the informal economy?

the illegal or uncounted economy that governments do not tax or monitor. (terrorism??)