Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Geography for Baccalaureate

Sustainability

• Definition: Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows for the full natural replacement of exploited resources and the recovery of ecosystems affected by their extraction.
• All living things depend either directly or indirectly on Earth's resources.
• Importance of Sustainability: Economies may have different views of sustainability (e.g., a sustainable laptop).
• Environmental Perspectives: Key points include:
  • Earth's resources are limited; they require time to be replenished.
  • Resources should be used at a rate that prevents exhaustion.
  • Sustainability involves not being harmful to the environment and maintaining a stable condition.

Sustainable Development

• The original definition originated from the 1992 Rio de Janeiro

The Red River Resistance

The Emergence of Métis Culture

The Métis people originated in the 1700s when French and Scottish fur traders married Aboriginal women. Their descendants formed a distinct culture, collective consciousness, and nationhood in the Northwest.

HBC and NWC Policies

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) initially discouraged marriages, fearing that larger families would increase costs, and even attempted to enforce a policy of celibacy. However, by the end of the 1700s, most HBC employees had Indigenous wives.

The HBC also implemented the "Stay by the Bay" policy, where trading posts were built at the mouths of rivers on the shores of Hudson Bay. This required First Nations trappers and traders to travel long distances to exchange furs...

Key Figures of the Age of Exploration

Hernán Cortés: Spanish explorer who landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519. In 1521, he and his Indian allies captured and demolished Tenochtitlan.

Malinche: A young Indian woman who served as Cortés's translator and adviser. The Spanish called her Doña Malinche.

Moctezuma: Aztec emperor who drove the Spanish from Tenochtitlan. He was killed in the fighting.

Francisco Pizarro: Spanish explorer who captured and killed Atahualpa.

Atahualpa: Incan ruler who won the throne from his brother in a bloody civil war.

Colonial Administration and Society

Council of the Indies: Established to pass laws and maintain strict control over the colonies.

Encomienda: The right to demand labor or tribute from Native Americans in...

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a discipline that uses technology in biological processes. It uses living organisms to obtain particular products or processes.

Traditional Biotechnology

Traditional biotechnology uses microorganisms in production processes to complete them or increase their efficiency.

Areas Where It Is Used

• Food: Bread is made thanks to the fermentation produced by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Alcoholic drinks also use S. cerevisiae, and cheese and other dairy products are made by allowing certain bacteria to ferment.
• Healthcare: Vaccines are made by using fragments of microorganisms or weakened ones, and antibiotics are made by certain molds.
• Environmental: Bacteria are used to eliminate organic matter in sewage. It is also

Demography in Public Health and Medicine: Global Population Issues

Defining Demography

Demography is the statistical study of human populations based on: size, density, distribution, and vital statistics.

Importance and Application of Demographic Data

Demographic data provides essential information used for:

• Health service planning and health care provision.
• Scientific and medical research.
• Analysis of health status and population state.

Populations change through three fundamental processes:

• Fertility (births)
• Mortality (deaths)
• Migration (movement)

Methods of Data Collection

Demographic data is collected using both direct and indirect methods.

• Direct Methods:

  Data comes from vital statistics registries that track all births and deaths, as well as certain

Population Dynamics

Natural Population Change

Natural population change refers to increases and decreases in population produced by biological factors.

Migration

Migration involves a change of residence and job. It can be internal or external.

Population Structure

Population structure is the classification of population based on different criteria.

Population Density

Population density is the relation between the population and the size of the area it occupies.

Natality

Natality is the number of births that take place in a population over a year.

Mortality

Mortality is the number of deaths that take place in a population over a year.

Natural Increase

Natural increase is the number of births minus the number of deaths.

Emigration

Emigration is people leaving...

2. (a) Describe the geographical characteristics of the Río Grande de Santiago
downstream from La Presa. [4 marks]

Award [1 mark] for meandering, [1 mark] for south west direction and [2 marks] for
other characteristics such as oxbow lake, delta.
Award a maximum [3 marks] for a list of landforms with no overview/description.
Full marks should not be awarded in the absence of map evidence – names or grid
references.

(b) Analyse how the freshwater resources shown in box A on the map could be used
for different purposes. [6 marks]

Use of the river for irrigation, navigation, domestic use.
Wetland has potential for tourism, nature reserves, farming, aquaculture.
Lakes – fish farming, tourism, sport and recreation.
At least two different types...

Fishing Regions in Spain

Fishing is an ancient economic activity that, while losing weight in the overall economy, remains vital to Galicia and the Spanish diet.

1. Fishing Activity

• Fishing Regions: The primary Spanish fishing areas include the Northwest, Bay of Biscay, North, South Atlantic, Balearic, and Canary Islands.
• Fish Production: The catch consists of fish, molluscs, and crustaceans. Key species include white fish (hake and whiting), sardines, and anchovies for canning tuna and bonito.
• Consumption and Processing: The main target is human consumption, supported by industrial transformation methods such as freezing, preserving, salting, and reduction.
• Production Trends: National landings have declined due to the depletion of fisheries.

2. Crises

Evolution of Spanish Agricultural Policy

Agricultural Policy: There are state actions that have tried to solve the problems in the sector. We must differentiate between two stages in agricultural policy:

Stage 1: From the 19th Century to 1986

This period spans from the nineteenth century to 1986, the date of entry of Spain into the EEC (now called the EU).

Notably, the disentailment policy throughout the 19th century sought to reform property ownership by trying to eliminate uncultivated land, which was very numerous in our country. It is basically agreed that this bourgeoisie reform served to "change hands" regarding the land and damage the peasants, who lost the opportunity granted to them by communal lands. Of course, this allowed the state...

Population Pyramid

A graphical representation of a population's structure by sex and age. This chart displays the number of males on the left and females on the right, while the age distribution is plotted on a vertical axis divided into five-year intervals. A pyramid with a wide base and narrow top represents a young population; as the base narrows and the upper sections widen, the population shows a higher degree of aging.

Workforce

The population working or seeking employment (typically aged 16 to 65). If currently employed, they are part of the employed workforce; if seeking work, they are considered part of the unemployed economically active population.

Inactive Population

Individuals who are not of working age or are unable to participate...