topic 1 study guide

Question 1

Explain (and be able to identify) the difference between a political map and a physical map.

Answer 1

Political Map: Shows state and national boundaries and capital and major cities.
Physical Map: illustrates the physical features of an area, such as the mountains, rivers and lakes and sometimes elevation

Question 2

How long does each turn (or rotation) of Earth take?

Answer 2

24 hours

Question 3

What happens as one side of the Earth turns away from the sun?

Answer 3

The sun appears to set on that side.

Question 4

Know the differences between the eastern, central, and pacific time zones.

Answer 4

Eastern is one hour ahead of the central time zone, three hours ahead of the Pacific.

Question 5

w long does it take Earth to complete one complete journey (revolution) around the sun?

Answer 5

365 ¼ days

Question 6

What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?

Answer 6

An solstice is where days are longest in one hemisphere and shortest in the other
A equinox is where days and nights are nearly equal in length

Question 7

List and be able to identify the three layers of the Earth.

Answer 7

Crust- the layer of rocks and minerals that surrounds the mantle
Mantle- a thick rocky layer around the core
Core- a sphere of very hot metal at the center of the earth

Question 8

How would you describe Earth’s mantle?

Answer 8

It is solid, but its temperature makes it able to flow.
a thick rocky layer around the core

Question 9

How does plate movement create mountains?

Answer 9

When two plates of crust push against each other, the pressure makes the crust bend to form mountains

Question 10

What causes earthquakes?

Answer 10

When plates slide against each other

Question 11

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 11

Weather is the condition of the air and sky at a certain time and place and climate is the average weather over many years

Question 12

What are the different forms of precipitation?

Answer 12

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail

Question 13

Precipitation is greatest near the ______________.

Answer 13

The Equator

Question 14

Describe the differences in location/climate between the polar zones, tropics, and temperate zones.

Answer 14

Temperatures are warmest in the tropics, between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, and coolest close to the poles, north of the Arctic Circle and South of the Antarctic, and temperate zones have hot summers and cold winters and a moderate spring and fall. They are between the high and low latitudes.

Question 15

When do most storms occur?

Answer 15

When 2 air masses of moisture come together.

Question 16

What are ecosystems?

Answer 16

A group of plants and animals that depend on each other and their environment for survival

Question 17

Which ecosystem usually supports thick forests of deciduous trees?

Answer 17

Temperate Forest Ecosystem

Question 18

Give examples of both renewable and nonrenewable resources.

Answer 18

Renewable- Soil, Water, Plants, and Animals
Nonrenewable- Fossil Fuels, Minerals, metal ores

Question 19

What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?

Answer 19

A renewable resource is a resource that natural forces or people can replace in a relatively short time.
A nonrenewable resource is a resource that cannot be replaced, or can be replaced over millions of years

Question 20

Since the 1800s, what activity has changed land use and led to the growth of large cities in many countries?

Answer 20

industrilization

Question 21

What is the current (estimated) world population?

Answer 21

more than 7 billion

Question 22

Since 1800, what main factors have caused a population boom?

Answer 22

Healthier lifestyles, better healthcare, better food production are all ways

Question 23

Why is the infant mortality rate higher in poor, developing countries?

Answer 23

A lack of clean food and water can lead to widespread starvation and disease.

Question 24

Give examples of “push factors” that force people to leave their homes.

Answer 24

To escape poverty and mistreatment and war/conflict

Question 25

Define culture…

Answer 25

Beliefs, customs, practices, and behaviors of a particular nation or group of people.

Question 26

What is the basic social unit of any society?

Answer 26

a family

Question 27

An area where a set of cultural traits is dominant is known as a ___________ region.

Answer 27

culture

Question 28

What is cultural diffusion?

Answer 28

The spread of cultural traits from one culture to another

Question 29

What do some people see as a negative effect of rapid global communication?

Answer 29

They worry that it is creating a new global culture that threatens diversity

Question 30

Technology can help spread _______________, and improved ___________________ has sped cultural change.

Answer 30

Culture, communication

Question 31

Advances in science and technology have transformed people’s lives and raised their ______________.

Answer 31

standard of living

Question 32

Name and describe each of the five themes of geography:

Answer 32

Location- where something is using either relative or absolute location
Place- the mix of human and nonhuman features at a given location
Region- a group of places that have something in common
Movement- explores how and way people, goods, and ideas move from one place to another
Human-environment interaction- consider how people interact with the environment and how it interacts with them.

Question 33

What is one advantage of maps over aerial photographs as a way of understanding Earth’s surface?

Answer 33

Photographs only show the most important features for a given purpose.

Question 34

How do digital maps have an advantage over printed maps?

Answer 34

They can be easily updated to show changes on Earth’s surface

Question 35

How do you identify the different hemispheres of the Earth (how are they divided)?

Answer 35

The Prime Meridian divides the earth into east and west and the equator into north and south.

Question 36

Explain what the following features help you to understand on a map:

Answer 36

Compass rose: shows which directions
Key: It explains what the symbols and colors on a map mean
Scale bar: refers to the relationship between the distance on the map and the corresponding distance on the ground