AP Human Geography : AP Human Geography

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Pollution & Climate Change

Why are chlorofluorocarbons so controversial?

Possible Answers:

They are poisonous to human beings.

They affect people of different ethnicities in different ways.

They destroy plant life.

They contribute heavily to global warming.

They are poisonous to many animals.

Correct answer:

They contribute heavily to global warming.

Explanation:

“Chlorofluorocarbons,” or CFCs as they are often (mercifully) called, are extremely controversial because they contribute heavily to global warming. They are used in refrigeration, packaging, aerosol sprays, and fire extinguishers. When they reach the Earth’s atmosphere they react extremely detrimentally causing (by some estimates) as much if not more damage than the massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide that we also release into the atmosphere.

Example Question #3 : Pollution & Climate Change

In urban cities, sometimes a pollution cloud can be noticed hovering in the air. What is this urban pollution "haze" called?

Possible Answers:

Chlorofluorocarbons

Photochemical smog

Nitrogen deposition

Ozone

Greenhouse gases

Correct answer:

Photochemical smog

Explanation:

Photochemical smog is the air pollution that occurs when sunlight reacts with other pollutants in the air. Greenhouse gases and ozone are not necessarily pollutants and do not produce hazy clouds. Chlorofluorocarbons are said to make holes in the ozone, and nitrogen deposition describes atmospheric nitrogen entering the biosphere.

Example Question #3 : Pollution & Climate Change

Which of these statements is not true about nonpoint-source pollution?

Possible Answers:

Nonpoint-source pollution can generally spread over a much wider area than point-source pollution

Nonpoint sources are sometimes very difficult to trace back

Nonpoint sources are generally harder to control than point sources

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually smaller in quantity

Agriculture is the main contributor of nonpoint-source pollution

Correct answer:

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually smaller in quantity

Explanation:

Pollutants from nonpoint sources are usually greater in quantity.

Example Question #16 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

What is called the land off the shores of Netherlands that had been invaded by water but has been reclaimed by creative means?

Possible Answers:

Polder

Hills

Proder

Mounts

Correct answer:

Polder

Explanation:

In the Netherlands, the water had taken over much of the land that had been used by inhabitants. However, through the use of polders, they were able to construct anyways through the use of dikes.

Example Question #1 : Globalization

Which of the following is NOT a major cause of increased globalization?

Possible Answers:

Investment in foreign markets

Advances in communication

Advances in transportation

A return to agricultural lifestyles

Spread of mass culture around the world

Correct answer:

A return to agricultural lifestyles

Explanation:

"Globalization" is a broad term that describes the increased interconnectivity between different regions and countries across the globe. While different cultures had always shared ideas and economic products, the nineteenth century saw a rapid rise in globalization that has continued into the twenty first century thanks to improved transportation, communication, mass culture, and foreign investment.

Example Question #2 : Globalization

Which of the following terms is best defined as a company that does not exhibit material or market orientation?

Possible Answers:

Conglomerate corporation

Unencumbered corporation

Brick and mortar company

Footloose firm

Flexible organization

Correct answer:

Footloose firm

Explanation:

The term “footloose firms” is applied to companies that do not exhibit a market orientation or a material orientation. A company with a material orientation locates its manufacturing centers close to the source of the raw materials because the composite parts cost more to ship than the finished product; therefore, it is cost effective to be as close as possible to the source. A company with a market orientation locates its manufacturing centers close to the most profitable markets because the composite parts cost less to ship than the finished product; therefore, it is cost effective to be as close as possible to the best possible markets. A “footloose firm” is a company whose raw resources and final products are so cheap and light that they do not need to worry about these considerations.

Example Question #1 : Globalization

Which of these best describes a multinational corporation?

Possible Answers:

A company that produces expensive and specialized goods.

A company that produces cheap goods to be sold on a global market.

A company that receives significant advantages from the governments of various countries.

A company that conducts all areas of its business in one country.

A company that conducts different areas of its business in different countries.

Correct answer:

A company that conducts different areas of its business in different countries.

Explanation:

Over the last fifty years most large corporations have become multinational, or transnational, corporations. This means they conduct different areas of their business in different countries. For example a raw product might be harvested in central Africa, used to manufacture goods in China, and shipped around the world for sale. Multinational corporations often enjoy certain advantages and incentives provided by local governments, but this does not define them in the way that the correct answer does.

Example Question #2 : Globalization

The Suez Canal was primarily built in order to __________.

Possible Answers:

facilitate British control over the Middle East and the Mediterranean

reduce trading time and expenses between Europe and India

improve the economic viability of Egypt as a European colony

solidify French control over the Middle East and North Africa

allow the British navy to quickly move from the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean during the Crimean War

Correct answer:

reduce trading time and expenses between Europe and India

Explanation:

The Suez Canal was built through eastern Egypt in order to connect the Arabian Sea with the Mediterranean. This dramatically reduced the shipping cost and time required for trading between Europe and the Far East (particularly India). Previously ships had had to sail around the whole African continent, a costly and time-consuming endeavor. The Suez Canal came into British control in the 1870s and remained there until the 1950s when it came under the control of independent Egypt following the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Example Question #1 : Globalization

Maquiladoras are __________.

Possible Answers:

countries in Latin America who have not integrated smoothly into the global economy

export-processing cities in northern Mexico

workers in Latin America who lobby their government to provide tax incentives to encourage foreign businesses to set up branches in the region

workers in northern Mexico who are campaigning for the forced eviction of American businesses from the region

blossoming markets in Latin America

Correct answer:

export-processing cities in northern Mexico

Explanation:

“Maquiladoras” are export-processing cities that exist throughout Northern Mexico. In “Maquiladoras” American companies take advantage of the relatively cheap labor available in the region, as well as the proximity to the markets of the United States, to produce goods cheaper than they could in America. Such cities exist in so-called "Free Trade Zones."

Example Question #3 : Globalization

Which of these is a notable example of a maquiladoras?

Possible Answers:

Mexico City

Buenos Aires

Trinidad and Tobago

Ciudad Juárez

Sao Paolo

Correct answer:

Ciudad Juárez

Explanation:

“Maquiladoras” are export-processing cities that exist in northern Mexico, close to the border with the United States. They are major centers of industry for a wide variety of American companies who do their manufacturing in the region because it enables them to save a great deal of money. Of these options, only Ciudad Juárez could be considered a “maquiladoras.”

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