WorksheetsGeography midterm
Total questions: 79
Worksheet time: 40mins
To determine an exact global address, or ________, cartographers use the latitude and longitude lines that intersect at that specific place.
a. absolute location
b. relative location
c. pinpoint
d. cartographer
The three major ways the round Earth is presented on a flat map include ________ projections.
a. geometric, longitudinal, and latitudinal
b. directional, spatial, and spherical
c. planar, conic, and cylindrical
d. regional, topographic, relief
In the grid system used to map locations on Earth’s surface, lines parallel to the Equator are called
a. latitudinal lines.
b. geometric lines.
c. barometric lines.
d. longitudinal lines.
Longitude lines indicate
a. distance north and south of the Equator.
b. distance north and south of the Prime Meridian.
c. distances east and west of the Equator.
d. distances east and west of the Prime Meridian.
What does human geography examine?
a. the relationships between climate, land, water, plants, and animals
b. the relationships between physical environments and people
c. the relationships between living and inanimate things on Earth
d. the relationships between the people in the past, present and future
Imaginary lines that follow Earth’s curvature to identify the shortest distance between two points are called
a. conical projections.
b. geometric meridians.
c. great circle routes.
d. longitudinal circle lines.
The ________ includes all liquid and frozen surface water, ground water, and water vapor.
a. lithosphere
b. biosphere
c. hydrosphere
d. atmosphere
The three layers of Earth are
a. the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
b. the plates, the crust, and the ocean basins.
c. the surface, the inner core, and the outer core.
d. the core, mantle, and the crust.
What provides the energy that drives the water cycle?
a. the weather
b. the sun
c. the wind
d. the oceans
Why is most of Earth’s freshwater supply not available for consumption?
a. It is in polluted lakes and rivers.
b. It is too far underground.
c. It is frozen in glaciers and ice caps.
d. It is trapped in the water cycle.
The sun activates the water cycle by
a. condensing water in lakes and rivers.
b. causing weather systems to occur.
c. evaporating water from the surfaces of bodies of water.
d. causing precipitation.
How does the sun drive the water cycle?
a. It provides light for aquatic plant life.
b. It evaporates water on Earth’s surface.
c. It condenses moisture in the air.
d. It causes morning rains.
Because Earth is tilted on its axis,
a. ocean currents move in predictable patterns.
b. the seasons occur at the same time in all parts of the world.
c. different places on Earth receive different amounts of sunlight.
d. it is never dark at the North and South Poles.
When it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, what season is it in the Northern Hemisphere?
a. summer
b. autumn
c. winter
d. spring
When does the shortest day of the year occur?
a. on the winter solstice
b. on the spring equinox
c. on the summer solstice
d. on the fall equinox
Why are temperatures cooler in Quito, Ecuador, than in most other places located near the Equator?
a. Quito is in the hurricane belt.
b. Quito is on the leeward side of a mountain range.
c. Quito is at sea level, allowing coastal breezes to cool the air.
d. Quito is in the mountains, at a high elevation.
What effect is caused by a rain shadow?
a. Drier, warmer areas develop on the leeward side of mountains.
b. Wetter, cooler areas develop on the leeward side of mountains.
c. Drier, cooler areas develop on the windward side of mountains.
d. Wetter, warmer areas develop on the windward side of mountains.
According to scientists, in what climate do more than half of all plant and animal species exist?
a. semi-arid
b. arid
c. tropical wet
d. tropical dry
Geographers divide the world into ________, which are areas in which people share a similar way of life,including language, religion, economic systems, and values.
a. ethnicities
b. nationalities
c. culture hearths
d. culture regions
What is the term for a group of people who share common ancestry, language, religion, customs, or place of origin?
a. ethnic group
b. language family
c. culture region
d. ethnic enclave
Even a country in which the birthrate and death rate are equal can experience population growth if it also has
a. immigration.
b. emigration.
c. a high standard of living.
d. long life expectancies.
During the Industrial Revolution, people were motivated to move to urban areas primarily by
a. the depletion of soils in agricultural areas.
b. artistic and cultural opportunities.
c. poor housing and pollution.
d. economic opportunities.
________ refers to the movement of people from rural areas to cities.
a. Suburbanization
b. Modernization
c. Destabilization
d. Urbanization
Historically, cities usually developed near
a. deserts.
b. navigable waterways.
c. canyons.
d. mountains
What major river flows some 2,350 miles from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, making it an important route for trade?
a. the Colorado River
b. the Allegheny River
c. the St. Lawrence River
d. the Mississippi River
Why is the United States one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world?
a. The lands which Europeans colonized contained powerful kingdoms of many nationalities.
b. The earliest inhabitants arrived some 15,000 years ago.
c. Over centuries, immigrants have arrived from many different countries.
d. The British founded the thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast.
________ is an environmental problem in the United States because it corrodes stone and metal buildings,damages crops, and pollutes the soil.
a. Agricultural runoff
b. Smog
c. Ozone depletion
d. Acid rain
Which of the following statements accurately describes changes in the U.S. economy since the 1950s?
a. The number of jobs in manufacturing has declined.
b. The number of farms has grown.
c. The number of jobs in manufacturing has increased, as has the size of the average farm.
d. The number of jobs in manufacturing has declined, as has the size of the average farm.
How did the level of available natural mineral resources affect industrialization in the United States?
a. It delayed industrialization because the country could just rely on mineral resources for exports.
b. It speeded industrialization because the country had abundant and easy access to mineral resources.
c. It delayed industrialization because of concerns about the environmental damage that mining can cause
From what region did the largest group of foreign-born residents living in the United States today immigrate?
a. Europe
b. Asia
c. Latin America
d. Africa
Which of the following best describes the spoken languages in Canada?
a. English and the language of the Inuit are dominant.
b. English and French are the two official languages.
c. French is the official, dominant language.
d. French, German, and English are the main languages.
Which of the following landforms runs through both the United States and Canada?
a. the Interior Lowlands
b. the Rocky Mountains
c. the Great Plateaus
d. the Canadian Shield
A giant core of rock anchoring North America and centered on Hudson Bay and James Bay is known as the
a. Interior Lowlands
b. Pacific Ranges
c. Canadian Shield
d. Great Plains
Today, more than one-fourth of Canadians identify themselves as being
a. of mixed ethnic origins.
b. Quebecois.
c. Native American.
d. Inuit.
Due to its large land area, the development of Canada’s ________ has been essential to the country’s economic growth.
a. manufacturing
b. tourism
c. fishing industry
d. transportation systems
Canada is the world’s third-largest producer of ________, which is an inexpensive source of renewable energy.
a. synthetic crude oil
b. natural gas
c. hydroelectricity
d. wind and solar power
Tierra helada, tierra fría, tierra templada, and tierra caliente are examples of
a. tropical storms.
b. horizontal climate zones.
c. seasonal winds.
d. vertical climate zones.
When a large urban area such as Mexico City dominates the country’s political, cultural, and economic affairs, it is called a
a. primate city.
b. world city.
c. megacity.
d. megalopolis.
What caused land subsidence in Mexico City?
a. coastal erosion
b. the draining of underground water reserves
c. the clearing of vegetation native to the region
d. desertification
Of what precious mineral is Mexico the world’s leading producer?
a. silver
b. mercury
c. gold
d. zinc
People whose ancestry includes both indigenous and Spanish heritage are
a. creoles.
b. mestizos.
c. indios.
d. peninsulares.
Mexico City’s geography makes air pollution a greater problem because it is located
a. on a mountainside, where the air is thinner.
b. in a valley, which often traps carbon emissions.
c. on the coast, which creates the heat island effect.
d. on a plain, so there is little wind to disperse the pollution.
Due to its colonial past, most people in Central America today are followers of
a. Protestantism.
b. Catholicism.
c. Islam.
d. Santería.
Like many disputes throughout the history of Central America, ________ was at the center of a 2010 conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
a. nationalism
b. militarism
c. petroleum
d. water
Because of its location on the Ring of Fire, much of Central America is
a. lowlands that are prone to flooding.
b. mountainous with active volcanoes.
c. in the path of El Niño.
d. covered by deciduous forests.
Which of the following are two leading causes of deforestation in Central America?
a. slash-and-burn cultivation and the depletion of underground reserves
b. commercial logging and the depletion of underground reserves
c. slash-and-burn cultivation and commercial logging
d. habitat destruction and commercial logging
________ refers to the combination of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, thus causing migration or population decline.
a. Zero population growth
b. Population pyramid
c. Population density
d. Population pressure
In Central America, which climate zone is the most densely populated?
a. tierra caliente
b. tierra templada
c. tierra fría
d. tierra helada
result of a process by which dry areas develop on the leeward sides of mountain ranges
atmosphere
climate
rain shadow
deforestation
a layer of gases that surrounds the Earth
atmosphere
lithosphere
biosphere
hydrosphere
a city that dominates a country's economy, culture, and government and in which population is concentrated; usually the capital
primate city
world city
cultural diffusion
emigrate
the part of the Earth where life exists
lithosphere
biosphere
hydrosphere
atmosphere
the exact position of a place on the Earth's surface
solstice
relative location
equisnox
absolute location
to leave one's own country to settle permanently in another
emigrate
immigrate
cultural diffusion
eutrophication
the spread of culture traits, material and non-material, from one culture to another
emigrate
solstice
eutrophication
cultural diffusion
one of two days (about March 21 and September 23) on which the sun is directly above the Equator,making day and night equal in length
equator
solstice
equinox
prime meridian
planting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed
reforestation
deforestation
eutrophication
archipelago
process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen
archipelago
emigrate
deforestation
eutrophication
location in relation to other places
relative location
absolute location
equinox
emigrate
the loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming
reforestation
deforestation
weather
lithosphere
refers to people of mixed indigenous and European descent
mestizos
solstice
creoles
emigrate
a group or chain of islands
archipelago
eutrophication
solstice
biosphere
the watery areas of the Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water
atmosphere
biosphere
lithosphere
hydrosphere
way of life of a group of people who share similar culture traits, including beliefs, customs, technology,and material items
cultural diffusion
culture
mestizo
archipelago
one of two days on which the sun's rays strike directly on the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn,marking the beginning of summer or winter
solstice
equinox
absolute location
relative location
condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time
climate
weather
weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
weather
climate
uppermost layer of the Earth that includes the crust, continents and ocean basins
lithosphere
atmosphere
hydrosphere
biosphere
A country in which most people work in service or information industries and enjoy a high standard of living is a(n)
more developed country.
industrializing country.
newly industrialized country.
less developed country.
In many places throughout South America, Carnival is celebrated in the week before the ________ observance of Lent.
Syncretism
Protestant
Santería
Catholic
What river’s basin is home to the world’s largest rain forest?
the Amazon
the Río de la Plata
the Paraná
the Uruguay
Which of the following accurately describes the Inca?
advanced astronomers who developed a highly accurate calendar
skilled engineers who built a network of roads through the Andes
expert sailors who built a powerful navy
peaceful pastoralists who ruled through consensus
Which two European groups were the first to colonize South America?
British and Portuguese
British and Spanish
Spanish and Portuguese
French and Spanish
What feature of the Inca Empire made it easier for the Spanish to conquer it?
a network of roads that connected the empire
vast resources of gold and silver
its sickly emperor
its hot and dusty climate
parallel chains or ranges of mountains.
escarpment
altiplano
eutrophication
cordillera
Spanish for "high plain," a region in Peru and Bolivia encircled by the Andes peaks.
altiplano
archipelago
escarpment
mestizo
a steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface.
cordillera
escarpment
solstice
eutrophication
Rain forests are home to about ________ all the plant and animal species on Earth
10 percent
25 percent
50 percent
75 percent
In South America, most people live
on the Patagonian Plateau.
in the tierra fría zone of the Andes.
in the tierra helada zone of the Andes.
near the coasts and along major rivers.
