AP Human Geography : AP Human Geography

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #541 : Ap Human Geography

What name is given to the hypothesized proto-macrolanguage family from which a great many of the Earth’s languages have arisen?

Possible Answers:

Nostratic

Uralic

Indo-European

Sino-Tibetan

Dravidian

Correct answer:

Nostratic

Explanation:

The word “Nostratic” is used to describe a hypothesized proto-macrolanguage family that was spoken by people somewhere in Asia roughly fifteen thousand years ago. According to the theory, all Indo-European, Dravidian, Afro-Asiatic, Uralic, and Kartvelian languages derive from this one macrolanguage. The theory is widely contested by many geographers, but is extremely influential in the field of linguistic geography.  

Example Question #542 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these languages is part of the Indian language branch of the Indo-European language family?

Possible Answers:

Bengali

Cantonese

Hebrew

Burmese

Thai

Correct answer:

Bengali

Explanation:

Bengali is part of the Indian language branch of the Indo-European language family. It is widely spoken by people in eastern India and Bangladesh. It is in fact the only language on this list that is even part of the Indo-European language family, let alone part of the Indian branch. Hebrew is a Semitic language and part of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Burmese and Cantonese are part of the Sino-Tibet language family. Thai is a branch of the Tai-Kadai language family.

Example Question #543 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these is not an official national language of Switzerland?

Possible Answers:

All of these are official national languages of Switzerland.

French

German

Italian

Spanish

Correct answer:

Spanish

Explanation:

Switzerland, which has an ethnically and linguistically diverse population, recognizes four official national languages - French, German, Italian, and Romansh. Spanish is not an official or widely used language in Switzerland. Romansh is spoken by a very small number of Swiss people but is still recognized by the Swiss government for a variety of historical reasons.

Example Question #544 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these language families is spoken by the most people in the world?

Possible Answers:

Sino-Tibet

Polynesian

Niger-Congo

Afro-Asiatic

Indo-European

Correct answer:

Indo-European

Explanation:

Indo-European, the language family that includes all European languages (which are widely spoken in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australasia) and Indian and Iranian, is spoken by slightly over fifty percent of the world’s population. The next largest is Sino-Tibet which is spoken by close to a quarter of the world’s population.

Example Question #544 : Ap Human Geography

The most linguistically diverse regions of the world are found in which two continents?

Possible Answers:

Europe and South America

Europe and Africa

North America and South America

Asia and Africa

Europe and Asia

Correct answer:

Asia and Africa

Explanation:

The most linguistically diverse regions, with the notable exception of a few nations in Oceania, are found in Africa and Asia. More specifically they are generally found in Sub-Saharan Central Africa and South and Southeast Asia. It is worth noting that in recent years the rate of linguistic diversity is declining even in these regions, as languages like English, French, Hindi, and Chinese extend their influence and wipe out local languages.

Example Question #541 : Ap Human Geography

Language is one of the most significant factors in cultural identity and unity. Which language is spoken by more people around the world than any other language?

Possible Answers:

French

Arabic

Mandarin Chinese

Spanish

English

Correct answer:

Mandarin Chinese

Explanation:

Chinese is spoken by more people around the world than any other language. Spanish and English are well behind in second and third respectively.

Example Question #543 : Ap Human Geography

There are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world today. Geographers categorize these many languages into 147 different groups, called "Language Families". Of these 147 language families, there are 9 families that are considered the most popular due to the fact that they have over 100 million native speakers. These 9 most popular language families are:

Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, Altaic, Niger-Congo, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, Japanese, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesian.

Although there are a plethora of language families in the world today, there are two specific language families that alone are used by two-thirds of the world's population, making them the most used and spoken language families. Which two language families are these?

Possible Answers:

Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan

Sino-Tibetan and Afro-Asiatic

Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic

Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic

Niger-Congo and Austro-Asiatic

Correct answer:

Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan

Explanation:

The Indo-European language family is the world's most widely spoken family. There are eight distinct branches of the Indo-European languages, four of which each have relatively large numbers of speakers. The four most spoken language branches of the Indo-European family are Germanic, Indo-Iranian, Romance, and Balto-Slavic. The Germanic branch itself is the most widely spoken language branch based on number of speakers, largely due to the fact that English is a part of this branch.

The second most widely spoken language family in the world today is the Sino-Tibetan family. This language family encompasses the languages of China. With China's high population along with its global influence, it is not surprising that this language family is so widely spoken today.

Example Question #41 : Cultural Patterns & Processes

Part of the cause for the world having over 6,000 languages spoken in the world today is that new languages were formed by the merging of two different languages during the period of colonization. This happened as the colonizer's language mixed with the indigenous language of the people being dominated. Often the languages naturally merged parts of each together to form a new unique dialect. Sometimes this new dialect grows to a status of being so unique from either original language that it can now be classified as its own language, unable to be completely understood by native speakers of either original language. Languages that develop in this way are called a "creole" or "creolized language". There are many different creole languages spoken throughout the world today, some more popular than others.

Which of the following languages is not a "creole" or "creolized language?"

Possible Answers:

Haitian Creole

Canadian French

Papiamento

Bislama

Portuguese Creole

Correct answer:

Canadian French

Explanation:

Canadian French is not a creole which combines French with any other language. It is simply the French language itself. It is often referred to as "Canadian French" rather than just "French" to emphasize that due to the regional separation of Canada from France, this form of the spoken language has a different accent and some different terminologies. This is the same distinction as American English from British English. While they are the same language, there are distinctly different accents and terminologies used in each.

For more understanding, here is a breakdown of each of the incorrect answers:

Bislama is a creole language of Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific.  The language of Bislama is comprised mostly of English but also combines many words from French and other Vanuatu languages.

Haitian Creole is one of two national languages of the Caribbean country of Haiti. The other national language of Haiti is French. Haitian Creole is comprised mostly of French words, but also makes use of terminology from Portuguese, Spanish, Taino, and a number of West African tribal languages.  Often Haitian Creole is simply referred to as Creole, or Kreyol. This reference is deceiving and has deluded many people to think that Creole is a specific language rather than the fact that it is a type of language which many languages in the world are categorized as.

Papiamento is a creolized form of the Spanish language spoken in Netherlands Antilles, also known as the West Indies. Papiamento is mostly comprised of Spanish, but combines elements of Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, Arawakan, and other tribal African languages and dialects. There are approximately 300,000 speakers of Papiamento in Curacao, Bonaire, and Aruba combined.

Portuguese Creole is also referred to as Cape Verdean or Cape Verdean Creole. This language is spoken throughout the Cape Verde Islands which are located off the north west coast of Africa. Portuguese Creole is the oldest creole language which is still spoken today. Portuguese Creole is comprised of mostly terminology from Portuguese, but also a mix of terminology from various Western African languages, English, French, and Latin.

Example Question #31 : Cultural Differences & Regional Patterns

The commonalities between various Balkan languages are best described by the theory of __________.

Possible Answers:

language replacement

language divergence

creolization

language convergence

Correct answer:

language convergence

Explanation:

When various languages become more similar, and even coalesce into one language, due to their use within the same geographical region, it is called language convergence. Language divergence is the opposite of increasing similarity, while language replacement suggest that one language will be overtaken by another, and Creolization describes the process by which what was originally a dialect composed of simplified forms of various languages, becomes a native language.

Example Question #31 : Cultural Differences & Regional Patterns

Which of the following countries is least influenced by multilingualism?

Possible Answers:

Africa

Belgium

United States of America

Venezuela

Cyprus

Correct answer:

Venezuela

Explanation:

Venezuela has one national language, Spanish. There are a few dialects of Spanish and some tribal creole languages using Spanish, but overall this country is not influenced by multilingualism.

Belgium is a country which has three national languages; French, Dutch, and German. The people of this country are very much influenced by multilingualism, having to use all three national languages in the government's affairs. 

The United States is a "melting pot" of language. With immigrants from all over the world, multilingualism is a growing influence in the country.

Cyprus is a country that has two national languages, Greek and Turkish. The country is divided by the two language groups. Multilingualism in Cyprus influences many conflicts for the country.

Africa is not a country. Also, the continent of Africa has a plethora of languages and often has conflicts due to the influence of multilingualism in the region.

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