APHUG Unit 4 Test

The area shown with the dark shading is best identified as

• a functional region

• a supranational organization

• a stateless nation

• a special economic zone

Local and regional autonomous governments and a separatist militia group have been established within the Basque region shown on the map. How do these local and regional governments compare with the national governments of Spain and France?

• Local and regional governments establish the foundations for new federal states within each of the larger independent states.

• Local and regional governments stabilize local communities, aligning the communities with the objectives of the larger independent states.

• Local and regional governments strengthen the unitary systems of government within the larger independent states.

• Local and regional governments create the potential for conflict and act as a centrifugal force within the larger independent states.

South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, reshaping the boundaries of Sudan. Which of the following best explains the implications of the shaded area shown on the map in Darfur?

• Like South Sudan, Darfur has gained its independence and is now a sovereign nation-state.

• Darfur is a region of ethnic difference and political instability where devolution is likely.

• Devolution is likely in South Sudan as it is landlocked country with no distinct majority group.

• Sudan has a large population with a distinct majority group and further devolution is unlikely.

The map shows the world’s newest country, South Sudan, formerly part of Sudan, and the Islamic region of Darfur, which is seeking some level of political autonomy within Sudan. In comparison with the east-west divide between Darfur and the rest of Sudan, which of the following centrifugal forces led South Sudan to seek independence from Sudan?

• South Sudan wanted a larger share of productive oil resources located in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

• Sudan established a military presence in the region of South Sudan following a referendum vote, prompting a conflict.

• Sudan filed for bankruptcy in the International Court, whereas South Sudan grew wealthy from international trade.

• Sudan and South Sudan’s border is a transition zone between Africa’s Islamic northern region and the Christian and animist regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1993 Belgium divided much of its internal government into three semiautonomous regions. Based on the data shown in the map, which of the following best explains the political divisions within Belgium?

• Divisions are based on language, providing ethnic groups some self-governance and preserving Belgium as a federal state.

• Each region is separated from the others by physical barriers that impede communication and trade among regions.

• Regions are delineated based upon the percent of population that speaks French as a first or second language.

• Divisions are based on ethnicity, recognizing the country’s linguistic diversity and preserving Belgium as a multistate nation.

Based on the map data, which of the following best explains a factor that has led to ethnic separatism in Belgium?

• Many who speak Flemish as their first language also speak French, but few people who speak French as their first language also speak Flemish.

• The populations of the three regions are not evenly balanced or equally distributed.

• A multilingual society has emerged, with several languages being spoken by the overall population

• A multinational state has developed into a multicultural society where language and ethnicity are of little importance to personal identity.

Some communities along the internal border between Flanders and Wallonia are required by Belgian federal law to have bilingual local governments, with road signs and government publications in Flemish and French. Some nearby communities refuse to permit a census of language users because they are concerned that the results will trigger federal requirements for a bilingual local government.

Which of the following geographic concepts best explains the efforts to preserve a single official language in such communities?

• Shatterbelts, because linguistic divisions are the result of different political-economic systems at the national and international scales

• Protectionism, because these communities exclude services and international trade conducted in different languages.

• Choke points, because local communities are defining themselves as exclusively Flemish or French.

• Territoriality, because communities are expressing power and political control over the landscape.

Which of the following identifies the primary building blocks of the world political map shown?

• Multistate nations

• Independent states

• Autonomous regions

• Nations

Based on the information shown in the map, Nigeria can be identified as a

• multinational state

• choke point

• nation-state

• multistate nation

Using the information shown, which of the following geographic principles explains the conflict in the Falkland Islands?

• Irredentism and the desire to form a nation-state

• Overlapping claims of sovereignty

• A political independence movement against the ruling colonial power

• Ethnic and religious differences that led to the devolution of a state