1. The Himalayas, the Plateau of Tibet, and China’s western mountain ranges were all created by
a. centuries of volcanic activity in the Pacific region
b. the collision of Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates
c. monsoon winds and ocean currents
d. erosion by the major rivers of China
2. The islands of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan are
a. tectonic plates
b. alluvial plains
c. peaks of highlands that were covered when water levels rose
d. cones of volcanoes rising high above the ocean’s surface
3. Most human activities take place in this region’s
a. plains and river valleys b. plateau region
c. massive highland area d. semiarid steppes
4. The waters surrounding Japan and the nearby ocean currents help to make Japan’s climate
a. more moderate than that of other places at the same latitude
b. hotter in the summer and colder in the winter
c. the same as places at similar latitudes
d. tropical
5. In China and throughout Southeast Asia, more than 50% of the labor force works in
a. trade b. aquaculture
c. industry d. farming
6. The industrial leader of East Asia is
a. Japan b. Taiwan
c. South Korea d. China
7. The fertile deposits of Mongolian loess on the North China Plain have been carried there by the
a. Huang He (Yellow River) b. Songhua River
c. Japan Current d. Mekong River
8. Climates in East Asia are influenced by all of the following except
a. landforms b. ocean currents
c. monsoon winds d. vegetation
9. China has a population of about 1 billion people, or
a. almost one-half of the world’s total population
b. about one-fifth of the world’s total population
c. about one-tenth of the world’s total population
10. The most prominent culture in East Asia is that of
a. Japan b. China
c. Korea d. Singapore
Venezuela’s economy is based on which of the following?
a. oil
b. coffee
c. sugar
d. copper
Colombia’s economy is based on which of the following?
a. oil
b. coffee
c. sugar
d. copper
The physical geography of Europe can be described in all of the following ways except
a. a "peninsula of peninsulas"
b. a varied landscape from soaring mountains to rolling plains
c. few navigable rivers that empty into the sea
d. a landmass half the size of the continental United states
European cities have a milder climate than North American cities located at similar latitudes because of their
a. locations on or near large bodies of water
b. mountainous landscape
c. nearness to the Prime Meridian
d. distance from the North Atlantic Drift
The Pyrenees Mountains separate
a. Italy from Greece
b. Spain from Portugal
c. Europe from Asia
d. the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe
The Ural Mountains separate
a. Italy from Greece
b. Spain from Portugal
c. Europe from Asia
d. the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe
The Benelux nations are called the Low Countries because
a. much of their land is flat and below sea level
b. they have such a small land area
c. they are located in a valley between two high mountains
d. they are Europe’s newest independent countries
In foreign affairs, both Switzerland and Austria
a. have sided with their Eastern European neighbors
b. are neutral
c. have played the role of a middle power
d. are members of NATO
The people of both Greece and Portugal have
a. always relied on the sea for trade
b. used their resources to develop heavy industries
c. used their land mostly for fruit and vegetable production
d. recently begun to enjoy a high standard of living
All of the following countries border France except
a. Germany
b. Italy
c. Portugal
d. Spain
A Mediterranean climate is one that has
a. cool summers, warm winters
b. hot, dry summers, cool, wet winters
c. humid summers and cold winters
d. rainy summers and dry winters
The northernmost landform region in Eastern Europe is
a. Carpathian Mountains
b. Hungarian Basin
c. North European Plain
d. Balkan Peninsula
The southermost landform region in Eastern Europe is
a. Carpathian Mountains
b. Hungarian Basin
c. North European Plain
d. Balkan Peninsula
Most of the people in Eastern Europe are descended from the
a. Goths
b. Celts
c. Hubs
d. Slavs
Northern Eurasia faces all of the following problems except
a. underdeveloped resources
b. ethnic diversity
c. a low standard of living
d. an inefficient rail system
Moisture from the Pacific Ocean is blocked from reaching the interior of Australia by the
a. Great Sandy Desert
b. Great Barrier Reef
c. Great Dividing Range
d. Great Artesian Basin
The movement about which geographers talk usually refers to
a. environmental changes
b. people, goods, and ideas
c. relative locations of places on the earth
d. birth and death rates and family size
The traditions, politics, and foods that make a place unique are called its
a. natural features
b. cultural characteristics
c. political characteristics
d. human-environment interactions
The purpose of a map legend is to
a. tell what the map is about
b. identify the map projection
c. explain what the map's symbols. lines, and colors represent
d. indicate directions
Which of the following is a primary industry?
a. subsistence farming
b. food processing
c. manufacturing
d. government
How do more than half of the world's workers make their living?
a. in forestry
b. trying to keep students interested in geography
c. in farming
d. in manufacturing
The building of dams and canals to irrigate desert regions is an example of the geographic theme of
a. place
b. location
c. region
d. human-environment interaction
The overall pattern of landforms in North America is
a. central plains between high mountains to the west and low mountains to the east
b. high mountains to the west and vast rolling plains to the east
c. high mountains to the east, low mountains to the west, and plains in the north and south
d. plateaus between high eastern mountains and western coastal plains
The most valuable natural resource of the Northeast region of the United States and the Atlantic provinces of Canada is their
a. waters and harbors
b. fertile soil
c. iron ore deposits
d. mild climate
Canada plays an important role in the global community of nations because of its
a. high standard of living
b. role as a superpower
c. location and size
d. nuclear weapons
Some examples of renewable resources are
a. oil and coal
b. soil and water
c. natural gas and uranium
d. aluminum and copper
The Caribbean landscape includes all of the following except
a. coral and limestone islands
b. active and inactive volcanoes
c. pampas and llanos
d. mountains and cliffs
The separate mountain ranges of northern Mexico form one high range called the
a. Sierra Madre del Sur
b. Central Plateau
c. Sierra Madre Oriental
d. Sierra Madre Occidental
The only region in Mexico in which mountains do not dominate the landscape is
a. Baja California
b. the Pacific coast
c. central Mexico
d. the Yucatan Peninsula
The Andes mountain system is the world’s
a. most hilly and rolling, rather than rocky range
b. highest range
c. longest unbroken range
d. most densley populated range
One of the world’s largest petroleum-producing regions is located along Mexico’s
a. central plateau
b. northern Pacific coast
c. Yucatan Peninsula
d. Gulf coastal plain
The foundation of Mexican society is the
a. school
b. Aztec culture
c. family
d. government
The Bahama islands were created by
a. tectonic activity that thrust mountains up from the earth’s floor
b. repeated volcanic eruptions
c. the remains of once-living creatures called coral polyps
d. built-up layers of volcanic soil
The islands of the Greater Antilles were created by
a. tectonic activity that thrust mountains up from the earth’s floor
b. repeated volcanic eruptions
c. the remains of once-living creatures called coral polyps
d. built-up layers of volcanic soil
The islands of the Lesser Antilles were created by
a. tectonic activity that thrust mountains up from the earth’s floor
b. repeated volcanic eruptions
c. the remains of once-living creatures called coral polyps
d. built-up layers of volcanic soil
New Zealand’s North Island is made up of
a. flat expanses of arid and semiarid regions with little vegetation
b. a central plateau that is dotted with volcanoes and hot springs
c. fertile lowlands and rolling hills that are covered with lush grasslands
d. mountains covered with glaciers that drain into the lakes and valleys below
New Zealand’s South Island is made up of
a. flat expanses of arid and semiarid regions with little vegetation
b. a central plateau that is dotted with volcanoes and hot springs
c. fertile lowlands and rolling hills that are covered with lush grasslands
d. mountains covered with glaciers that drain into the lakes and valleys below
Much of the cultural heritage of Australia and New Zealand can be traced to
a. Great Britain
b. Polynesia
c. southern europe
d. Asia
Most of the people in Australia live in
a. cities along the eastern and southeastern coasts
b. rural regions of the Australian outback
c. urban centers along the western coast
d. trade centers along the Pacific rim
11. What region is the center of China’s population, industry, and government?
a. Northeast b. Southeast
c. Northwest d. Southwest
12. Why did the Chinese government create four Special Economic Zones (S.E.Z.) in the southeast region of China?
a. to encourage Chinese people to establish private industries
b. to stimulate commercial farming through private ownership of the land
c. to attract foreign investment and technology to China
d. to create a light industrial region and an area for tourism
13. What political area will be rejoined with China in the summer of 1997?
a. Taiwan b. Hong Kong
c. Mongolia d. Tibet
14. How was the Great Leap Forward supposed to make China’s production greater than that of Western nations?
a. by replacing private ownership of farms with common ownership
b. by combining Chinas collectives into self-sufficient People’s Communes
c. by smashing the old order and establishing a new socialist society
d. by combining elements of free-enterprise economy with socialism
15. What is peculiar about Hong Kong’s political status?
a. it is jointly governed by both Great Britain and China
b. it is a sovereign nation that will become a Chinese colony in 2000
c. it is culturally part of China but has been governed by Japan since 1860
d. it is leased to the British but will become part of China in the summer of 1997
16. Only 15% of Japan’s land is arable because of
a. a lack of irrigation water b. steep, mountainous terrain
c. poor climate d. inadequate farming equipment
17. The statement that best supports the conclusion that Japanese employees are extremely loyal to their companies is
a. Japanese companies provide many benefits for their employees
b. workers are often hired as soon as they graduate from school
c. workers are rarely fired, and very few workers ever quit their jobs
d. each morning, companies have their workers sing or exercise together
18. Korea’s physical landscape is dominated by
a. elevated plateaus b. mountains
c. narrow plains d. deep valleys
19. All of the following statements about the climates on the Korean peninsula are true except
a. North Korea has short, cool summers and bitterly cold winters
b. South Korea has mostly a continental climate
c. Parts of South Korea are subtropical
d. North Korea’s climate is not greatly influenced by the moderating effects of the surrounding seas
20. The statement that supports the conclusion that fierce competition exists in Japan for places in the best schools is
a. the school day in Japan is long, and vacations are short
b. Japanese students are given a great deal of homework
c. many students take special classes after school to help them do better on examinations they must take to enter college
d. education has always been important in Japan