Geography - Midterm Review Flashcards
Region defined by people’s feelings and attitudes
Perceptual region
One half of the earth
Hemisphere
Location of a place compared to other places
Relative location
A place’s physical and human characteristics
Character of a place
The position of a place on the globe
Absolute location
The 5 themes of geography
(Mr. Help) Movement Region Human-Environment interaction Location Place
Some tools that geographers use
GIS
Geographic concepts
Satellites
Some parts of geography
(Earth or things/past things/changes on earth)
Examining the earth’s landforms
Studying the cultures of the world’s people
Exploring how people and the environment interact
Example of a perceptual region
Upper midwest US
Not cities, states, countries, just areas/regions
Example of bad human-environment interaction
Deforestation
The ___ is the outer layer of the earth that has a rocky surface
Crust
Windblown deposits of mineral-rich dust and silt are called ___
Loess
A ___ region is defined by people’s feelings and attitudes
Perceptual/Vernacular
Half of the globe is called a ___
Hemisphere
The layer of air, water, and other substances above the surface is the ___
Atmosphere
The thick rock layer around the earth’s core is the ___
Mantle
The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest point of a landform is its ___
Relief
A ___ is a huge, slow-moving sheet of ice
Glacier
Over time, the effects of ___ can reduce a mountain to gravel
Weathering
The movement of weathered material such as gravel, soil, and sand is called ___
Erosion
The ___ consists of water in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even underground
Hydrosphere
Many caves are formed by ___ weathering
Chemical
The theory of ___ says that the earth’s outer shell is not solid rock
Plate tectonics
Soil, rocks, landforms, and other surface features make up the ___
Lithosphere
A ___ region includes one central place and the surrounding areas affected by it
Functional
When geographers observe moraines - ridgelike piles of rock and debris - they conclude that ___
A glacier once covered the area
Lava vs Magma
Molten rock is called lava when it is on the earth’s surface and magma when it is beneath the surface
Similar climates, vegetation, or landforms can be used to divide the earth into ___ region
Formal
Use for sonar
Map a section of the ocean floor
An INTERNAL force that helps create new landforms is ___
Volcanism
To classify a landform as a mountain, what does a geographer consider?
How far it rises above the surrounding land
Landforms are commonly classified according to differences in ___
Relief
The conquest of Mexico by the Spanish best illustrates which geographic theme?
Movement
The building of dams and canals to irrigate desert regions is an example of which geographic theme?
Human-Environment interaction
Converting land used for farming into land used for a housing development is an example of which geographic theme?
Human-Environment interaction
Longitude is measured in degrees east or west of the ___
Prime Meridian
What are some things that are used to determine absolute location
Equator, Prime Meridian, latitude, longitude
The movement about which geographers talk usually refers to ___
The movement of people, goods, and ideas
Use for GPS
???
Most common example of mechanical weathering
Water freezes in a crack in a rock
The greatest agent of erosion
Running water
The largest canyons and deepest valleys were created by ___
Moving water
Theory of plate tectonics states that ___
Crust is made up of large moving slabs of rock that slide slowly over a layer of the mantle
The force that probably propels the movement of the earth’s gigantic tectonic plates
Convection
Most common example of mechanical weathering
Frozen water
Frost/Ice wedging
Which type of region categorization emphasizes the relationship between core and peripheral areas?
Functional region
Mathematical calculations using longitude and latitude allow us to determine ___
Absolute location
The geographer who first calculated the earth’s circumference with relative accuracy
Ptolemy
The art and science of map making
Cartography
Examples of physical site characteristics
Type of soil, amount of rainfall, elevation
Know how to find a location on a map using coordinates
.
Water that falls directly to the earth’s surface
Precipitation
Day on which the sun is directly overhead at the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer
Solstice
One orbit around the sun
Revolution
Takes a year
Weather patterns of an area over a long period of time
Climate
Day on which the sun is directly overhead at the equator
Equinox
Climate is a term that describes ___
Weather patterns
The sun’s heat is distributed throughout the world by ___
Convection
Winds blow in curved lines because of ___
The Coriolis Effect
The earth’s precipitation occurs as convectional, orographic, or ___
Frontal
The sun’s heat is prevented from escaping back into space too quickly by the earth’s ___
Atmosphere
Grassland
Prairie
Tundra vegetation
Lichen
Mid-latitude forest tree
Deciduous
Maple
Coniferous forest tree
Pine
Example of a biome
Desert, tundra, boreal forest, tropical rainforest, temperate forest, scrubland, prairie, savannah
A biome is a ___
Major type of ecosystem
A characteristic of deciduous trees is ___
Broad leaves (not needles), grow in warmer climates, shed leaves in winter
Savannas are ___
Tropical grasslands
Adaptations that allow plants to grow in a desert environment include ___
Storage of water in thick stems, small leaves that release little water, protection against animals, seeds that can survive long periods of time before arriving in a suitable growing condition
The biome with the most diverse plant and animal life is the ___
Tropical rain forest
Economic system based on the state making all economic decisions
???
Person who leaves a country to live elsewhere
Emigrant
Beliefs and actions that define a group of people’s way of life
Culture
Type of government in which the leaders hold almost all of the political power
Authoritarian
Growth of city populations
Urbanization
Type of government in which rulers often gain and keep power by military force
Dictatorship
Area where cultural ideas begin and from which they spread
Cultural hearth
Person who moves into a country
Immigrant
Political system in which a central government makes laws for an entire nation
Unitary system
Number of live births each year per 1,000 people
Birthrate
Average number of people in a square mile or a square kilometer
Population density
Process by which cultural traits move from one culture to another
Diffusion
The restriction of a culture from outside influences
Cultural divergence
Countryside
Rural
A country’s freedom from outside control
Sovereignty
Authoritarian government in which people inherit their positions
Monarchy
Political system in which power is shared by the national government and smaller political units
Federation
Economic system in which means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit
Market economy
Type of government in which the people choose their leaders and determine government policy
Democracy
Process of adapting traits from other cultures
Cultural convergence
Trees that shed their leaves when winter approaches are called ___
Deciduous
___ is the condition of the bottom layer of the earth’s atmosphere in one place over a short period of time
Weather
___ refers to an area’s temperature and level of precipitation over a long period of time
Climate
___ are meat-eating animals
Carnivores
The earth’s spinning on its axis is called ___
Rotation
A layer of soil just below the surface of the tundra is known as ___
Permafrost
Day and night are nearly the same length at a ___
Equinox
A ___ is an air mass
Front
Low scrubby trees that grow in Mediterranean climates mark ___
Chaparral
___ are temperate grasslands
Prairies
The interaction of plant life, animal life, and the physical environment in which they live is a ___
Ecosystem
Most areas with ___ have cold, snowy winters and warm or hot summers
Continental climates
Tropical grasslands are called ___
Savannas
The water that falls to earth from the atmosphere is called ___
Precipitation
The spring and fall ___ mark the days when the sun appears directly over the Equator
Equinoxes
A tropical rain forest is one type of ___
Biome
___ trees carry their seeds in cones
Coniferous
Temperatures are always cold in ___ regions
Tundra
___ are plant-eating animals
Herbivores
Some statements about weather / climate
Ocean waters help to distribute the sun’s heat.
Precipitation depends on air temperature and winds.
Coastal areas usually have milder climates than do areas at the same latitude inland
Example of cultural convergence
Because the United States was once a British colony, English is the language spoken by the majority of its inhabitants
Statements about authoritarian government
Totalitarianism is the most extreme form of authoritarianism government.
In a dictatorship, power is concentrated in a small group or a single person.
Until modern times, mot countries were ruled by some form of authoritarianism government.
Compared with deciduous forests, coniferous forests ___
Tend to be found in the colder parts of the middle latitudes
Statements about traditional economies
Most goods produced are consumed by the people who produce them or within a small geographic area.
They are most common in rural parts of less developed nations.
They generally produce little surplus goods.
Examples of diffusion
Bringing movies made in the United States to a worldwide audience.
The introduction of horses to the Americas by the Spanish.
The spread of Christianity from Europe to the Americas.
Stimulus diffusion
???
Relocation diffusion
???
Contagious diffusion
???
Hierarchical diffusion
???
Top layer of a rain forest
Canopy
Total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year, divided by the country’s total population
GDP per capita
Large commercial farm owned by an individual or a company
Latifundios
Person of mixed European and Native American industry
Mestizo
Tropical storm with winds of at least 74 miles per hour
Hurricane
Decisions about the production and price of goods are determined by supply and demand
Market economy
When families produce goods for their own use with little surplus to buy or sell goods
Traditional economy
Military rulers in Latin America
Caudillos
Person of mixed African and European ancestry
Mulatto
Grassy plains in southeastern South America
Pampas
A landless, jobless peasant
Migrant worker
Factory in Mexico along the US border that produces items for export
Maquiladora
When the Native Indians, Europeans, and Africans created a distinct Latin American culture
Cultural convergence
Collectively-owned farmland
Ejidos
An island formed from the accumulation of coral
Cay
Storm with winds of at least 39 miles per hour
Tropical storm
Came to Latin America shortly after Columbus landed in the West Indies
Conquistadors
Skeletons of tiny sea animals
Coral
Warm ocean current that alters weather patterns
El Niño
Large Spanish-owned estate usually a farm or cattle ranch
Hacienda
Describe the population distribution in Mexico
The majority of the population lives in the plateau area that lies between the 2 major mountain ranges
A primary reason for the war of independence from Spain was ___
The unhappiness of the criollos at the privileges reserved only from the peninsulares
A direct result of NAFTA
Increase in manufacturing jobs in Mexico
What occurred in most Latin American countries once they gained independence
Economic and social systems remained largely unchanged
Name a change in Mexican society brought about by the Mexican Revolution
The number of haciendas decreased dramatically
Hurricane-prone areas in Latin America include countries that border ___
The Caribbean Sea
The Gulf of Mexico
The Atlantic Ocean
(Not the Pacific)
Location of large centers of population in Latin America
Most border oceans
Which Latin American country is named after the person who helped to win its independence
Bolivia
Accurate statement about the Amazon rain forest
Only small plants grow on the rain forests floor because the canopy blocks the sunlight.
Rainfall varies depending on the season.
A basic difference between the democratic republic of Mexico and that of the United States is that in Mexico, ___
One political party held power for decades
Statements about haciendas
The Indian laborers often levied under slavelike conditions.
They were usually large forms or cattle ranches.
They were given to the conquistadors by the Spanish king as rewards for their service.
Mexico’s Baja Peninsula can be described as ___
A mountainous desert
Latifundios are more likely than ejidos to ___
Employ migrant workers.
Export produce to the US.
Raise cash crops.
Key to the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1500’s was that the Spanish ___
Formed alliances with the enemies of the Aztec
El Niño causes ___
Droughts and floods around the world
Which countries’ landscapes are dominated by the Andes?
Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile
True or False?
Scotland and Wales both have highland and lowland regions
True
True or False?
Bogs are common in the moors of the Scottish highlands
True
True or False?
Most people in Scotland live in the southern Uplands
False
True or False?
The climate of Wales is rainier than that of southern England
True
True or False?
Glasgow, once a huge shipbuilding center, is located in the central Lowlands of Scotland
True
The economy of Scotland can be described as ___
Troubled, but slowly improving
An important aspect of cultural identity in Wales is ___
A separate language
What is one way that Scotland maintains its own culture?
Its main religion
Coal mining and steel making declined in Wales because ___
The industries did not implement modern technologies
Scotland and Wales are similar in their ___
Economic history
Common currency of the European Union
Euro
Rocky material that contains a valuable mineral such as iron
Ore
Low flooded area at the wide mouth of a river
Estuary
Service industry
Tertiary economic activity
Able to produce crops
Fertile
England’s climate can be described as ___
Cool and moist
What helped England to become an industrial and commercial power?
Natural deposits of coal and iron
The most densely populated region of England is ___
The Midlands
The Industrial Revolution in England ___
Brought wealth to Britain
The Lowlands can be described as an area of ___
Gently rolling land and fertile soil
Leeward
Side facing away from wind
Coral island
Island made of coral, the skeletons of dead sea animals
Capoeira
Martial arts in the form of dance, originally practiced by slaves
Affirmative action
Requirements set that help give equality to minorities
Isthmus
A narrow strip of land with water on either side that connects 2 larger landmasses
Regatão
A river merchant
Guerrilla
Soldiers that aren’t a part of the official army
Gasohol
Type of fuel made up of gas + ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol made of sugar cane
Windward
Side facing the wind
Ecotourism
Tourism that helps raise awareness about the environment
Sertão
A dry, infertile interior plateau in Brazil. People that live there are poor + malnourished
Favela
Slums found in Brazilian cities
Miscegenation
The mixing of the races
Accurate statement about the southeast region of Brazil
The majority of the region’s population lives in or near 2 cities
The majority of the people in Central America earn their living from ___
Farming
The islands of the Greater Antilles were created by ___
Tectonic activity that pushed up mountains from the ocean floor
What was crucial to the success of the development of Brasília?
A massive road-building project
Characteristics of the Amazon River Basin
A rich diversity of plants and animals.
Indian tribes who live a traditional lifestyle.
A year-round growing season.
In the mid-1950’s, Brazil’s capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília because ___
The government wanted to draw people away from the coastal cities and develop the interior of the country
The main reason for high rates of migration among Caribbean islanders is ___
A lack of economic opportunity
Temperatures in the Caribbean are moderate because of the islands’ ___
Nearness to water
The majority of people of African ancestry who live in Central America are the descendants of people who ___
Migrated from the Caribbean islands in the early 1900’s
Compared with Central America, Caribbean culture is more influenced by which ethnic groups?
African
Factors that have been responsible for the armed conflicts troubling Central America for much of its history
An unequal distribution of farmland.
Governments that serve the interests of the wealthy.
A lack of available farmland.
The basic landform pattern of Central America consists of ___
A core of mountains, with lowlands along the Caribbean and plains on the Pacific coast
After clearing the rain forest for farming, many settlers have discovered that rain forest soil ___
Becomes quickly exhausted by constant rains and planting
Statement about the sugar plantations of the northeast region of Brazil
The success of this crop contributed to the country’s reliance on gasohol
Statements about Central America’s population
Central American Indians make up more than 1/2 of the population in Guatemala.
90% of the people living in Costa Rica are of European - mostly Spanish - descent.
Mestizos are a large part of El Salvador’s population.
