AP Human Geography : AP Human Geography

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #42 : Religion

Which of the following religions and churches would be a good example of a hierarchical religion?

Possible Answers:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Zoroatrianism

Islam

Buddhism

Correct answer:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Explanation:

The Mormon Church is organized under a hierarchical priesthood run by men, with the Prophet (or President of the Church) serving as the "spokesman on Earth," not unlike the position of Pope in Catholicism. While Islam and Buddhism both revere respected and even martyred prophets in the form of Muhammed and Buddha, respectively, they do not anoint a spokesperson to oversee and approve all workings of the church internationally and domestically. Hinduism is more accurately described a principled way of life, with a broad range of influencing philosophies and featuring a choice few outspoken practicers rather than religious leaders. 

Example Question #601 : Ap Human Geography

Which of the following is a monotheistic religion?

Possible Answers:

Shintoism

Christianity

Hinduism

Paganism

Atheism

Correct answer:

Christianity

Explanation:

Monotheistic religions believe in one supreme being (e.g., God) who is revered as the creator of all that exists in the universe. Christianity is the only answer choice that follows monotheistic ideals; all of the the other answer choices are polytheist (believe in multiple Gods) or atheist (do not believe in a God).

Example Question #81 : Cultural Differences & Regional Patterns

Which of the following religions has its origins in South Asia and has spread to Southeast/East Asia?

Possible Answers:

Buddhism

Islam

Judaism

Christianity

Hinduism

Correct answer:

Buddhism

Explanation:

Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (which was ultimately derived from Judaism) originated in the Middle East and can be eliminated as possible answer choices. While both Hinduism and Buddhism originated in South Asia, the spread of Buddhism to Southeast Asia was catalyzed by merchants and settlers traveling to Southeast Asia as well as religious emissaries sent by leaders (like King Asoka) to help spread the word about Buddha's teachings.

Example Question #601 : Ap Human Geography

The cultural hearth of Christianity is __________.

Possible Answers:

Egypt

Jerusalem

Mecca

Persia

Rome

Correct answer:

Jerusalem

Explanation:

A cultural hearth is a location at which new ideas arise and are then spread. The religion of Christianity began in Jerusalem, making Jerusalem the cultural hearth of the religion. After starting in Jerusalem, Christianity spread through the region by hierarchical diffusion. This hierarchical diffusion encompassed the locations described in the remaining answer choices.

Example Question #601 : Ap Human Geography

Apartheid laws were famously repealed in which nation in 1991?

Possible Answers:

South Africa

Russia

India

Germany

China

Correct answer:

South Africa

Explanation:

The repeal of apartheid, or laws governing the physical separation of people of different races, occurred in the nation of South Africa in 1991.

Example Question #2 : Ethnicity & Nationalism

Which of these is an example of a multinational state?

Possible Answers:

The United Kingdom.

China.

Japan.

Germany.

France.

Correct answer:

The United Kingdom.

Explanation:

A “multinational state” is a state that is comprised of more than one nationality. More specifically it is a state in which those various nationalities agree to coexist as one political unit for mutual benefit. In the United Kingdom the English, the Scottish, the Welsh, and the Northern Irish are all distinct nationalities with a long history who have peacefully (for the most part) coexisted for a long time.

Example Question #602 : Ap Human Geography

Which of these terms is used to describe a segregated area of a city in which a minority ethnic group is compelled to live in unfavorable conditions due to legal, political, social, or economic obstacles?

Possible Answers:

Hovel

Diaspora

Creole

Ghetto

Pidgin

Correct answer:

Ghetto

Explanation:

A “ghetto” is an area of a city in which people of an ethnic minority are confined either by official government policy or by economic and social obstacles that make it difficult for people of that ethnicity to exist outside of the ghetto. It has been a common experience of African-Americans in the United States since the end of the Civil War.

Example Question #601 : Ap Human Geography

The term diaspora is most closely associated with which of these people in European history?

Possible Answers:

Native Americans

Germans

Jews

Indians

Irish

Correct answer:

Jews

Explanation:

Although the term “diaspora” can be used to describe any dispersion of people from their original homeland around the world, it is most commonly applied to the Jewish people. Before the creation of Israel, in 1947, almost all of the world’s Jews lived in communities in Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, yet they retained their cultural and religious traditions and preserved their ethnic differences.

Example Question #1 : Ethnicity & Nationalism

Which of these ethnicities is increasing at the fastest rate, in terms of percentage growth, in the United States?

Possible Answers:

Asian Americans

Latin Americans

Caucasians

African Americans

Pacific Islanders

Correct answer:

Asian Americans

Explanation:

In raw numbers, the population of Latin Americans is growing the fastest. But, in terms of percentage the fastest growing ethnicity is Asian Americans. The number of Asian Americans grows by about three percent each year, while the number of Latin Americans grows by about two percent.

Example Question #601 : Ap Human Geography

In the last two decades the United States __________.

Possible Answers:

has seen a dramatic increase in the influence of religious culture

has become considerably less ethnically diverse

remained relatively uniform in its ethnic composition

has seen a dramatic decline in the influence of religious culture

has become considerably more ethnically diverse

Correct answer:

has become considerably more ethnically diverse

Explanation:

Unlike most Western European countries the influence of religious culture on America has remained fairly powerful and consistent in the last two decades, so we can rule out these two answer choices. The United States has seen a considerable increase in its ethnic diversity in the last two decades. In the 1990s immigration laws were fairly lenient and a great number of immigrants arrived from East Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. These new arrivals have had children in far greater numbers than the majority white population, contributing to a considerable increase in ethnic diversity in the United States.

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