AP Human Geo midterm

The map above represents what kind of projection? A. A Mercator projection with distorted land areas B. A planar projection with diverging lines at the poles C. A homolosine projection with continuity of landmasses D. A Robinson projection with distortions at the equator E. A gnomonic projection with distortions of bodies of water

A. A Mercator projection with distorted land areas

Latitude and longitude may be used to determine which of the following characteristics of a place? A. Its site features B. Its absolute location C. Its relative location D. Its situation E. Its elevation

B. Its absolute location

The "why of where" refers to A. geography's emphasis on landscape features B. spatial patterns on the landscape C. a definition of geography that is simply locational D. the idea that the explanation of a spatial pattern is crucial E. the depiction of a region's physical features

D. The idea that the explanation of a spatial pattern is crucial

According to the theory of environmental determinism, which of the following areas would have the most productive settlements? A. Tropical regions B. Temperate regions C. Mountainous regions D.Arctic regions E.Arid regions

B. Temperate regions

Read the definitions below and then answer the question that follows. Watershed: A region in which all rainfall eventually flows downhill through a system of streams and tributaries into the same body of water, such as the catchment basin of a river or lake. Milkshed: A region in which fresh milk is produced and can be delivered without spoilage for sale and consumption. A dairy farm sits at the center of an area, the size of which is determined by how far fresh milk can be shipped and still maintain shelf-life for consumers. Given the definitions, watersheds and milksheds can best be classified as what type of region?

A. Culture B. Formal C. Functional D. Industrial E. Vernacular Answer C Correct. As functional regions, watersheds and milksheds are geographical systems that operate around a central node.

Every map projection has some degree of distortion because... A. a curved surface cannot be represented on a flat surface without distortion B. parallels and meridians never cross at right angles on a globe C. the grid system is two-dimensional, while the real world is three-dimensional D. Earth is not a perfect sphere E. latitude lines are shorter than meridian lines

A. a curved surface cannot be represented on a flat surface without distortion

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Mercator projection? A. The size and shape of countries in the higher latitudes are greatly exaggerated. B. The size of all countries is accurate, but the shape is distorted. C. Countries near the Equator appear 50 percent larger than countries in the middle latitudes. D. The projection is designed to maintain undistorted outlines of landmasses. E. Distances on the Mercator projection are real and accurate.

Answer A Correct. In the Mercator projection, because the lines of latitude and longitude are drawn to intersect at right angles on a flat piece of paper, distortion increases with every degree from the equator in both directions. Thus, in the northern and southern higher latitudes, the continents appear not only stretched out (distorted) but also misshapen. However, direction is accurate.

Which of the following best describes the type of information provided in the directions? A. Absolute location B. Relative location C. Cultural landscape D. Geographic information systems E. Cartographic principles

Answer B Correct. Relative location refers to a position of a place relative to the position of other sites, such as the landmarks described in the directions.

The concept of environmental sustainability is best explained by which of the following examples? A. Strip-mining of coal on mountainsides, to keep miners from working in underground conditions B. Terracing rice paddies on hillsides, to prevent soil erosion and provide gravity-fed irrigation C. Clear-cutting trees in coastal woodlands, to provide building materials for constructing homes D. Fattening cattle in dryland feedlots, to practice agriculture efficiently and at the lowest cost E. Draining of wetlands in residential areas, to reduce the presence of stinging insects

Answer B Correct. Terracing on hillsides allows for the conservation of soil and water that might otherwise be lost to runoff and erosion if the same hills were farmed with traditional plowing methods.

Which of the following are the best examples of vernacular regions? A. The Canadian Maritimes and the Northwest Territory B. The American West and the American Midwest C. South Africa and Australia D. South America and the Caribbean E. Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula

Answer B Correct. The American West and the American Midwest are vernacular regions based on people's perceptions about each region; for example, that these regions are "cowboy country" or "farm country." Because vernacular regions are the result of people's perceptions, the boundaries of the American West and American Midwest are poorly defined.

Which of the following global trends best exemplifies the concept of sustainability? A. An increase in the use of agricultural pesticides, because farms using agricultural chemicals produce more food. B. An increase in the use of electric vehicles, because their reduced emissions result in less environmental pollution. C. A decrease in the amount of polar sea ice, because it opens more sea lanes for shipping. D. An increase in the number of people living in coastal areas, because residents will feel more connected to nature. E. A decrease in the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, because large irrigated farms produce food more efficiently.

Answer B Correct. The concept of sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Electric vehicles exemplify this concept because they have reduced emissions compared to conventional vehicles, which results in less environmental pollution.

Market research reports and profiles of voting districts like those shown are examples of spatial analysis products. Which of the following data sources is most frequently used to create the spatial analysis products shown in the examples? A. School enrollment records B. Census surveys C. Tax receipts D. Loan applications E. Utility bills

Answer B Correct. The results of census surveys are used in spatial analysis for studying subjects such as characteristics of local consumers for market research and demographic profiles of voters in election districts. The data in the reports are drawn from census surveys.

Which of the following statements about the Robinson projection is correct? A. It is more useful for long-distance navigation than the Mercator projection. B. It is better for making topographical maps than the Mercator projection. C. It is more accurate than the Mercator projection in showing the sizes of countries in higher latitudes. D. It is more useful for showing the distribution of human populations than the Mercator projection. E. It is better for estimating territorial waters in lower latitudes than the Mercator projection.

Answer C Correct. The Robinson projection attempts to balance shape and size of landmasses. This is most successful in the middle latitudes but also greatly reduces the size of the landmasses in the higher latitudes compared to the Mercator projection. The Robinson projection provides a better comparison of size between countries in different latitudes of the globe.

Why would a town planner use a map at the 1:24,000 scale rather than a map at the 1:250,000 scale? A. The map at the 1:24,000 scale shows a much larger area. B. The map at the 1:24,000 scale is easily converted to non-metric measurements. C. The map at the 1:24,000 scale shows the town close-up in more detail. D. The map at the 1:250,000 scale shows the town in too much detail. E. The map at the 1:250,000 scale shows too small of an area to see the whole town.

Answer C Correct. The larger the scale of the map, the greater the detail shown. Mathematically the 1:24,000 ratio is a fraction of a number, but it is a larger fraction than the 1:250,000 ratio. Therefore, 1:24,000 ratio is a larger number and at a larger scale than the 1:250,000 map.

Which of the following terms best describes regions that make up the political geographic divisions within a country? A. Cultural B. Perceptual C. Vernacular D. Physical E. Formal

Answer E Correct. Political divisions such as states or provinces are types of formal regions.

Which of the following concepts could best be explained by the theory of possibilism? A. Regional differences between the internal structures of cities B. Changes in population growth rates over time C. Limitations on agricultural crops based on climate D. Political patterns seen in election maps E. Modification of landscapes by human cultures

Answer E Correct. Possibilism as a theory attempts to better understand how cultures interact with the physical environment and leave their unique imprint on the land.

An international company is looking to expand its network of factories, which use labor-intensive production methods, in a region of the world experiencing significant growth in the working-age population. Based on the data in the table, which of the following regions should the company choose? A. North America, which will have faster working-age growth in 2015 to 2030 than in 2000 to 2015 B. Asia, which will have a faster working-age growth rate in 2015 to 2030 than in 2000 to 2015 C. Latin America, which had the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2000 to 2015 D. Asia, which will have the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2015 to 2030 E. Sub-Saharan Africa, which will have the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2015 to 2030

Answer E Correct. Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest working-age growth rate from 2015-2030 (54.7%)(54.7%). This makes the region the lowest-cost location for labor-intensive production with a growing and available labor force.

A formal region defines an area in which A. a core dominates its surrounding hinterland B. a transportation network links different types of land use C. there is uniformity in one or more physical or human characteristics D. there are significant geographic variations in physical or human characteristics E. a unified government system has been established

C there is uniformity in one or more physical or human characteristics

The images show a topographic map and a geographic information systems (GIS) representation of Mount Shasta in California. Which of the following statements best explains why these printed images are geometrically distorted representations of Earth's surface? A. Some maps do not show the actual coloration of Earth's surface and vegetation. B. GIS can only display two-dimensional layers. C. The planet's gravitational poles are not located at the poles of Earth's axis. D. The three dimensions of Earth's surface are displayed on a two-dimensional page. E. Printed maps alter the sense of place that people can have about a location.

D. The three dimensions of Earth's surface are displayed on a two-dimensional page.

Which of the following is the primary assumption of environmental determinism? A. Human destiny is controlled by the cultural environment . B. The physical environment has little influence on humans. C. Humans have complete control over the physical environment. D. Many human adaptations are possible within a specific physical environment . E. The physical environment controls human culture.

E. The physical environment controls human culture .