Transcript Midterm Exam Review

Midterm Exam
Review
All the following information will be covered in the
Exam!
The Five Themes of Geography:
 Location: A place on the Earth; there are two forms of location –
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1. Absolute Location, or the exact spot on the earth (to find this,
you utilize latitude and longitude coordinates); Relative Location,
a place in relationship to something else (for example, we are east
of the Pacific Ocean and north of Mexico.)
Place: A particular space with physical and human characteristics.
Human/Environment Interactions: The interrelationship between
people and their physical environment (how they use it, how they
change it, how it changes them.)
Movement: The transport of people, goods, ideas, and services
around the world.
Region: Areas with similar characteristics; this can be physical
similarities (the Southwestern United States) or cultural
similarities (Latin America)
Definitions
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Latitude: Also known as parallels, they circle the globe parallel to the Equator and measure the distance north or
south of the Equator in degrees (the Equator is 0 degrees latitude and the North Pole is 90 degrees north; the
South Pole is 90 degrees south.)
Longitude: Also known as meridians, they circle the globe from Pole to Pole. These lines measure distance east or
west of the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude); the last meridian is at 180 degrees (this is the International
Date Line.)
Cartographer: Mapmaker
Intermediate/Cardinal Directions: The Cardinal Directions are the 4 primary points of direction on a map
(north, south, east, and west); the Intermediate Directions are in between the Cardinal Directions (Northeast,
Southeast, Northwest, Southwest.)
Map Key/Legend: It explains and lists the symbols, colors, and lines used on a map.
Physical Map: It shows the location and the topography, or shape, of the Earth’s physical features (mountains,
rivers, lakes, deserts, oceans, etc.)
Political Map: It shows the boundaries and locations of political units (countries, states, counties, cities, towns,
etc.)
Hemisphere (which one do you live in???): One of the halves into which the Earth is divided; geographers divide
the Earth into hemispheres to help them classify and describe places on Earth (the Equator divides the Earth into
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and the Prime Meridian divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres.
Tsunami: A Japanese term used for a huge sea wave caused by and undersea earthquake.
 Geography: The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the
earth, including human life and the effects of human activity; the physical characteristics,
especially the surface features, of an area.
 Outsourcing: The practice of subcontracting manufacturing work to outside companies,
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especially foreign or nonunion companies.
Culture Region: A division of the Earth based on a variety of factors, including
government, social groups, economic systems, language, or religion (for example, the
Middle East or the Western World.)
Literacy Rate: The percentage of people in a given place who can read and write.
Birth Rate: The number of births per year for every 1000 people.
Population Density: The average number of people in a square mile or square kilometer.
Monarchy: A form of autocratic government with a hereditary king or queen exercising
power.
Oligarchy: A form of government in which a small group holds power.
Democracy: A form of government in which leaders rule with the consent of the
citizens (by use of voting and laws.)
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Autocracy: A form of government in which one person rules with unlimited power and authority.
Market Economy: An economic system based on free enterprise, in which businesses are privately
owned, and production and prices are determined by supply and demand.
Developing Country: A country in the process of becoming industrialized (India, for example.)
Foreign Policy: A policy pursued by a nation in its dealings with other nations, designed to achieve
national objectives (for example, what is the United States foreign policy with respect to China?
Russia? The Middle East?)
Renewable Resources: Items that cannot be used up or can be replaced naturally or grown again in
a short period of time.
Culture Hearth: A center where cultures developed and from which ideas and traditions spread
outward.
Urbanization: The movement of people from rural areas into cities.
Eutrophication: The process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients,
leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen.
Command Economy: A system of resource management in which decisions about production and
distribution of goods and services are made by a central authority (for example, North Korea.)
 Traditional Economy: A system in which tradition and custom control all
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economic activity; this only exists in a few parts of the world today.
Famine: A complete or partial lack of basic nutritional needs.
Hydroelectric Power: Electric power generated by falling water.
Deforestation: The loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming.
Fossil Fuels: A resource formed in the earth by plant and animal remains (oil).
Megalopolis: A “great city” that is made up of several large and small cities
(such as the area between Boston and Washington D.C.)
Service Industry: A business that provides a service instead of making goods
(restaurant, hotel, car wash, for example)
Contiguous: Connected or part of each other (for example, the lower 48
contiguous states without Hawaii or Alaska.)
Dominion: A partially self-governing country with close ties to another
country.
 Secede: A part or portion of a country breaking away to form a
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separate and independent country.
Smog: A haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar
radiation with chemical fumes from automobile exhausts and
other pollutions sources.
Mestizo: This refers to people of Native American and European
heritage combined.
NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement, a treaty signed
in 1994 by Mexico, Canada, and the United States that removes all
trade tariffs (taxes) between each other.
Ecotourist: The practice and business of recreational travel based
on concern for the environment.