AP Human Geography Unit 1 Questions

The images show a topographic map and a geographic information systems (GIS) representation of Mount Shasta in California. Which of the following statements best explains why these printed images are geometrically distorted representations of Earth’s surface?

• Some maps do not show the actual coloration of Earth’s surface and vegetation.

• GIS can only display two-dimensional layers.

• The planet’s gravitational poles are not located at the poles of Earth’s axis.

• The three dimensions of Earth’s surface are displayed on a two-dimensional page.

• Printed maps alter the sense of place that people can have about a location.

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Mercator projection?

• The size and shape of countries in the higher latitudes are greatly exaggerated.

• The size of all countries is accurate, but the shape is distorted.

• Countries near the Equator appear 50 percent larger than countries in the middle latitudes.

• The projection is designed to maintain undistorted outlines of landmasses.

• Distances on the Mercator projection are real and accurate.

Which of the following statements about the Robinson projection is correct?

• It is more useful for long-distance navigation than the Mercator projection.

• It is better for making topographical maps than the Mercator projection.

• It is more accurate than the Mercator projection in showing the sizes of countries in higher latitudes.

• It is more useful for showing the distribution of human populations than the Mercator projection.

• It is better for estimating territorial waters in lower latitudes than the Mercator projection.

A political polling company wants to use census data to collect information on voters in a city by neighborhood. Based on the types of information collected in the survey form, which of the following could be mapped using census data?

• The number of voting-age residents per household

• The political party affiliation of the average resident

• How residents voted in the last election

• How voters might vote in the next national election

• How voters stand on current issues

Market research reports and profiles of voting districts like those shown are examples of spatial analysis products. Which of the following data sources is most frequently used to create the spatial analysis products shown in the examples?

• School enrollment records

• Census surveys

• Tax receipts

• Loan applications

• Utility bills

The table shows the types of information collected by a store regarding customer purchases. Which of the following data could be used in a geographical information system (GIS) to increase sales?

• ZIP code

• Number of customers

• Number of transactions

• Total transaction amount

• Amount per transaction

The satellite images show changes to a portion of the Louisiana coast between 1984 and 2017. The table shows the changes in land acreage. Which of the following best describes the changes and a consequence of the changes?

• The expansion of coastal cities, which results in increased acreage of urban land cover

• A decrease in the acreage of coastal land, which affects the prices of local property

• An increase in the acreage of coastal land, which will be added to navigational charts for shipping

• The rise of sea levels, which results in decreased land acreage available for homes and businesses

• An increase in land acreage caused by the construction of polders for land reclamation

The maps show residential neighborhoods in the Republic of Singapore. Which of the following individuals or organizations would be most likely to make a decision based on the spatial pattern shown on the maps?

• A person planning to move from a more rural area to a more urban area within Singapore

• A business analyzing demographic change over time within its market area

• An environmental advocacy group seeking to protect habitats of vulnerable species

• A government agency seeking to promote equal opportunities across ethnicities

• A multinational corporation identifying a location for a new factory

An international company is looking to expand its network of factories, which use labor-intensive production methods, in a region of the world experiencing significant growth in the working-age population. Based on the data in the table, which of the following regions should the company choose?

• North America, which will have faster working-age growth in 2015 to 2030 than in 2000 to 2015

• Asia, which will have a faster working-age growth rate in 2015 to 2030 than in 2000 to 2015

• Latin America, which had the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2000 to 2015

• Asia, which will have the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2015 to 2030

• Sub-Saharan Africa, which will have the fastest working-age growth rate among world regions from 2015 to 2030

Which of the following best describes the type of information provided in the directions?

• Absolute location

• Relative location

• Cultural landscape

• Geographic information systems

• Cartographic principles