AP Human Geography : Geography

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Indentifying Major World Regions

All of the following are major deserts except __________.

Possible Answers:

Sahara

Arabian

Khanhill 

Gobi

Correct answer:

Khanhill 

Explanation:

The Khanhill Desert does not exist. However, the Gobi, Arabian, and Sahara desert are all major deserts.

Example Question #12 : Indentifying Major World Regions

Which of the following is not an ocean?

Possible Answers:

Atlantic

Indian

Mediterranean

Pacific

Correct answer:

Mediterranean

Explanation:

The Mediterranean is not considered one of the five oceans of the world. Rather, the oceans are the Atlantic, the Indian, the Pacific, the Arctic, and Southern.

Example Question #13 : Indentifying Major World Regions

What ocean surrounds Antarctica?

Possible Answers:

Indian

 

Arctic

Southern

Atlantic

 

Correct answer:

Southern

Explanation:

The Southern Ocean, sometimes referred to as the Antarctic Ocean, surrounds Antarctica. 

Example Question #1 : Sources Of Geographical Information

The geographer and mathematician Eratosthenes is famous for __________.

Possible Answers:

Proving that the Earth was round; not flat as was previously believed

Calculating the distance between the Earth and the Moon

Producing the first accurate map of the Mediterranean

Inventing trigonometry

Determining the circumference of the Earth

Correct answer:

Determining the circumference of the Earth

Explanation:

Eratosthenes was an Ancient Greek mathematician and geographer who is notable for determining the circumference of the Earth using geometry. By measuring the sun’s angles from two separate places at the same time, on the same day, he was able to determine that the circumference of the Earth was around 46,000 km. Modern conclusions show that he was only off by a few hundred kilometers, a remarkable achievement for the third century BCE.

Example Question #1 : Sources Of Geographical Information

This geographer is often referred to as the “father of American geography.” He developed a widely-influential theory on the cycle of erosion.

Possible Answers:

Carl Sauer

Arno Peters

William Morris Davis

Ernest W. Burgess

Carl Ritter

Correct answer:

William Morris Davis

Explanation:

The geographer William Morris Davis is often credited with being the “father of American geography.” He wrote his seminal piece on the cycle of erosion which focused on the effects of rivers on the surrounding landscape. Carl Ritter was German and was referred to as one of the "founders of modern geography." Carl Sauer was an American geographer and his work represents his emphasis on cultural geography. Ernest W. Burgess was a Canadian sociologist and is credited with the formation of the method of unit-weightless regression that could be used to predict the success/failure of inmates on parole. Arno Peters was a German historian.

Example Question #2 : Sources Of Geographical Information

Which of the following is not one of the five themes of geography?

Possible Answers:

Human-environment interaction

Time

Region

Movement

Location

Correct answer:

Time

Explanation:

The five themes to geography are: location, region, movement, place, and human-environment interaction. Time is important because all of these things change over time, but it is not considered a foundational theme of geography as a discipline. 

Example Question #3 : Sources Of Geographical Information

What is a simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify causal relationships?

Possible Answers:

Chart

Map

Globe

Diagram 

Model

Correct answer:

Model

Explanation:

A model is a simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify causal relationships. Globes and maps are both types of models.

Example Question #424 : Ap Human Geography

The extremely strict Islamic law is known as __________.

Possible Answers:

Rivera law

 

Sunni law

Sharia law

Muslim law

 

Correct answer:

Sharia law

Explanation:

Sharia law is the strict Islamic law that imposes often cruel punishments to lawbreakers.

Example Question #11 : Geography

Which system is commonly used to determine an individual's exact location on Earth?

Possible Answers:

Geographic Information System

Global Information System

Geographic Positioning System

Global Location System

Global Positioning System

Correct answer:

Global Positioning System

Explanation:

Global Positioning System, or GPS, is commonly used to determine an individual's exact location on Earth. GPS utilizes a satellite navigation system to provide location information anywhere on Earth.

Example Question #1 : Geospatial Technologies

What name is given to the process of using satellites to take pictures of the Earth’s surface so as to better inform geographic understanding?

Possible Answers:

geographic information sensing

global positioning

remote sensing

distant analyzing

none of these answers is correct

Correct answer:

remote sensing

Explanation:

Remote sensing refers to the process of taking pictures of the Earth’s surface from satellites (or, earlier, airplanes) to provide a greater understanding of the Earth’s geography over large distances. The ability to use airborne vehicles to take pictures of the Earth’s surface has been instrumental for geographers in the last century and has greatly advanced the sum of human understanding about the geography and composition of the Earth.

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