Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geography

Setting Up a Multinational Branch

When establishing a branch of a multinational company, several critical factors are considered:

1. Cheap Labor: Access to affordable labor can significantly reduce operational costs.
2. Low Transportation Costs: Proximity to markets or raw materials can minimize logistics expenses.
3. Cheaper Industrial Land: Lower land acquisition or rental costs for industrial facilities.
4. Fiscal Benefits: Favorable tax policies, subsidies, or incentives offered by the host country.
5. Lower Production Costs: Overall reduction in expenses related to manufacturing or service delivery.
6. Favorable Political Circumstances: A stable political environment and supportive government policies.
7. Lower Tax on the Activity: Reduced tax burden on the specific

SECONDARY SECTOR

Industry Overview

The secondary sector encompasses all activities that transform raw materials into finished goods. This sector plays a crucial role in economic development, as industrialization drives growth and prosperity. Developed countries typically have well-established industrial networks.

Types of Industries

Industries can be categorized based on their level of technological advancement and the intended use of their products.

1. By Degree of Innovation:

• Mature Industries: These industries, such as textiles, steel, and shipbuilding, emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries and utilize established technologies.
• Advanced Industries: Industries like biotechnology, microelectronics, telecommunications, and robotics represent

The early modern age began in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople and ended with the French Revolution in 1789. However, by the end of the previous era, many important social, economic, political, and cultural changes were already taking place.

Monarchs had more resources, so they became more powerful and were able to reform existing institutions and create new ones. Their main objectives were to consolidate their authority, control the power of the nobility, and administer the kingdom's resources more effectively.

They formed powerful armies of mercenaries to subdue the nobles who confronted them. They strengthened bureaucracy, which was composed of officials directly under their control who supervised the kingdom's affairs. They centralized... Continue reading "The Early Modern Age: Social, Economic, and Political Changes" »

Another Africa

English Goes West Across the Atlantic…But It Is Not Alone on the Trip

The Mayflower was the Pilgrim ship that in 1620 made the historic voyage from England to the New World. The ship carried 102 passengers in two core groups – religious Separatists coming from Holland and a largely non-religious settler group from London.

In Canada there was a British community that spoke English and a French community that spoke French. In Caribbean there were French, Spanish, Dutch and English people.

A Commercial Empire

• English colonial ventures were mostly conducted by private commercial companies.
• Famous companies involved in the British settlement in North America include:

1. The Virginia Company of London.
2. The Plymouth Company.
3. The Hudson’s Bay Company.
4. The

Port Competitiveness

Interportuaria Competition

Competition interportuaria occurs between different ports to secure traffic.

Intraportuaria Competition

Competition intraportuaria occurs between operators within the same port to secure specific traffic.

Collaborations exist in sectors such as: education, commercial research, and management agreements. Infrastructure examples include the rail links for Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta.

Maritime Operator Strategies

• Port-to-port operations.
• Optimize economies of scale and shipping lines.
• Specialized services to fulfill changing needs.

Main Ship-owners

Examples include: Maersk Lines, MSC, Evergreen Group, CMA-CGM.

Ship-owner Types

• Global: Operating on main routes with alliances feeding world hubs.
• Emerging:

Italy: Geography, Demographics, and Major Cities

Italy (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja] (listen)), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana [reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna]),^{[11][12][13][14]} is a European country. It consists of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and is surrounded by several islands. Located in South-Central Europe,^[15][16] Italy is also considered part of Western Europe.^[17][18]

Geographical Footprint and Borders

The country covers a total area of 301,340 km² (116,350 sq mi). It shares land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. Italy also has a territorial exclave in Switzerland (Campione) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea (Lampedusa)... Continue reading "Italy: Land, People, and the Enduring Roman Legacy" »

The Urbanization Process

The urbanization process consists of concentrating population and the most dynamic economic and cultural activities within cities.

Antiquity

In Europe, the urbanization process began around the third millennium BC with the creation of cities in the Eastern Mediterranean by trading civilizations like Crete. However, the definitive push toward urbanization came in the 8th century BC, first with the Greeks and then with Roman rule, which spread cities all across the empire.

In Spain, the first cities (Cádiz and Ampurias) emerged in the 8th century BC thanks to colonization by Mediterranean peoples (Phoenicians and Greeks). The number of cities increased during the period of Roman rule, when numerous cities were founded, such... Continue reading "The Urbanization Process: From Ancient Cities to Modern Metropolises" »

1.1 The Concept of a City

Human settlement refers to the distribution of the population over a territory, which can be either rural or urban.

a) Rural Settlement:

• Characterized by a low number of inhabitants and low population density. The specific criteria for what constitutes a rural settlement can vary depending on the region. For example, in Norway, a city can have as few as 200 inhabitants.
• Typically features low-rise buildings that can be either concentrated or dispersed.
• The primary economic activities are related to the primary sector, which involves obtaining natural resources.
• Life in rural settlements is often characterized by close social ties and a strong sense of community belonging.
• Examples of rural settlements include villages and

SEA AND OCEAN CONTAMINATION

As we can see in the news and society, the oceans and seas are completely contaminated. The principal cause is humans. This has a lot of consequences in the ecosystem. There are different types of contamination, like the plastic droop in the ocean, factories, rubbish, ships fuel, etc.

This causes have negative consequences:

• The problem of the plastic is that the animals mix up with their food and when they eat that plastic, they die. Also affects when moving in the water, they make injury with plastics and can cause death.
• Because of the ships fuel pouring, the water contaminates, making ocean animals sick. Then if humans eat that fish with a disease, it can cause death in that person.
• Also, the plastic contamination