Quizlrt study guide geography, Study notes of Geography

Download Quizlrt study guide geography and more Study notes Geography in PDF only on Docsity! Geography Exam 1 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bzd08s How can we define geography? "the study of Earth as the home of humanity" What are the 2 main branches of geography? Human and Physical Which category of geography does our class fall under? It's a world regional geography class - learn about both human and physical geog. Thematic/Systematic Geography topic/themes - setting is a specific place but the PROCESSES are what we are interested in Regional Geography places and/or regions - extremely rare today - what people still think we do Latitude how far north or south of the equator you are - lines are called parallels Longitude how far east or west you are from the Prime Meridian in Green- wich, England - lines are called meridians Graticule longitude and latitude together make up an imaginary grid cover- ing the Earth What is scale? Do large-scale maps show large geographical areas? Why/why not? Scale is the ratio between the map and the are being mapped. No, Large-scale maps shows smaller geographical areas bc they show so much detail Large-scale maps show _________ geographical areas while small-scale maps show __________ areas smaller, larger Why do we say that "all maps lie"? Distortion and Projections Why does distortion occur? What are the 4 characteristics that can be distorted? to represent a 3D surface in 2D, at least one of the following has to get distorted 1. distance 2. direction 3. shape 4. area What are projections? different ways of flattening the Earth's surface to make a map What is the difference between space and place? space: is absolute and mathematical (square feet of childhood bedroom) place: is space with meaning (what does your childhood bedroom mean to you) What is the difference between absolute and relative location? absolute: fixed, does not change (coordinates) relative: defined in relation to something else (50 miles east of ATL) What are the 3 types of regions we discussed in class? Formal, Functional, and Vernacular Formal Regions have clear-cut administrative boundaries (counties, states) Functional Regions based around a central point or node (service area of a TV station) Vernacular regions no fixed boundaries (the South, "downtown") Spatial Diffusion how things spread over space Contagious Diffusion spread by proximity (what's closest) Hierarchical Diffusion spreads from "top down", proximity is NOT a significant factor (large cities --> smallest villages) (ex: fashion trends) What is space-time compression? over time, advancements in information/communications technol- ogy and transportation have made it possible for people, things, ideas, etc. to travel longer distances in shorter times (has the effect of "shrinking" the world) 1 / 10 Geography Exam 1 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bzd08s What is central place theory, and who came up with it? Tendency for places to be organized in hierarchical systems by analyzing the relative size of towns + cities as a function of consumer behavior - developed by Walter Christaller in 1933 What is the difference between higher-order and lower-order goods? Higher-order goods + services are more specialized and people don't buy them as often --> more willingness to travel Lower-order goods + services are consumed more often --> less willingness to travel small town can only support (lower/higher) order goods and ser- vices? lower Range max distance consumers are willing to travel for a good or service Threshold minimum market size needed to support selling a particular good or service (larger settlements can offer more specialized/higher-order goods) What are fertility and mortality? Fertility: How many people are being born Morality: How many people are dying What is population density? number of people per square unit of area Crude Birth Rate (CBR) the ratio of the number of live births in a single year for every thousand people in the population - doesn't take into account age or sex differences in populations Total Fertility Rate (TFR) average number of children a woman has during her reproductive years Why must the replacement rate always be higher than 2? it's the number of children a couple would have to have over the course of their lifetime in order to replace themselves - it's higher than 2 to account for some deaths US replacement rate 2.1 Demographic Transition Theory Stages 1. high birth and death rates/slow pop. growth 2. high birth rates, decreased death rates (due to medicine/sani- tation) (pop. increase) 3. economic development drops birth rates, deaths are still low (pop. is growing) 4. population growth levels off because birth rates are close to death rates 5. (new phenomenon): deaths outpace births ’ population decline What are population pyramids? How do they typically differ be- tween more-developed and less-developed countries? they represent info on country's age and sex (population) - less developed countries look more like an actual pyramid (lots of births but higher death rate) What is sovereignty? a country's autonomy, or right to control what goes on inside its borders What is the difference between nations and states? Do they have to overlap perfectly? Why/why not? Nations - people (religion + ethnicity) States - gov't having control over a defined area they don't have to overlap perfectly: not every nation (group of ppl) has a state What is colonialism? system in which more powerful countries establish and maintain political and legal domination over a separate and alien (less powerful) society - Domination involves settlement, but is mostly about economic exploitation What is decolonization? Reacquisition by colonized peoples of control over their own ter- ritory - Can be cultural in addition to physically reclaiming territory 2 / 10 Geography Exam 1 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bzd08s How can we describe the physical characteristics of the North American landscape? What are some major features? Landscape is dominated by interior lowlands bordered by moun- tainous topography to the west, with extensive coastal plains to the East What is the Piedmont? - Transition zone between flat lowlands and steep mountain slopes - Rolling hills and low mountains How does climate and vegetation vary throughout N. America? due to region's size, latitudinal range, and varied terrain What are boreal forests? How can we describe a tundra land- scape? North of the Great Lakes, boreal (coniferous evergreen) forests dominate the continental interior North of the Hudson Bay is tundra: mixture of low shrubs, grasses, and flowering herbs How have humans modified the soils and vegetation of N. Amer- ica? - Europeans brought many new species (e.g., wheat, horses, cows) - Forest cover was removed from millions of acres as number of settlers increased - Grasslands were plowed under and replaced with non-native grain and forage crops - Soil erosion has resulted from unsustainable ag practices - Introduction of invasive species (kudzu) Do N. Americans consume small or large amounts of water? Huge amounts What is the urban heat island effect? An effect caused by many buildings absorbing sunlight, this makes the temperature in cities higher than in rural areas. What is acid rain? sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere combine with precipitation; damages forests, poisons lakes, and kills fish What are some incidents that increased environmental aware- ness in the mid-20th century? Santa Barbara oil spill Cuyahoga River on fire the Love Canal disaster How can we describe the tradeoffs between economic develop- ment and environmental protection? Eternal tradeoff: economic development vs. environmental and health damage How can we describe N. American energy consumption? Extremely high How is N. America expected to be affected by climate change? - The Southwest - get drier - North - more precipitation - Coastal areas (East/Gulf) - vulnerable to rising sea levels/more intense coastal storms What are some major demographic trends in the region? Large metro areas (incl. cities and suburbs) dominate N. Ameri- ca's population geography ’ uneven settlement patterns About how long was N. America populated by indigenous peoples before Europeans showed up? anywhere from 12,000-25,000 years What are some examples of the "Europeanization" of N. America? - 1600-1750: series of colonies created mostly along eastern coastal areas - 1750-1850: settlement of better agricultural lands in the east - 1850-1910: most remaining agricultural lands were settled by a mixture of native-born and immigrant farmers About what percentage of people in N. America move annually? Is this higher or lower than in the past? Why might this be a good/not-so-good thing? In the US almost 1 out of every 10 people moves annually - Rates were higher in the past ’ possible cause for concern 1What is the most persistent trend in N. American migration? moving westward What is the Great Migration? in the early 20th century, 6 million Black people left the South - Partly for economic opportunities, partly to escape racism What percentage of Americans live in urban areas now vs. in the past? past: 6-7% now: 80.7% What are the "rural renaissance" and the "rural rebound"? Did they have lasting impacts? they're the reversal of the trend of people moving to urban areas in the 1970s and early 90s, but changes did not stick 5 / 10 Geography Exam 1 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bzd08s What is brain drain? when talented (usually young) people leave rural areas for cities; can create a vicious cycle What are some contributing factors to the growth of the Sun Belt? - Development of air conditioning - Cheaper land - Warm weather - Cheaper labor/low rates of unionization What are some trends in nonmetropolitan growth? Mostly consisting of people moving to areas just outside cities that were classified as rural (but would later be classified as urban)—not so much true migration to rural areas - Retirees often migrate to rural areas with natural amenities What is urban sprawl? cities expanding outwards, often haphazardly, leading to low pop- ulation density and high car dependence What forms of transportation contributed to suburbanization? Streetcars were the first drivers of this phenomenon but really took off as car ownership became widespread What is "white flight"? increasing minority populations in central cities spurred White families to move to the suburbs in the mid-20th century What is gentrification? when middle-and upper-class residents and businesses start moving into a previously low-income area - Drives rents up, displaces existing residents, changes character of neighborhoods How has the origin of migrants to the US and Canada changed over time? before 1820: UK/Africa --> Western Europe/Scandinavia --> Southern Europe --> (1920-60) not many --> 1965 quotas re- moved, L. Americans and Asians immigrate What is cultural assimilation? process by which immigrants are integrated into society Which religions predominate in various regions of N. America? - Protestantism dominates US - Catholicism growing in the West + South - Canada is more Catholic than US - N. America has lots of Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus How do the US and Canada's political roots differ? US made a clean and violent break Canada peacefully separated from Britain ’ a collection of regional societies that took a while to acknowledge their shared political destiny What does it mean for the US to have a "global reach"? WWII and its aftermath redefined the US's role in world affairs ’became the world's preeminent superpower Direct involvement in many conflicts across the globe (e.g., Cen- tral America, Serbia, Kosovo) Is labor-intensive or capital-intensive agriculture more common in the region today? What are some regional patterns of agricultural production? Capital-intensive Agriculture Regional Patterns: - Northeast: dairy production - Midwest: corn, soybean, and livestock - South: cotton replaced by poultry, catfish, and livestock - Great Plains + Saskatchewan: grain-growing - California: fruits + produce What are the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors of the economy? Which sector(s) predominate in most developed countries? How has this changed over time? Primary: concerned with extracting raw materials from the earth (agriculture, logging, mining) Secondary: manufacturing Tertiary: services (dog walker, hair stylist, salesperson) Quaternary: knowledge and information-oriented work (data analysis, research) Today the tertiary (and quaternary) sector dominates the Ameri- 6 / 10 Geography Exam 1 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bzd08s can economy Overtime, primary and secondary has dropped, tertiary and qua- ternary have risen most abundant fossil fuel in the US coal What are some regional patterns of economic activity in N. Amer- ica? - Historical manufacturing core found in the Northeast and Mid- western US - Manufacturing moved to the Sun Belt; also significant ser- vice-sector growth - NC's Research Triangle is the largest biotech hub - West Coast known for technology, aerospace - Natural amenities + resource extraction significant in the Moun- tain West How do levels of environmental degradation in Latin America compare to E. Asia and Europe? Large size and relatively low density means the region has not seen the same levels of environmental degradation found in East Asia and Europe (but still a problem) How does topography vary across Latin America? Home to diverse landforms including high mountains, extensive upland plateaus, and vast river basins west: mountains east: upland plateaus (shields) and humid lowlands Historically, where have the most important areas of settlement been found in Latin America, and how is that different from what we might expect? he most significant areas of settlement in tropical L. America have not been along rivers but instead across shields, plateaus, and fertile mountain valleys In what region is most of Central America's population found? Uplands of Mexico and Central America How does the Brazilian shield compare to the Patagonian shield? Brazilian shield is larger and more important in terms of natural resources and settlement compared to the Patagonian shield What are the 3 major river basins found in the South America? - Amazon - Plata - Orinoco How does climate vary throughout Latin America? - Tropical - Midlatitude climates in the south - Desert climates along the Pacific Coasts - Complex climate patterns in mountainous areas What is El Niño? When and how often does it occur? Occurs when a warm Pacific current arrives along normally cold coastal waters of Ecuador and Peru around Christmas, typically every 3-5 years What are the anticipated short- and long-term impacts of climate change on Latin America? Short-term: agricultural productivity, water availability, composi- tion and productivity of ecosystems, and incidence of vector-borne diseases (malaria, dengue fever) long-term: less clear; some areas may get more or less rainfall What are some of the largest contributors to deforestation? cattle ranching, searching for gold, and producing coca leaves What is grassification? converting forests into pasture What are some major population and settlement trends in Latin America? Major population clusters of C. America and Mexico are in interior plateaus and valleys, whereas interior lowlands of S. America are relatively empty Why was there considerable turmoil surrounding land ownership in the 20th century? - Colonial authorities granted large areas of land to colonists that were then passed down through generations - Various redistribution programs have been developed What proportion of Latin America's population is urban today? Has this always been the case? Just ¼ (25%) of the region's population was urban in 1950; today ¾ (75%) lives in cities 7 / 10