1. Geography

2. June 2015 Regents

5. Jan 2015

7. Other Essay Topics How has a region’s geography shaped its history?
How has man adapted his environment to shape his needs?
Irrigation (dams, dykes)
Roads (Romans, Silk, Incan – Suspension Bridges)
Walls (Great, Roman)
Terrace Farming (Inca, Japan, Yellow)
Houses (Stilt – Indonesia, Yurts - Mongols)
Chinampas - Aztecs

8. Typical Multiple Choice Questions
Location of countries/physical features – England, India, Vietnam, Japan, Suez Canal, Andes Mountains, Mediterranean Sea etc.
Types of maps – cartographic, physical, political
Geographic feature – archipelago, peninsula, strait, canals, savannah, tundra
Interpreting Maps – trade, migration

9. August 2013
What would a geographer conducting research be most likely to do? (1) use carbon-14 to determine the age of artifacts (2) analyze the reasons women vote for certain candidates (3) observe the effects of wind patterns on regional trade (4) design a survey to determine the online spending habits of young people

10. June 2013
• The Americas are referred to as the “New World.” • Eastern Asia is referred to as the “Far East.” • Southwest Asia is referred to as part of the “Middle East.” Whose perspective is best represented by these regional place names? (1) Chinese (3) European (2) African (4) Indian

11. June 2013
Based on this map of 13th-century world systems, which of these circuits was limited to one continent?
(1) I (3) V
(2) II (4) VI

12. Which letter identifies the peninsula that is home to Mecca, the religious center of Islam?
(1) A (3) C
(2) B (4) D
46 Which letter identifies the peninsula that was the site of the Vietnam conflict and the
atrocities of Pol Pot?
(1) A (3) C
(2) B (4) D

13. Which of these nations is located closet to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia?
Korea
Vietnam
Somalia
Pakistan

14. August 2013
Which letter represents the location of a country
created in part as a result of the Zionist
movement?
(1) A (3) C
(2) B (4) D

15. June 2013
Which geographic feature presented an obstacle to Simón Bolívar’s forces? (1) Sahara Desert (2) Great Rift Valley (3) Andes Mountains (4) Strait of Malacca

16. Jan 2014
Charlemagne’s 9th century empire covered territory which today would include the countries of
(1) Poland and Russia
(2) Spain and Portugal
(3) France and Germany
(4) Ireland and the United Kingdom

17. Which feature would most likely appear on a physical map?
(1) population densities
(2) land usage patterns
(3) climatic patterns
(4) mountain ranges

18. A geographic similarity between Italy and India is that both of these countries are located
(1) on peninsulas
(2) on archipelagos
(3) between two oceans
(4) south of the equator

19. Which geographic factor has often made Korea a key region for those seeking to control East Asia?
(1) long coastline (3) mountains
(2) location (4) climate

20. (1) Timbuktu was a center of trade in West Africa.
11 Which statement about the trip taken by Emperor Mansa Musa is accurate?
(1) The trip extended beyond North African trade routes.
(2) Mansa Musa used the Mediterranean Sea to reach Mecca.
(3) The route primarily followed major rivers.
(4) Mansa Musa traveled to Fez on his way to Mecca.
12 Which conclusion about trade is best supported by the information on this map?
(1) Timbuktu was a center of trade in West Africa.
(2) The Sahara Desert prevented trade.
(3) Cairo and Mecca were trading partners.
(4) West African gold and salt were traded along the Zaire River.

21. Jan. 2014
Which nation is located on a peninsula?
(1) Brazil
(2) Philippines
(3) Saudi Arabia
(4) Austria

22. Egypt

23. Key Terms for Essay on Egypt
Description:
Deserts – “Red Lands” – Nubian, Libyan, and Sahara
Nile River – “Black Lands” surround w/silt; floods annually – need to build irrigation, has cataracts (waterfalls), delta (tributaries protect)
Impact – protects, stability of dynasties, need for strong central authority, culture based on Nile “Land of Living” vs. “Land of Dead”, architecture of sandstone, papyrus for books; build Aswan High Dam (no oil); Suez Canal built to capitalize on strategic location btw Mediterranean and Red seas.
Adaptation – irrigation canals, Suez Canal, Aswan High Dam

24. Which geographic feature had the greatest influence on the development of ancient civilizations?
Dense forests
Mountain passes
Smooth coastlines
River valleys

25. The Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Gibraltar are important because they
prevent attacks on bordering nations
control access to vital trade routes
limit Russian access to warm-water points
prohibit the movement of ships carrying nuclear weapons

26. Mesopotamia

27. Key Term for Mesopotamia
Description:
Fertile Crescent – two rivers: Tigris and Euphrates
Flood erratically – need to build dams and dykes
Easy to navigate rivers – lots of invasions, cultural diffusion, political instability
Modern – desertification, Oil reserves (Persian Gulf War – 1980s – OPEC)

28. Mesopotamia
Impacts – political instability. Mesopotamian city-states taken over by Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, etc. Oil wars – Persian Gulf War, desertification from over-farming
Adaptions – irrigations (dykes), trees as wind breaks, city-walls

29. Jan 2014
Which geographic region has the greatest number of members in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)?
(1) South America
(2) sub-Saharan Africa
(3) Southeast Asia
(4) Middle East (Southwest Asia)

30. August 2013
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayas are similar is that these civilizations developed
(1) irrigation systems
(2) iron weapons
(3) wheeled vehicles
(4) block printing systems

31. China

32. Key Terms for China Description:
geographic barriers – Gobi Desert, Tien Shen Mts., Himalayas, Pacific Ocean
Rivers – Yellow (Huange-He) “River of Sorrow” – heavy silt, cut deep into mts; Yangtze – both rivers flow west to east
Impacts – ethnocentrism/Middle Kingdom, lots of natural resources makes target for imperialism (Opium War)
Adaptations – Silk Road, Great Wall, Grand Canal, terrace farming/dykes along Yellow

33. Which statement best describes an impact of geography on the history of the Korean peninsula?
Large deserts have led to isolation
Location has led to invasion and occupation by other nations
Lack of rivers has limited food production.
Lack of natural resources has prevented development of manufacturing.

34. January 2014
China, Korea, and Japan share cultural similarities in part due to their
(1) clashes with Russian imperialists
(2) shared river systems
(3) contacts through trade
(4) unification under Mongol rule

35. January 2014
“River of Sorrows Floods Again” “Thousands Missing After Huang He Overflows” “Over 10 Million Reported Homeless After 1931 Flooding” These newspaper headlines describe the effects of geography on the people of (1) China (3) India (2) Japan (4) Vietnam

36. India

37. Key Terms on India Description: Monsoons
Sub-continent of Asia – Peninsula
Monsoons
Indus River – navigable (similar to Tigris)
Hindu-Kush mts and Himalayas protect and isolate
Deccan plateau – center – inhospitable
Impact – earliest farming along Indus/Ganges – political fragmentation, lots of trade in Indian Ocean, natural resources make target of imperialism (da Gama, Dutch East/British East Indian Co),k reliance on monsoons makes vulnerable (Bengal Famine of 1943), political fragmentation continues with split in 1948 – Pakistan and India (fight over Kashmir)

39. India Modifications Irrigation systems Flat-bottom boats
Railroad under British India to connect
Lateen sails to counteract monsoon wind pattern
Green revolution

40. August 2013
Which statement can best be supported by the information on this 2003 map?
(1) India and Pakistan have agreed on shared borders.
(2) Several borders are in dispute between India and China.
(3) India and Nepal are currently involved in border disputes with each other.
(4) The inhabitants of the territory claimed by both India and China have little voice in the conflict.

41. June 2013
Which geographic feature would have most likely hindered the expansion of the Guptas into what is modern-day China?
(1) Thar Desert
(2) Himalaya Mountains
(3) Deccan Plateau
(4) Bay of Bengal

42. In India, Bangladesh and much of Southeast Asia, agricultural productivity is most affected by the
Seasonal monsoons
Unnavigable rivers
Numerous deserts
Cold climates

43. Jan. 2014
The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra were important to ancient India because they were
(1) high mountain ranges that protected India from invasion
(2) great rivers that flowed through India’s fertile northern plain
(3) Aryan gods to whom the priests prayed for rain
(4) ruling dynasties that united the people of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

44. Which generalization is best supported by the information on this map?
(1) No trade occurred between East Africa and the Persian Gulf region.
(2) The monsoon winds influenced trade between East Africa and India.
(3) Trading states developed primarily in the interior of East Africa.
(4) Trade encouraged the spread of Islam from East Africa to Arabia.

45. Jan 2014
What is one way the conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East are similar?
(1) Both conflicts concern territorial and religious issues.
(2) Hostilities within these regions were provoked by the United Nations.
(3) Both conflicts emerged as a result of the breakup of the Soviet Union.
(4) Tensions in these regions were caused by efforts to remain nonaligned.

46. Greece

47. Key Terms on Greece Modification: ships (triremes) Description Impact
Mountainous, excellent harbors, location in eastern Mediterranean Sea – access to Black Sea, streams seasonal, volcanic
Impact
fishing and sea trade, need to import food/colonies – excepts olive, grapes
Regional states (independent poleis)
Polytheistic gods – many angry (Zeus/Poseidon) due to volcanics
Modification: ships (triremes)

48. Which was one cause of the development of many small independent city-states in ancient Greece?
Greece and Rome were often at War
The mountainous terrain of Greece resulted in widely scattered settlements
Military leaders found small Greek settlements easy to control
The Greek people had many different languages and religions

49. August 2013
Which geographic factor contributed to the formation of independent city states in ancient Greece? (1) tropical rainforests (2) fertile farmland (3) navigable rivers (4) mountainous topography

50. Roman Empire

51. Key Terms for Roman Empire
Description:
Italian Peninsula, expanded over three continents around Mediterranean Sea
Little natural barriers to east
Regional natural resources – ex. Spanish tin
Impact – too large – need to connect with Roman legions’ roads, aqueducts, bridges, and walls (Hadrian), boats to control Med. Sea (Punic War), will divide under Diocletian – unsuccessful – will be attacked by barbarians (Huns, Vandals, etc)
Modifications – roads, aqueducts, walls, ships

52. August 2013
At the height of its power, which ancient civilization controlled the entire coastal region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea? (1) Phoenician (3) Roman (2) Persian (4) Carthaginian

53. Byzantine Empire

54. Byzantines
Description – eastern ½ Med. Sea =connected to Black Sea through Bosporus/Dardanelles, capital of Constantinople at strategic location
Impact – will dominate sea trade and access to Indian Ocean/Silk Road trade, target of attack – 4th Crusades, Seljuk and Ottomans (1453 – Mehmet 2)
Modification – capital will have double walls and underwater chains

55. August 2013
The strategic location of the Byzantine Empire allowed control of the key trade routes between the (1) South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca (2) Caspian Sea and the Indian Ocean (3) North Sea and the English Channel (4) Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea

56. Incan Empire

57. Key Terms for Inca Description - Andes Mountains
Impact – hard to unify as empire or to invade
Modifications: Incan Trail w/suspension bridges, Terrace farming

58. Aztec Empire
Chinampas

59. An effect of a mountainous topography on Inca and Chinese civilizations was the development of
industrialization
single-crop economy
desalinization projects
terrace farming

60. Which generalization about geography of Latin America is accurate?
geographic features prevented foreign imperialism
harsh climatic conditions have prevented the development of large-scale agriculture
the lack of geographic barriers facilitated the development of transportation and communication systems
great variations in latitude and landforms resulted in a diversity of climates

61. January 2014
The Encounter occurred as a result of European explorers crossing the
(1) Atlantic Ocean
(2) Sahara Desert
(3) Andes Mountains
(4) Mediterranean Sea

62. Africa

63. Key Terms for Africa Descriptions –
Deserts – Sahara (north), Kalahari in south – desertification due to farming along Sahel
Continent is plateau – all rivers (Nile and Congo) have cataracts
Savannahs – high grasses where animals live – hard to farm, Rainforest (Congo)
Natural resources – gold, diamonds, rubber (Congo – King Leopold) – needs salt
Impact –
Good farming along Nile, Bantu Migration due to poor soil, gold wealth of Mali (gold-salt trade), target for imperialism - Berlin Conference – strategic breakup; desertification causing famines in Ethiopia
Stateless societies with regionalism - little urbanization, dispersed tribes, Pan-Africanism – impossible to unite, conflicts like Rwanda due to imperial gluing of cultures together

65. Africa Modification Camels to facilitate gold-salt trade.
Livingstone will map out country
Cape to Cairo Railroad – Cecil Rhodes to connect
Locks for rivers (steamships)
Quinine to avoid malaria

66. August 2013
Which area of the world was most directly affected by the decisions made at the Berlin Conference? (1) Africa (3) India (2) China (4) South America

67. June 2013
What was a major reason European nations competed for control of Africa during the second half of the 1800s? (1) Africa had a wealth of natural resources. (2) Slave labor was needed in the Americas. (3) African nations offered religious and political freedom. (4) Europeans needed land for their excess population.

69. Which statement about the geography of Africa is most accurate?
Much of the land in Africa is below sea level
The variety of geographic barriers had served to promote cultural diversity
Africa had an irregular coastline with many natural harbors
Much of the land in Africa is tundra and forest.

70. In Africa, an effect of topography and climate has been to
encourage rapid industrialization of the interior
prevent the development of kingdoms
promote large-scale trade between African and Asia
promote the growth of diverse societies

71. June 2013
Which conclusion about the geography of these continents is best supported by this passage? (1) Europe and Africa have the same climate. (2) Europe and Africa have many deep major ports. (3) Waterways are a geographic blessing in both Europe and Africa. (4) River systems have helped development in Europe and hindered it in Africa.

72. Japan

73. Key Terms on Japan Description:
Archipelago
Mountains (Fuji) – forced to terrace farm
Volcanic/Tsunami – nature spirits (kami) worshiped in Shinto religion
Protected by location and kamikaze winds (Mongols) – close to China
Lacks natural resources

74. Japan
Impacts:
Cultural borrowing (tea, Buddhism) from China but unique, Used Korea as landbridge to China
Art based on nature - haiku
Feudal structure encouraged by decentralized geography
Ease to remain isolated during Tokugawa Shogunate
Sino-Japanese/Russo-Japanese Wars to gain raw materials during Meiji Restoration
Challenge to attack during WW2
Fukushima reactor meltdown
Modifications: boats, terrace farming, planes, earthquake resistant architecture

75. In Japan, a major economic problem has been the lack of
natural resources
investment capital
skilled labor
experienced management

76. August 2013 • Sino-Japanese War 1894–1895
• Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905
• Annexation of Korea 1910
These events in the history of Japan reflect its
(1) resistance to trade
(2) abundance of natural resources
(3) vulnerability to attack by neighbors
(4) emergence as an imperialistic country

77. Russia

78. Key Terms on Russia Description: EurAsia – two continents
Lacks warm water port
Blocked by Turkey/Ottomans from Black Sea entrance to Mediterranean
Cold and Large –– center area is vast steppe
Lacked sufficient oil and natural resources
Impacts – Used scorched-earth policy to deter invaders, alliance with Byzantines to gain Med Sea access, Peter the Great builds St. Petersburg to open port on Baltic Sea, difficult to conquer (Napoleon, Hitler), fought Afghanistan War 1979 for oil; refuse to let Chechnya go because of oil need
Modifications - build Tran-Siberian Railroad to get to Asia, ports

79. Which geographic factor has most strongly influenced Russia’s foreign policies and economic development?
lack of natural resources
vast desert regions
limited access to warm-water ports
extensive mountain ranges

80. The Russian steppe is most similar in topography to the
mountains in Switzerland
deserts in the Middle East
rainforests in South America
savannas in Africa

81. England

82. Key Terms on England
Description – island – broken up at times with Ireland/Scotland, Great natural harbors, close to France (English channel), Natural resources – coal, tin, timber
Impacts –prime for naval supremacy (Armada, WW2), and imperialism, natural resources – sparks Industrial Revolution
Modification – ships, canals, trains, wall

83. January 2014
Which geographic feature most aided England during the Industrial Revolution?
(1) desert climate
(2) natural harbors
(3) mountainous terrain
(4) monsoon winds

84. August 2013 – trick one
One reason the Russian Empire was difficult to unite was that it (1) had many diverse ethnic groups (2) possessed limited natural resources (3) served as a crossroads for trade (4) lacked a navy

85. Expanded to take out Constantinople to control Silk Road Trade
Cut out of trade by Columbus, etc.
Expansion under Suleiman across Mediterranean
Phillip II will stop advances at Battle of Lepanto – Ottoman’s loss
Ottoman Empire
Start to the Sick Man of Europe syndrome

86. Israel - Palestine Holy Land – claimed by Christians, Jews & Muslim.
Road Map to Peace - Divided into West Bank, Israel, Gaza Strip
Wall around Jerusalem – UN oppose
On going issue – control of fresh water.
Jewish area surrounded by Muslim countries

87. IMPACTS OF MOUNTAINS
DIVIDE PEOPLE – creates cultural diversity (Andes Mts for Incas, Greece) even isolation (China)
PROTECTS PEOPLE – Alps for Italy, Himalayas for China and India, Andes for Inca
DIFFICULT TO FARM – have to introduce terrace farming – Japan, Incan, Yellow River (China)

88. IMPACTS OF RIVERS
UNITES PEOPLE – unifies cultures, ease of communication, increases trade
HELPS FARMING – creates fertile soils (early river civs – Nile (Egypt), Mesopotamia, Indus, and Yellow (China), may need to build dams/dykes/irrigation
SACRED – Ganges (Hindus)

89. IMPACTS OF DESERTS
DIVIDES PEOPLE – hard to cross, creates cultural diversity and isolation (Sahara in Africa)
LACK OF RESOURCES – no food can cause famines, need for trade

90. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
MONSOONS – India, China, Indonesia need rains to make food grow – if drought – famine, if floods – famine (build houses on stilts to protect from floods) // monsoon winds also help sailboats to travel Indian Ocean
COLD – Russian steppes frozen (permafrost) – can not farm, need special houses, need access to warm water ports

91. IMPACTS OF NATURAL RESOURCES
OIL – needed by many countries like US and Russia – will have to import from Middle East (OPEC – Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) – wars will take place over accessing oil (Afghanistan War, Iran-Iraq War, Persian Gulf War, etc), Suez Canal will be used to access region.
LACKING IT – Japan will have to imperialize China because lacks natural resources and wants to industrialize
HAVING IT – England will dominate Industrial Revolution early on because of access to water, timber, and coal.

92. Environmental Concerns
Deforestation due to logging, farming, development and acid rain in Amazon (Brazil) and Congo rainforests
Desertification – spreading of deserts – especially in Sahara – due to farming along savannahs, causes famine in Ethiopia
Global Warming, Acid Rain, Pollution (outgrowth of Industrial Revolution) – attempts to handle with Kyoto Accords

93. August 2013
Which global issue is a primary threat to biodiversity in the tropical regions of Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon basin?
(1) deforestation (3) acid rain
(2) oil spills (4) drought