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

Economic Activity

Economic activity is what humans undertake to acquire goods (products and services) that satisfy consumer needs.

Economic Goods

Economic goods are products and services generated by economic activity.

Products

Products are goods obtained directly from nature (e.g., fish) or transformed into something else (e.g., clothes, books). They can be classified by:

• Composition: They can be consumable (durable consumer goods, such as computers, or non-durable, such as pizza) or capital goods (tools).
• Function: They can be intermediate goods (wool produced by a sheep) or finished goods (the shirt made from this wool).
• Ownership: They can be private (belonging to people) or public (belonging to the state).

Factors of Production

Factors of production... Continue reading "Understanding Economic Activity: Sectors and Factors" »

Castilian farmers organized transhumance to feed their livestock.

King Alfonso X was aware of the importance of the livestock in his kingdoms and established the Mesta, an association that looked after the interests of livestock farmers.

The flocks of sheep belonged to rich families who had fiefdoms in the region. Most wool from the sheep was exported to textile mills in northern Europe.

The king agreed to share the creation of laws with the Cortes and to respect the rights of nobility, clergy, and ordinary people through a series of pacts.

The royal court, ciceroy, Cortes, generalidad, chief justice, and Mallorca were ruled by the General Council.

Q.9 What are border roads? Mention its Two importances.

Ans. Strategically important roads in The bordering areas of the country are called border roads. These roads are in The northern and northeastern border areas. Importance of Border roads: -

1) Border roads have improved Accessibility in areas of difficult terrain.2) They have helped in the economic Development of border areas.3) Used to supply military equipments to The borders of our country.

Q.10 State any four problems of Road transport in the country.Ans. Major problems are:i. Road transportation in India is Inadequate keeping in view the volume of traffic and passengers.Ii. About half of the roads are Un-mettal and this limits their usage during the rainy season.iii. The National Highways... Continue reading "Comprehensive Guide to Transportation in India: Roads, Railways, and Pipelines" »

In Spain, the Modern Age began with the Catholic Monarchs. They laid the foundations for Spanish hegemony in Europe, which was consolidated during the 16^th century by Charles I and Philip II.

The Dynastic Union of Castilla and Aragon

The marriage of Isabella I of Castilla and Ferdinand II of Aragón in 1469 was the first step toward the union of the Kingdom of Castilla and the states belonging to the Crown of Aragón. The process was completed in 1479. In reality, this was only a dynastic union, which meant that the rule of the two monarchs was the only thing that the respective territories had in common. These maintained their institutions, laws, customs, and currencies.

The Strengthening of the State

The Catholic Monarchs reinforced their royal... Continue reading "The Catholic Monarchs and the Expansion of Spain" »

Continents of the World

Europe

Relief:

• Alps
• Carpathians
• Caucasus
• Ural Mountains
• Great European Plain

Water:

• Rhine River
• Danube River
• Dnieper River
• Don River
• Volga River
• Lake Ladoga

Climate:

• Mediterranean
• Forest
• Continental
• High Mountains

Landscape:

• Mediterranean Forest
• Deciduous Forest
• Prairies
• Woodland

Fauna:

• Wild Pigs
• Eagles
• Foxes
• Bulls
• Rabbits

Asia

Relief:

• Himalayas
• Plateau of Tibet
• Mount Everest
• Siberian Plateau
• The Archipelago of Japan

Water:

• Yenisey River
• Lena River
• Yangtze River
• Amur River
• Euphrates River
• Ganges River

Climate:

• Dry
• Equatorial
• Tropical
• Desert
• Mediterranean

Landscape:

• Deciduous Forest
• Steppe
• Taiga
• Savanna
• Tundra

Fauna:

• Pandas
• Tigers
• Asian Elephants
• Bears
• Deer

Africa

Relief:

• Rifts
• Valleys
• Drakensberg
• Sahara Desert

Water:

• Nile River
• Niger River
• Congo River
• Lake Victoria
• Orange River

Climate:

• Mediterranean
• Desert
• Equatorial
• Tropical

Natural Cycles

In nature, chemical elements vital to life, such as oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, are neither made nor destroyed. They are recycled, moving round and round in the natural world in the form of minerals and nutrients. On land, they move from the soil into the plants, then into animals that eat plants, and then sometimes into other animals that eat plant-eating animals. Minerals and nutrients return to the soil either through an animal’s droppings, or whenever any plant or animal dies and rots away. Microorganisms in the soil, such as bacteria, play an important part in releasing the nutrients and minerals from the decaying matter.

Polar Lands

The North Pole is surrounded by the permanently icy Arctic Ocean. At the opposite end of... Continue reading "Natural Cycles and Diverse Ecosystems" »

The Early Modern Age (1453-1789)

Economy

Societies began to experience:

• Increased Agricultural Production: The three-field system was maintained.
• Intensified Commercial Activity: Increased agricultural production resulted in a surplus (excess food production). Products were sold in city markets, and new trade routes appeared.
• Expansion of Craftsmanship: The domestic system was created.
• New Products were brought to Europe.

• Development of Mercantile Capitalism: An economic system in which capital belonged to private owners. Economic growth led to the development of banking.
• Providing Loans: Bankers lent money in exchange for the return of the same amount plus interest.
• New Forms of Payment: The bill of exchange was created (a document that guaranteed

The Kingdoms and Territories of the Catholic Monarchs

The kingdoms and territories of the Catholic Monarchs were inherited by their grandson Charles, born in the Netherlands.

Charles I (1516-1556)

Inherited territories in central and N.Europe from his grandparents.

Philip II (1556-1598)

Didn't inherit his father's territories, nor was he made Holy Roman Emperor. Both monarchs consolidated the authoritarian monarchy, addressed numerous internal conflicts, and governed an empire. The empire helped them impose hegemony across Europe.

The Organisation of the Monarchy

Their rule was assisted by a well-organized public administration. This included royal secretaries, who studied important matters and gave advice.

The organization of the territory was conceived... Continue reading "The Catholic Monarchs and Their European Empire" »

Age of Industrialisation Proto Industrialisation

The period of industrialization before the first factories came up in Europe is termed as proto-industrialization. This period was marked by merchants from towns getting products made in villages.

Reasons for focus of merchants on villages:

• Powerful trade and craft guilds in urban areas
• Controlled competition and prices
• Prevented entry of new players in the market

Features of proto-industrialization in Britain:

• Merchants supplied money to the peasants in the countryside
• Peasants motivated to produce products for an international market
• Land becoming scarce in villages
• Peasants looking for additional sources of income

The Coming Up Of Factory

The earliest factories in England came up in the 1730s. By late... Continue reading "Proto-Industrialization and the Rise of Factories in Britain and India" »

In the feudal system, the king, the nobles, the clerics, and peasants all had different responsibilities and rights. Basically, the system consists of:

• Somebody gave protection/land to someone else.
• In exchange, the other had to fight or work for their protection.

The King

The king was the ruler of the country and owned all the land. However, he didn't have a big army and was weak. This is why he needed the noblemen and their armies.

The Noblemen

The noblemen were the vassals of the king. They promised obedience and loyalty to the king in the ceremony of homage. They provided knights and in return received a land (fief). In their lands, as lords, they acted as judges and collected taxes for themselves.

Knights

Knights were less important nobles, were... Continue reading "Feudal System: Roles and Responsibilities of King, Nobles, and Peasants" »