Compare and Contrast Exam Questions Flashcards
Forces that build up the land vs. Forces that wear down the land
Some of the forces that built up our earth are plate tectonics and volcanic activity. For example, plate tectonics built up the Western Cordillera’s mountain chains when the North American and Pacific plate collided. Volcanic activity formed the Canadian Shield when hot lava and magma was cooled off forming igneous rock and the rocky terrain in the region. Forces that wear down our earth are glaciers, water/flooding, erosion and wind. For example, glaciers wore down the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands region during the last ice age. The glaciers compressed the land making it very flat. Water and flooding created the Great Lakes after the last ice age when the glaciers melted and water filled in the basins that the glaciers carved out in the lithosphere. Erosion has changed the formation of the Great Lakes over time. Since the Appalachian Mountains are so old, with the mixture of precipitation and wind, the mountain chain has slowly eroded making the mountains have a more rolling appearance rather than the young and jagged mountains in the Western Cordillera.
Latitude vs. Longitude
Latitude is shown as horizontal lines and longitude is shown as vertical lines on a map or globe. Both latitude and longitude measure distances in degrees, minutes and seconds. However, latitude measures the distance of a point that is north or south of the equator. Longitude is the opposite and measures the distance of a point that is east or west of the prime meridian. Latitude lines are often referred to as parallels and longitude lines are often referred to a meridians. The distance between parallels is equal at approx. 111km. The distance between meridians is only equal at the prime meridian. Meridians get closer and closer until they meet at the poles. For both latitude and longitude, every 15° is shown on the map. For latitude the maximum degrees of the poles is 90° and for longitude, the maximum degrees of the poles is 180°.
Continental vs. maritime
Continental and maritime are both different types of climate. A continental climate is also called an inland climate and a maritime climate is also called a coastal climate. Continental climates have little precipitation while maritime climates have heavy pre Continental climates have a large range of temperature and maritime climate have a small range of temperature. Continental climates have seasonal extremes well maritime climate have mild summers and winters. Maritime climates are near large bodies of water and that has a moderating effect on temperature. Continental climate are not near large bodies of water and that has an extreme effect on temperature. Examples of a continental climate are Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina. Examples of a maritime climate include Vancouver, St. John’s, Victoria and Halifax.
Farmed salmon vs. wild salmon
Wild salmon are salmon that were born and raised in their natural habitat. Farmed salmon are raised in a fish farm. Farmed salmon are given a salmon coloured dye in their food but wild salmon are naturally salmon coloured. Farmed salmon accumulate more pesticides and PCBs. In farmed salmon, disease runs rampant and farmed salmon are not able to reproduce naturally. Although wild salmon are much more healthier than farmed salmon, when wild salmon make there journey up the river past fish farms they can catch diseases such as sea lice. Wild salmon are able to reproduce naturally if they reach their spawning grounds. In a grocery store, the most common salmon sold is farmed salmon even though it is very unhealthy compared to wild salmon. Wild salmon (organic salmon) is rarely ever sold in grocery stores even though it is much healthier.
Alternative vs. conventional energy
Alternative energy is produced using non-living natural resources such as wind, solar, water, etc. These resources provide an endless supply of energy. Conventional energy is produced using non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, natural gas, etc. These resources can’t be re-made, re-grown, or regenerated therefore producing a limited supply of energy. The majority of Canada’s energy is provided by conventional energy sources. However, Canada is trying to incorporate alternative energy into the grid. There are many different types of both alternative and conventional energy sources used all throughout Canada. Some alternative energy sources include solar power, wind power, geothermal power, biogas power, ethanol power and tidal power. Some conventional energy sources include coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity and nuclear power. Alternative energy tends to be more environmentally friendly compared to conventional energy but it tends to also be more expensive.
Refugee vs. immigrant
Refugees are people that are forced to leave their country. Immigrants are people that choose to leave their country. There are two different systems that Canada uses to filter out there refugees and immigrants. Refugees are filtered out based on if they have a sponsor, if they are a family (single males are not accepted) and many other factors. Refugees are accepted on a case by case and humanitarian basis. It does not matter if refugees have work experience, language proficiency or adaptability. Immigrants are filtered out by a point system. In order to immigrate to Canada, immigrants must receive 67 points under 6 different categories: age, work experience, education, language ability (English and French), arranged employment in Canada approved by HRDC and adaptability. Immigrants and refugees leave their country for different reasons. Some reasons that immigrants leave are for job opportunities, a good education, family, land space, access to resources and universal healthcare. Some reasons that refugees leave their country are that they are facing many hardships, live in unsafe conditions, are facing persecution based on religion, race, ethnicity or sexual preference and there could be war, communism, dictatorship or corruption in their country.
Urban vs. Rural
Urban areas are busy, noisy and there is a lot of activity occurring. Rural areas tend to be more quiet and remote. Urban areas consist of districts and zones and rural ares consist of mainly open space (a lot of land availability) and farmland. Urban areas have a dense population compared to rural area’s low population density. Urban areas provide residents with access to public transportation and a variety of services. Rural areas are less developed, services are further away from residential areas and there is no transportation services. The pollution in urban areas is much higher than in rural areas. In rural areas there are more job opportunities and higher economic wealth compared to rural areas. In urban areas, there is a variety of building types while rural areas consist more of vegetation, wildlife and natural resources. There is much more traffic, roads and infrastructure in urban areas. Rural areas have a sense of community. Urban areas have a lot of multiculturalism and rural areas are less culturally diverse. Crime rates are a lot lower in rural areas rather than urban areas. Rural areas typically surround urban areas.
Urban Sprawl vs. Smart Growth
Urban sprawl consists of cities growing outside city boundaries. Smart growth consists of cities growing inside city limits. Urban sprawl isolates zones (residential, commercial, industrial zones, etc.) and has much more highways, traffic jams, suburbs plazas and strip malls. In smart growth, zones are interconnected and there are more high-rises. In terms of transportation, urban sprawl requires residents to own a car because the zones are isolated and there is much more gridlock because there is only one option for movement. Transportation is smart growth urban areas is much easier because there is public transportation and pedestrian friendly options for biking and walking. In terms of urban sprawl, cities grow outwards into farmland, rural areas and natural land space. Smart growth occurs upwards instead of outwards or in un-utilixed space. Smart growth reclaims old buildings and abandoned land to accommodate growth. The residential density in urban sprawl areas is low and medium-high in smart growth areas.
Successful vs. Unsuccessful Aboriginal Communities
Successful aboriginal communities have job opportunities and a healthy economy while unsuccessful communities have the complete opposite. For example, Membertou (successful) has a high employment rate of 90% and Kashechewan (unsuccessful) has a high unemployment rate of 87%. Successful aboriginal communities have high-class education with high graduation rates and unsuccessful aboriginal communities have poor education. Successful aboriginal communities are developed with high rises, strip malls, multiple stores and nice housing. Unsuccessful aboriginal communities are often underdeveloped with old housing, little commercial businesses and trailers. Unlike unsuccessful communities, successful aboriginal communities have access to updated and good facilities. For example, Kashechewan had a water incident where there was contaminants in their drinking water causing residents to experience E-Coli and skin rashes while Memebertou had an updated and functioning water treatment facility. Being close to a major city is another factor that makes aboriginal communities successful. Unsuccessful aboriginal communities are often isolated and far away from major urban areas. Unsuccessful aboriginal communities rely on the government for income and they have a lack of natural resource control and development. Successful aboriginal communities extract and develop natural resources in the area and make their own income through commercial operations. Successful communities need to be highly connected by roads to other communities, have good leadership, be attractive and open to other people outside of the community and use the natural environment to better the community. Unsuccessful communities have culture and conflict, there is a lot of breakdown of family (abuse issues), are lacking nutrition and only have government owned buildings.
