Places and Culture
Development Detectives
Name that Region
Who Controls the Economy
Work, Change, and Power
100
What physical geographic feature helps define Oceania as a region?
The Pacific Ocean
100
A country has high infant mortality, low literacy, and low life expectancy. What level of development does it most likely have?
Less developed
100
A region defined by measurable shared characteristics, such as climate, government, or vegetation, is called what?
A formal region
100
In which economic system does the government control most production and distribution?
Communist or command economy
100
Farming, fishing, forestry, and mining belong to which level of economic activity?
Primary economic activities
200
What is innovation, diffusion, and acculturation?
Innovation: improving on an existing technology to meet a need.
Diffusion: when ideas spread from one place or group to another
Acculturation: when a society changes by adopting ideas or practices from another culture
200
Which three indicators would usually describe a more-developed country?
High GDP per capita, high literacy or life expectancy, and low infant mortality
200
“The Australian Outback” has no exact official boundaries and may be defined differently by different people. What type of region is it?
A perceptual region
200
In a free-enterprise economy, businesses decide what to produce mainly in response to what?
Consumer demand (Supply and Demand)
200
A country once exported coal, iron ore, and raw silk but now exports automobiles, ships, and electronics. What economic change does this show?
A shift from primary activities toward secondary or manufacturing activities
300
Family, education, religion, government, and economic systems are all examples of what?
Cultural institutions
300
Use the table:
Country B
300
A city and its surrounding suburbs are connected through commuting, transportation, trade, and services. What type of region do they form?
A functional region
300
What force primarily controls prices and production in a free-enterprise economy?
Supply and demand
300
Producing automobiles, ships, clothing, and electronics belongs to which level of economic activity?
Secondary economic activities
400
What best describes the practices and beliefs that are passed from one generation to the next?
Culture
400
Use the table:
Country X
400
The Piney Woods crosses numerous county boundaries but shares forests, similar landforms, and a humid climate. Why is it a formal region?
It has measurable, shared physical characteristics.
400
Place these systems in order from the most government control to the least:
Socialism, free enterprise, communism
Communism → Socialism → Free enterprise
400
A country has widespread poverty, limited formal employment, low school attendance, and many people working in farming or fishing. In what economic activity are most people probably employed?
Primary
500
A new territory is created for an Indigenous population that shares a language, history, traditions, and identity. What factor was primarily used to define this territory?
Common culture
500
Country A has a higher GDP per capita than Country B, but Country B has a higher life expectancy, a higher literacy rate, and lower infant mortality. Why should geographers examine all four indicators before deciding which country is more developed?
One indicator does not show the complete standard of living; geographers must compare several indicators.
500
Give one example of a formal region and one example of a functional region. Explain what makes each example fit its type.
Example: Texas is formal because it has official boundaries and laws. The Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area is functional because surrounding communities are connected to central cities by commuting, transportation, and services.
500
The United States, Canada, and France all have mixed economies. Which country would generally be placed closest to free enterprise, and which would generally be placed closest to socialism?
The United States is closest to free enterprise; France is closest to socialism. Canada generally falls between them.
500
When a large empire breaks apart into several smaller independent countries, what usually happens to the original empire’s territory and political power?
Its territory becomes smaller, and it loses political power.