World Geography Study GuidePhysical Geography
Balkan Peninsula - mountainous peninsula in SE Europe, separated groups developed their own
cultures separately, refused to be annexed under a common banner and constantly fight with
one another
Outback - Relatively uninhabited area of Australia, huge desert with bordering grasslands, home
to great biological diversity
Sahara - Largest desert in world, occupies almost all of northern Africa, only residents are
nomads, oases in middle of desert, little natural resources and no rainfall have completely
prevented any development.
Sahel - narrow band of grassland turning into desert because of overgrazing, over farming, wood
harvesting and slash and burn agricultural practices, as well as improper land usage,
conservation and reuse.
River valleys - many civilizations have flourished around river valleys due to the abundant supply
of fresh water, allowing for reliable agriculture and a source of drinking water. Rivers also provide
trade routes for semi-developed civilizations as well as a link to the ocean.
Earthquakes - a type of natural calamity that occurs when pent up energy is released from a
faultline caused by a transform boundary.
Volcanoes/Volcanic Activity - Volcanoes are usually located in subduction zones along
convergent plate boundaries between an oceanic plate and a continental plate, although weak
spots in the earths crust can allow magma to escape and form volcanic islands
Plate Tectonics
Convergent boundaries - forms mountains (both underwater and above)
Divergent boundaries - form rift valleys or underwater ridges
Transform boundaries - form fault lines along which earthquakes may occur
Himalayan Mountains - This mountain range is located along the Northern border of India and
also borders Nepal and China. It is caused by the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian Plate.
The Indian Plate continues to move into the Eurasian plate, causing a slight growth of the
Mountains every year. This Mountain range is also home to the tallest terrestrial mountain, Mt.
Everest and the second tallest mountain, K2.
Ring of Fire - geographic area near Pacific tectonic plate boundary, many earthquakes and
volcanoes occur in this ring
Climographs - an example of a climograph can be seen here
the bars represent precipitation per month while the red line and dots represent the average
temperature per month
Continentality - the land in the interior of continents is usually very volatile due to the stabilizing
effect of the ocean not being present. The weather in these areas is usually determined by area
of high and low pressure which cause frontal precipitation.
Monsoons - he winds blow away from the land mass in the winter, creating dry winters.
However, during the summer, the prevailing winds blow towards the landmass bringing summer
storms and wetter climates. This change in prevailing winds and climate variation is called a
monsoon.
General Patterns of Landforms
Africa
Highlands throughout with coastal plains on the edges.
Europe
Mountains to the south, north, and west, with plains in between.
Northern Eurasia
Far western plains, mountains to the west, highlands to the east and southeast, plains between
the mountains and highlands.
Southwest Asia
Mountains to the north with river valleys and a peninsula to the south.
South Asia
Mountains to the north, large plateau to the south, alluvial plains in between.
East Asia
Mountains and plateaus to the west and river plains to the east.
SE Asia
Mainland - Mountains to north and behind coastal plains, central plain
Sumatra - Mountains to west, plain in other areas
Java - mountains to south, plain in other areas
Borneo - mountains to NE, all other flat
Australia
Mountains to east, plains in center, plateau to west
Oceania - either low coral islands/atolls or high volcanic islands
River navigation in Africa - Most of the rivers in Africa are unnavigable because they contain
many rapids and large waterfalls. Other rivers meander and are not direct links to the places of
interest. This inhibits trade by increasing the amount of time that is needed to transport goods
around Africa.
Himalayas - the Himalayas have helped to isolate the Nepalese, Bhutanese and Tibetan cultures
and protect them from acculturation and as well as limiting their cultural diffusion.
Atoll - an atoll is formed when a volcanic islands sinks below sea level, and the ring of coral that
surrounded the island remains. Civilizations that exist on atolls are very basic due to the lack of
arable land.
Archipelago - a group {or chain} of islands in a defined area
ex. Indonesia, Hawaii
General pattern of climate and factors affecting climate
Europe - Mediterranean climate in southern Europe, highland in Alps, marine west coast in
northwest, humid subtropical near Balkans and Austria/Hungary, humid continental to east,
subarctic and arctic in far north Scandinavia
Factors - High latitudes contribute to fairly low temps, altitude in Alps and in Scandinavia has
slight cooling effect, prevailing westerlies help bring warmer equatorial temperatures to west
coast, slight continentality in Russia, Norwegian current brings warmer waters to west coast,
very slight orographic effect in Iberian Peninsula
Northern Eurasia - Mediterranean in far south, desert around Aral Sea/Kazakhstan, semiarid
around desert, highlands in far southeast, humid continental in northwest and far east, subarctic
to east, tundra at far north of Russia
Factors - fairly high latitudes mean cooler temps, fairly flat except for plateaus to east and south,
prevailing winds bring slight moisture, continentality means frontal weather plays big part in
Russian weather, cool ocean currents to north and east, no orographic effects
Africa - climate zones are mirrored across the equator (tropical wet, tropical wet and dry,
semi-arid, desert, then Mediterranean
Factors:
Latitude tropical and warm because the continent lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the
Tropic of Capricorn. Deserts lie in between 15o and 30o north or south of the Equator. All the
deserts in Africa, including the Kalahari, Namib, and Sahara lie in between these latitudes.
Altitude mountains are cold, but it is mostly flat and warm. Its overall raised elevation,
theoretically making it colder, is nullified by the extra sun it gets, because it is in the tropics.
Prevailing winds blow west and bring hurricanes (from West Africa)
Continentality the large landmass of Africa should theoretically make many of its land locked
countries have volatile climates but this theoretical volatility is nullified because of tropical setting
Ocean currents The currents that pass by the coast of Africa are mostly warm and make the
climate more warm.
Southwest Asia - Arabian peninsula complete desert with small section of semiarid in southwest,
Afghanistan, Iran, northern Iraq, and eastern Turkey is semiarid, mediterranean near coasts
Factors - Arabian Peninsula lies in between 15o and 30o north of the equator, resulting in a desert
climate, while directly above and below lies semiarid regions. Most places between bodies of
water receive additional rainfall. Slight highlands in Northeast Afghanistan decrease temps
slightly, but do not result in any orographic effect. All ocean currents near SWA are warm ocean
currents, contributing to the fact that some deserts are directly adjacent to the ocean.
South Asia - Desert to the West and tropical wet and dry in the East and South. As you move
north towards the highland the climate becomes colder and drier rather than the hot, humid
climate that is present in most of the southern cities.
Factors:
Latitude - As most of South Asia lies in between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator, the
climate is quite warm and wet.
Altitude - The southern part of the South Asia has plateaus and mountains to the East and West,
As you move to the North, the altitude increases, decreasing humidity and overall temperature.
Prevailing Winds - the winds blow away from South Asia in the winter, creating dry winters.
However, during the summer, the prevailing winds blow towards the landmass bringing summer
storms and wetter climates. This change in prevailing winds and climate variation is called a
monsoon.
Distance to the Ocean - Its literally a peninsula that protrudes into the ocean.
Ocean currents - They are neutral and do not warm or cool the overall climate.
Great Mountain Ranges - the Western and Eastern Ghats prevent rain from dispersing out of the
landmass of South Asia. Also, the Himalayas to the North create the same effect.
East Asia - Semiarid in north west, Desert below semiarid and above highland, highland to
southwest, humid subtropical in southeast, humid continental in northeast, subarctic in far north
Factors - Latitude helps to determine climates, altitude in Himalayas causes varied climates but
mostly cooler, major continentality and lack of ocean humidity means inland China and Mongolia
are very dry, warm ocean current on southeast coast heats landmass but cool ocean current on
northeast coast cools northern Japan, orographic effect means Tibetan Plateau is very dry, trade
winds bring moisture to southeast China
Australia/SE Asia/Oceania -
Australia - desert in center with semiarid surrounding, mediterranean on south coast, tropical
wet and dry on north coast, humid subtropical to on northeast coast, marine west coast on
southeast coast
SE Asia - Indonesia either highland or tropical wet, Philippines is tropical wet, malaysia is tropical
wet, most of Indochinese peninsula is tropical wet and dry with humid subtropical north.
Oceania - tropical wet on equator, tropical wet and dry to north and south, New Zealand marine
west coast
Factors - being near equator means hot and humid fairly year round, Australias large land mass
contributes to lack of moisture in center, warm ocean current on Australian east coast brings
moisture to coast, cold ocean current on west coast limits moisture, Great Dividing Range
causes rain shadow
Serengeti and animal migrations - located in Kenya and Tanzania savannah of Africa in the
tropical wet and dry climate, home to great biological diversity, wildebeests migrate to/from here,
bringing predators with, along with nomadic hunters
African Rain Forest - slowly being diminished due to slash and burn agriculture, fertile soil
resulted in a diversity of plants and as a result, animals
Human Environment Interaction
Aral Sea
What is happening? - the sea is drying up also fish are dying because of pollution (in Northern
Eurasia)
What was the problem? - taking water from the tributaries was reducing the amount flowing into
the sea as well as runoff from fertilizers, raw sewage, and pesticides and herbicides.
What are the consequences? - loss of jobs (mostly fishing industry), poor health (respiratory
problems etc.), dead fish and plants
Polders - A construction that involves building a wall to hold back the sea and creating a windmill
to drain low lying plains, allowing for population and agriculture.
Venice - city that is slowly sinking into Mediterranean due to both global warming and shoddy
construction, steps are being taken by Italian government to prevent loss of city area
Desertification in Africa - result of poor land use (slash and burn) for quick profit, damaging land
and preventing regrowth of plants
Sahel - narrow band of grassland turning into desert because of overgrazing and wood
harvesting
Salinization - increased salt content of body of water which results in diminishing cultural
diversity and neighboring soil quality
Terracing - conserves soil, makes irrigation easier and allows planting on slopes
Strategic commodity - a commodity over which countries will go to war to ensure supply (oil)
OPEC - Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries which tries to control world oil prices by
deciding on the amount of oil to produce.
The Green Revolution - using genetically engineered super seeds to increase yields as well
as an increase in the use of artificial fertilizers, water, and insecticides. This also increase the
gap between rich and poor, as only the rich can purchase the materials and resources needed
for a higher yield crop.
Technology and agricultural production - advances in agricultural technology have allowed
for less workers, however agricultural industrialization is not present in many developing
countries. In Japan this allow for the older generation to continue farming and produce enough
rice for the population of Japan.
Mesopotamia and Fertile Crescent - birthplace of several civilizations and religions (culture
hearth between the Tigris and Euphrates)
Maasai - The Maasai tribe is a semi-nomadic people of East Africa that hunt as well as herd
cattle.
Linguistic Patterns and Distribution in SWA
Arabic - Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, United Arab Emirates
Farsi - Iran
Hebrew - Israel
Turkish - Turkey
Pashtun - Afghanistan
Uluru - Ayers rock - giant reddish rock in Outback of Australia, sacred to Aborigines
Australian Aborigines - arrived 40,000 years ago from SE Asia, badly mistreated by British
colonials, culture contains didgeridoos(cylindrical instrument), face paint, and pointillist art
Their land was taken away by Terra Nullis which stated that since the land was not being used,
it belonged to whoever claimed it
Maori - indigenous people of New Zealand, group of farmers that developed agriculture to a point
in which they had spare hands to go to war, invaded nearby islands (Moriori in Chathams),
known for tattoo-like symbols on their face
Nation - A group of people with a common ancestry and culture
ex. The Sioux Nation
State - a country that is internationally recognized with full sovereignty.
ex. any country ever
Nation-state - When a nations homeland corresponds to a states territory
ex. Japan
Stateless Nation - A cultural or ethnic group that does not have its own territory
Palestinians - forced out of former Palestine state by Israeli government
Kurds - based in South West Asia in Iran, Iraq and Turkey; no state to speak of, heavily divided
and shunned
Basques - located to west of Pyrenees in Spain, mostly left alone to self-govern by Spanish
government, but still officially part of Spain
Multinational State - A country that has many different cultural groups.
ex. The United States of America
Russian Orthodox Church - branch of Christianity with a religious structure that has an
onion-shaped dome, heavily shunned by Communism
Mosque/Minaret - Muslim worship structure(Mosque) with towers that are shouted
from(minarets)
Kabba(Mecca) - burial place of Mohammed, pilgrimage to this place is one of the five pillars of
Islam (hajj)
Potala Palace - the place where the Dalai Lama resides (figurehead of Buddhism)
Torii Gate - A gate that separates the real world from the Kami. Kami is a divine spirit found in
all things. The Kami can exist in natural objects as well as in ancestors and people.
Angkor Wat - Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia (originally built as a Hindu temple)
Socialist Realism - style of art that was used to represent Communist ideals
Effect of Soviet rule on culture and religion - the Communist Party disproved of religion and
outlawed artists that did not work in the official style
Cultural contributions of Northern Eurasia - Communism, instrumental in motivating USA to
take part in space race/nuclear race
Stolen Generation - mixed-race children taken and given to white families to make them
civilized
Major world religions (origin, diffusion, current distribution, beliefs)
Islam
Origin based on the teachings of Muhammad, who lived part of his life in the
city of Mecca
Diffusion armies of Bedouin fighters moved across the desert, they put Muslim
leaders in control, spreading Arabic language and Islamic teachings
current distribution SWA and Northern Africa
Basic beliefs (Five Pillars, Hajj, Ramadan) declaration of faith (there is no God
but Allah and Muhammed is his prophet), pray 5 times a day facing Mecca, give money to
the poor, fast during Ramadan, Hajj (take a pilgrimage to Mecca once during your life if
you are able)
Main day of worship - Friday
Place of worship Mosque
Major holidays Ramadan (the month Allah revealed the Quran to Mohammed)
Name of God - Allah
Religious rites/practices no pork, no alcohol, wash hands and face before
worship, no images of Allah, prayer, Sharia (Islamic law)
Sects Sunni and Shiite (or Shia)
Mosque - holy building
Minaret tower of the mosque from which people are called to prayer
Mecca holiest city in the Islamic faith; city where Muhammad lived
Dome of the Rock a shrine in Jerusalem where Muslims believe the Prophet
Muhammad rose into heaven
ka'bah a shrine in Mecca that all Muslims pray to
Sunni-Shi'ite split after Muhammads death, there were disagreements as to
who would be his successor; the majority of Muslims are Sunni
Sharia law the religious law of Islam
Hinduism
origin - ethnic religion that evolved in the Indian subcontinent
diffusion - basically none due to it being an ethnic religion
current distribution - India, Sri Lanka and Bali
beliefs - Hindus believe that is an all pervasive consciousness called Brahman.
The purpose of Hinduism is to gain the Knowledge of Brahman and become one with it.
Christianity
origin - Southwest Asia
diffusion - universalizing so basically everywhere
current distribution - concentrated in Americas and Europe, slight spread to
Asia and Africa due to missionaries
beliefs -
Judaism
origin - SWA
diffusion - ethnic religion so mostly Israel and some immigrants to West
current distribution - Israel/small pockets in USA
beliefs - Adonai is supreme being, prophet has not yet come (Old Testament of
Bible)
Buddhism
origin The teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was a prince who turned to a
life of self exploration and became enlightened. Buddhism is the teachings of Siddhartha
Gautama, or his name after reaching enlightenment, Buddha.
diffusion - to Eastern Asia
current distribution - Eastern and Southern Asia
beliefs - Noble Eightfold path - Life is suffering
Sikhism
origin - Guru Nanak Dev
diffusion - mainly none
current distribution - Punjab region (possibly the scattered across the US)
beliefs - one god, all are equal, earn an honest living, share with others,
remember God, always wear a turban, 5 Ks
Daoism/Taoism
origin - founded by Lao Tse
diffusion - none (stayed in China)
current distribution - China
beliefs - the individual should try to act in harmony with the tao (the sum total of
all things) and follow principles of passive non-resistance(wu-wei); ying and yang (things exist in
balance); feng shui (positioning objects to maintain a flow of chi)
Confucianism
origin - founded in China by Kongfuzi
diffusion - no real spread (stayed in China)
current distribution - China (big surprise)
beliefs - hierarchical society (the idea of filial obedience to your superiors which
smoothed the way for communism)
Cottage Industries - businesses run out of the home; making crafts at home for sale
Glocalization - the process of conducting business with both global and local considerations
Cultural Diffusion - movement of cultural values to another region
High Island - formed by volcanoes; tend to have denser populations, more innovations and
natural resources; more warlike because of competition, more space for farming so people no
longer have to worry about finding food and can specialize
Low Island - opposite of above (simple tools, hunter-gatherer societies)
U.S.S.R - the nation created in 1922 by the Communist Party, which collapsed in 1991 (led by
Vladimir Lenin, then Joseph Stalin, then eventually Gorbachev)
Satellite Nations - parts of the world that used to be controlled or heavily influenced by the
Soviet Union (Germany, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia etc.)
UNCLOS (Law of the Sea)
Caspian Sea - the world's largest lake; there is conflict over oil, if it is a sea each country
would get its own small section, while if it is listed as a lake it will be a joint territory and allows all
countries to have access to the underground oil reserves, not just the ones that have oil in their
boundaries.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - a zone that extends 200 miles off the coast of every country
in which they alone have mineral and fishing rights (but other vessels may pass through)
Median Line Principle - if countries have overlapping 12 or 200 mile zones, a boundary will be
set that splits the territory 50/50
Territorial Sea - a 12 mile zone of a country's coast in which a country has total economic
control and through which no other country's vessels may travel without permission
Berlin Conference - a meeting of 14 European nations over how to divide Africa; an European
country could claim land as long as they told other nations of their claims and could control the
area. This created rifts between similar ethnic groups, as well as grouping hostile ethnic groups
together.
West Bank Wall/Israeli Wall - to keep out terrorist attacks (and possible take Arab lands by
venturing beyond the Green Line)
Partition of India - division of British India into India (Hindu) and East and West Pakistan
(Muslim) at the end of British rule in 1947; in 1971 East Pakistan won its independence and
Bangladesh with help from India
Antarctica - 18 countries have claims, but have agreed not to mine it and so the only residents
are scientists
Al Qaeda - terrorist organization that has radical views of Muslim teachings
Taliban - political movement in Iraq and Afghanistan toward a more strict interpretation of
Muslim teachings
Theocracy (and Iran) - religious leader has most of power but president has some political
influence
Secular State - separation of church and state
Fundamentalist - religious laws/influence in government
Centripetal forces - Communism, military force of Russian Federation, Dagestan case study
Centrifugal forces - cultural differences
Distance Decay - long distances between places make communication and transportation
difficult
Breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 (effects of) - Eastern European countries move
towards democracy, development increases
Legacies of Colonialism
(Economic, Social, Political, Environmental)
Zionism a movement for Jews to move back to Palestine after they were expunged by the
Romans and then persecuted throughout Europe.
Right of Return- The Palestinians belief that they have the right to return to their native land.
Balkanization - the break up of a region into small, mutually hostile units
Breakup of Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia was formed after WW1 (which was sparked by the
assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian empire by a Serb nationalist) and
combined many different ethnic groups; Josip Broz Tito (came to power to fight the Nazis in
1945 and had been forcing all the ethnic groups to coexist, but when he died Yugoslavia broke up
Genocide - trying to exterminate an ethnic group
ethnic cleansing - Serbia (Slobodan Milesovic, a Serb nationalist took charge of Yugoslavia and
proposed Greater Serbia, a nation-state for Serbs; he invaded any country that seceded and
contained ethnic Serbs; killed non-Serbs to get them to leave)
Religious Conflict in Africa (Where? Why?)The Sudanese government supported military
fighters (Janjaweed) are killing people, specifically black Muslims, and driving them off their land
because of a drought. Black Muslims want independence and equal treatment and fight back.
Rwanda (Hutus and Tutsis) The Hutus were the majority ethnic group that persecuted Tutsis,
then when the colonizers put the Tutsis in power they committed genocide and started killing the
Hutus.
Conflict in Kashmir - land claimed by India and Pakistan, but India owns it (though it is 75%
Muslim)
Push/Pull factors for migration - pull factors (jobs, economic opportunities), push factors (lack
of the former, natural disasters, little religious freedom etc.)hi akshay
Guest Workers - foreign workers that fill the higher paying jobs because a lack of an educated
work force in the country with the resources (in SWA its people coming to work in the oil
industry and in Africa its higher level jobs in mining etc.)
Regional differences in development
Africa - The colonists decided not to industrialize Africa, and so their infrastructure is
developed towards the quick and cheap export of raw materials. Africa has little to no
industrialization outside of the major cities.
Europe - Western Europe is more developed than Eastern Europe (because of the
USSR's influence); Mediterranean countries are less developed than Northern or Western
Northern Eurasia - Russia is more developed due to being the center of the former
USSR
Southwest Asia - Israel is more developed
South Asia - India is more developed (along with Sri Lanka and the Maldives)
East Asia - China has low human development due to communism, but reasonable
economic development, Japan is highly developed, NK is underdeveloped while SK and Taiwan
are well developed due to booming trade
Australia/Oceania/Southeast Asia - Australia and New Zealand, then Southeast Asia,
then Oceania
Positive and negative correlations - positive is when both statistics go up, negative is when
one goes up and the other goes down
Communist - the government makes all the decisions
Free Enterprise - the individual makes all the decisions
Socialist - citizens pay high taxes in exchange for government services
Comparing economic systems
Command/Communism - where all the decisions are made by the government
Free Market - where all the decisions are made by individuals
Mixed - a combination of the above
Transition from Communism to Free Market - fairly rough, but usually beneficial
"One Commodity Countries" - countries based around the production or extraction of only one
resource
Economic Diversification - key to development because stabilized economy is able to
withstand blows to one of its sectors
Resource curse/why resources don't bring prosperity (Africa) - money is quickly
evaporated from corruption/reinvestment into extraction of natural resources
"Dutch Disease" - exploitation of natural resources results in lack of manufacturing
development
Subsistence Agriculture - producing farm products only for self
European Union - created to form a unified European economy to rival US and Japan; created
by the Maastricht Treaty; eliminates trade tariffs, most countries use the euro, EU citizens can
live and work freely in any member country, EU promotes the development of its poorer regions
NAFTA - a trade organization between Canada, the US and Mexico to promote free trade
Turkey and the EU - Turkey wants to join, which would allow trade with Asia, but it could also
allow terrorists in (so it probably won't join)
Special Economic Zones -
Containerized shipping - standard size containers speed up shipping, loading and unloading
(and reduce shipping costs)
Global production chain - interconnected groups working together to connect people and
services around the world (US and Western Europe develop the ideas, South America and
Africa provide natural resources and East Asia provides the manufacturing and cheap labor; if
one Link fails everybody goes down)
Singapore - has good infrastructure and is surrounded by cheap labor such as Indonesia,
Malaysia and Thailand
Entrept - somewhere you can unload freight without paying tariffs (used to switch ships
and send goods elsewhere)
Strait of Malacca - the best location between East and West trade
Western Europe - highly developed region with huge influence (both cultural and economic)
Mediterranean Economies - mainly agricultural because of the long growing season and
moderate climate
Location of economic activities
Primary - near natural resource
Secondary - fairly near primary economic activities
Tertiary - near market
Quarternary and Quinary - near tertiary and highly developed areas
Raw resources mined in Africa, product produced in Asia, sold in Europe and Americas
Patterns of population distribution
Africa - along water sources
Europe - close to the coasts and along rivers; on the fertile plain to the north and
clustered around sources of oil
N. Eurasia - along rivers, the farther west the higher the population density
SW Asia - along water and near oil
S. Asia - coasts and rivers
E. Asia - near coasts
Australia/Oceania/SE Asia - along the coast
Analyzing population pyramids
Chinese in SE Asia - highest concentration is in Singapore
Modern European Migrations - moving to Eastern Europe for cheaper labor
-effect of the EU - allows easier movement among member countries
Brain Drain - educated/smart people move to more developed countries in search of job
opportunities
Guest Workers - foreign workers that fill the higher paying jobs because a lack of an educated
work force in the country with the resources (in SWA its people coming to work in the oil
industry and in Africa its higher level jobs in mining etc.)
China's One Child Policy - each family gets one kid. its not that hard
Isoline
Time Zones
Cartogram
Choropleth
Climographs
by Akshay and Rachel
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