Review Sheet- World Geography Final Exam (Fall-2016)
Geographer’s Craft/ Fundamentals
1. What are the two main types of location that geographers use? Describe each one.
2. Why are maps useful for geographers?
3. What is the purpose of studying history?
4. What line divides the Earth into Northern & Southern Hemispheres? Eastern & Western? (give degrees)
5. Where are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle? (give degrees)
6. What is the grid system and why is it important? What “lines” make up this system?
7. What is a large-scale map?
8. What is the name given to the study of connections between people and their environment?
9. What is the difference between a functional and a perceptual region? Give examples of each.
10. Why would geographers study political science? How about economics?
11. What is the impact that migrants have on long-established societies they go to?
NOTE: There are some general questions on the test that assess your general understanding of how geography can be used in real-world situations.
Our Planet Earth/Physical Systems
12. Define deforestation and clear-cutting and describe how these actions harm the environment
13. What is the highest point on Earth? Lowest point?
14. What are the three layers of the Earth? Describe each one.
15. What is the difference between “erosion” and “weathering”? Give examples of each.
16. Describe the water cycle. Make sure to list the phases, as well as what happens in each phase.
17. What is the difference between “landforms” and “bodies of water”?
18. What do scientists believe about the Earth’s continents (think historically)?
19. What are the three layers of the Earth?
20. What is magma and where will you find it? How is it different from lava?
21. During which months does the Northern Hemisphere experience summer? The Southern Hemisphere?
22. The sun’s direct rays are on which line of latitude during an equinox?
23. Where will you find the world’s cold climates? (which latitude zone?)
24. What is the role of ocean currents?
Cultural Systems
25. What is the difference between “subsistence” farming and “commercial” farming?
26. What is the “death rate”? What is the “birth rate”?
27. What is the difference between a “natural increase” and “negative population growth”?
28. What is a ‘city and its surrounding area’ called?
29. What is urban sprawl? What are some benefits of this? Some cons?
30. Why must countries trade with one another?
Additional things to know for cultural systems:
-How to read/analyze a population pyramid
-The differences between government types (democracy vs. communism; direct democracy vs. representative—etc.)
The United States and Canada
31. How did the Pacific Ranges form? What mountains make up the Pacific Ranges?
32. Most of Canada experiences which type of climate? What does this have to do with population distribution?
33. Rain from the Pacific Ocean rarely reaches what area? Why?
34. Where will you find the Rocky Mountains? What about the Appalachian Mountains?
35. How did the Great Lakes form?
36. What type of climate does Hawaii have?
37. In which type of physical feature/landform will you find rich coal and mineral deposits?
38. What are the main variables/factors that impact climate regions?
39. What has been the main factor in causing the growth of the population in North America?
40. Where will you find most population clusters located in the US and Canada?
41. How would you describe the socioeconomic status of people living in North America?
42. ¾ of North Americans are employed in this industry: ______
43. Why does Canada have a trade surplus?
44. Why were inland and coastal waterways important to America during the 1700s and 1800s?
45. If a slave made it to Canada, what happened to them?
46. What led to the industrialization of American cities?
47. After 1776, how did the American colonies rule themselves (type of government)?
48. What was the Louisiana Purchase? Which country sold this land to us?
Latin America
49. What “areas” make up the region we call “Latin America”?
50. What mountains are found on the western edge of South America?
51. What determines the “highland” climate zones?
52. Describe the Atacama Desert. How did it form?
53. List the groups interested in settling in the Amazon Rainforest. Which of these groups would support development? Which would be against it? (list reasons!)
54. What is the Panama Canal? What does it do?
55. Why is there a tropical climate in the Amazon Basin?
56. Where will you find Patagonia?
57. What is the Western Hemisphere’s widest river?
58. What is so “unique” about Lake Titicaca?
59. The Amazon Basin contains the world’s largest ….?
60. What were the Europeans called that claimed parts of the Americas for Spain?
61. Where will you find the major concentrations of people in South America?
62. According to the Aztec, what was the “food of the gods”?
63. Why did the first Africans come to Latin America?
64. What is “quipu”?
65. Who are the people who are hired to illegally smuggle immigrants into the United States?
66. What is NAFTA, and which countries are involved?
67. List the contributions made by the four ancient empires in Latin America
68. Who is the current leader of Cuba? Who gave him power?
69. What are some reasons for Latin American immigration into the United States?
Europe
70. What are some resources found in the North European Plain?
71. What are the islands that make up the British Isles
72. How does the Netherlands protect its low lying areas?
73. What is the European Union? What are its goals?
74. List the centrifugal and centripetal forces of the European Union (culturally, politically & economically)
75. Where will you find much of the European population clustered?
76. Understand Middle Ages, Crusades, Enlightenment, Renaissance and Reformation.
77. What is a city-state? What is the difference between Athens and Sparta?
78. What is the physical boundary that separates Europe Russia and Asia Russia
79. What separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe? From Africa?
80. What event sparked the start of WWI? What kind of fighting was common during this war?
MAPPING Make sure you can locate the following places on a map.
Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Arctic Ocean Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico
Amazon River Colorado River Mississippi River Rio Grande River St. Lawrence River
Great Lakes Great Salt Lake Lake Maracaibo Lake Nicaragua Lake Titicaca
Andes Mts. Appalachian Mts. Rocky Mts. Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental
Atacama Desert Great Plains Mexican Plateau Mojave Desert Patagonia
KEY TERMS- Know the definitions and meanings of the following terms.
Desalination / ImmigrationAtmosphere / Plate Tectonics
Biosphere / Lithosphere / Polytheism / Tariff
Birth rate / Ecosystem / Location / Population Density
Embargo / Maquiladora / Population Distribution
Cartography / Equator / Megalopolis / Precipitation
Caudillo / Equinox / Meteorology
Climate / Metropolitan Area / Rain Shadow / Urbanization
Condensation / Evaporation / Migration / Water Cycle
Conquistador / Region / Weather
Continental Drift / Formal Region / Movement
Cordillera / Functional Region / NAFTA
Cultural Diffusion / Grid System
Culture Hearth / Patois
Death rate / Hydrosphere / Perceptual Region