Unit 8-BYU Geography

What impact can access to coastal areas have on the economy of a nation?

Coastal regions can enable countries to develop trade because of easy access to shipping.

What physical barrier lies between Europe and Asia?

The Ural Mountains

Name and define the three main types of economies.

(1) A subsistence economy, which is the most basic economic system. In this type of economy, people produce goods for their own use. (2) A command economy, which is controlled by the government. (3) A market economy, in which the people freely choose what they want to buy or sell

Explain how a formal region might differ from a functional region.

A formal region is different from a functional region in that formal regions are limited to specific geographical areas and functional regions can include several geographical areas that have some element that connects them.

Which of the following is an example of a functional region?

A mass transit system

What do languages tell us about migration patterns?

By mapping language families, we can tell where people have migrated from. For instance, if we did not already know that the majority of people in the US have their roots in Europe, we could make the connection by comparing the languages.

The interior of China is not heavily illuminated with electric lights. Based on the picture and material in this lesson, what conclusions can you make?

China has a lower GDP than many other nations. Less people live in the interior than in the coastal regions of China.

What are some examples of cultural traits?

Cultural traits can include religious beliefs, practices regarding education, the accepted forms of interaction between adults and children, and the roles of men and women. Additionally, clothing styles, the way food is prepared, and the language that is spoken by a particular group are all elements that can set one cultural group apart from another.

Notice the similarity in the religious cultures of South America and Central America, as shown on the map. What is the most likely cause of this similarity?

Early colonists to both areas came from the same region.

What does the term GDP mean?

Gross Domestic Product; it refers to the total amount of goods and products produced by a nation.

Name some aspects of the US economy that are also found in command economies.

The US government controls some aspect of the economy. Programs such as welfare, housing programs, farm subsidies, and Social Security are controlled by the government rather than being controlled by market forces.

what assumptions can you make about Siberia?

It is not heavily populated due to lack of agricultural or trade opportunities.

What explanation is there for the similarities in the cultures of the United States and Australia?

Large numbers of immigrants from England and northern Europe colonized the United States and Australia, transplanting similar cultures to both areas.

What main type of economy is found in the US?

Market economies

Which economies are typically richest?

Market economies

What are some factors that tie the Kurdish people together?

Most Kurdish people live in a definite physical region--the Kurdish Mountains. They also share cultural traits such as the same language, religion, and customs. They are divided by political boundaries.

What largely ties the Kurdish people together?

Most Kurds live in the same formal region.

Explain why my perception and your perception of the South might differ.

My perception of the South is based on my experiences and your perception is based on your experiences. Since I live in Utah, I might think of the South as Texas, and Arizona as the Southwest. However someone who lives in Maine might consider Texas as being a part of the Southwest, or maybe they would view Texas as part of the Midwest. Perceptional regions are based on viewpoints.

Define the term "perceptual region" and provide an example.

Perceptual region: a region that is reflective of human feelings and attitudes. Some examples of perceptual regions are: (1) phrases such as the Midwest or back home, that do not have the same meaning to everyone--areas that are viewed in different ways by different groups of people, and (2) an example given in the lesson is Africa, but almost any place can be a perceptual region. Some people may perceive that the US is the same everywhere, while others may view the country as broken down into very distinct areas

What are some reasons that Siberia is not heavily populated?

Siberia is located at high latitude; this means that the temperatures are cold and there is a very short growing season.

Using the map indicating world languages, what language family is found in China?

Sino-Tibetan

Some areas of the southwestern United States the predominant religion is different from the predominate religion of the surrounding area. What might this be attributed to?

Some areas of the southwestern US are greatly influenced by immigrants from South America, especially people from Mexico. The predominant religion of Mexico is Roman Catholic and as people migrate, they tend to take their cultural traits with them, including religion.

Which economies are typically poorest?

Subsistence economies

What physical barrier lies between India and the rest of Asia?

The Himalayan Mountains

Which of the following is an example of a formal region?

The Kurdish Mountains

What changes have occurred in the economies of countries that were once part of the Soviet Union?

The countries that were once part of the Soviet Union have switched from command economies to market economies.

When we learn that Australia (the continent pictured here) has a high GDP and low population per square mile, what most likely explains the location of the lights?

The people tend to live in more desirable areas.

What impact does access to coastal areas typically have on the economy of a nation?

Trade is promoted because of easy access to water transportation.

Define the term "functional region" and provide an example.

a region that is made up of different places that are linked and function as a unit. Some examples of functional regions could include: (1) a city and its outlying suburbs, (2) a mass transit system built around a hub, (3) a country and its territories that function as a political or economic unit, and (4) a group that shares a language or a religion.

Define the term "formal region" and provide an example.

an area or region with features that make it different from surrounding areas. Some examples of formal regions could include: (1) an island, (2) a mining community, (3) a desert, and (4) a community in the US where the primary language is not English.

By looking at the spread of the Indo-European language family, what can you infer as the reason for that spread?

large scale migration and settlement

Which of the following is a cultural trait?

living in large, extended-family groups

Which of the following describes a market economy?

production and prices are dependent on what the people choose to buy or sell

Which of the following is an example of a perceptual region?

the mid western US

Which of the following describes a subsistence economy?

the most basic economic system in which people produce goods for their own use