Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Geography

Fossil Fuel Emissions

Burning fossil fuels like coal and gas to generate electricity or power vehicles releases CO2 pollution into the atmosphere.

Example: Australia

In Australia, electricity generation is the primary source of carbon pollution, with 73% of electricity derived from burning coal and 13% from burning gas.

Deforestation Impact

Deforestation occurs when humans clear large areas of vegetation for farming, urban development, or to harvest timber and palm oil. This process releases stored carbon into the atmosphere as CO2, contributing to global warming. Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas pollution.

Solutions for Global Warming

Reducing electricity generation from coal and gas, and increasing... Continue reading "Causes of Global Warming: Fossil Fuels, Deforestation & Politics" »

ANCIENT REGIME

Religious Unity

• They created the Inquisition in 1478, a religious court to prosecute those who did not follow Catholicism.
• They signed the Capitulaciones de Granada with King Boabdil in 1492, respecting the religion of the people of this kingdom.
• But in 1499, Cardinal Cisneros, advisor of the kings, forced the Muslims to convert or leave Spain. Those who converted were called moriscos.
• In 1492, they also forced Jews to convert or leave Spain.

Great Expeditions

• Reasons: It was necessary to find alternative routes to the Orient after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Portugal and Spain wanted to expand their territories. There were technical advances such as the compass and the astrolabe.

Portugal

• Prince Henry the Navigator promoted the explorations.

Types of Globalization

• Economic Globalization

  Economic globalization refers to the increasing interdependence of world economies. This results from the growing scale of cross-border trade of commodities and services, the flow of international capital, and the wide and rapid spread of technologies. Countries that trade with many others and have few trade barriers are considered economically globalized.

• Political Globalization

  Political globalization refers to the growth of the worldwide political system, both in size and complexity. It involves the increasing number and power of international organizations and agreements. It is the amount of political cooperation that exists between different countries.

• Social Globalization

  Social globalization pertains

Flatmate: una persona que comparte un piso con otros.

Inhabitant: una persona que vive u ocupa un lugar.

Occupant: una persona que reside o está presente en una casa en un momento dado.

Landlord/Landlady: un hombre/mujer que alquila un edificio o alojamiento.

Lodger: una persona que alquila alojamiento en la casa de otra persona.

Squatter: una persona que ocupa ilegalmente una casa o edificio deshabitado.

Tenant: una persona que ocupa tierras o propiedades alquiladas a un arrendador.

Outskirts: áreas limítrofes, distritos, etc., de una ciudad.

Suburb: un distrito residencial situado en las afueras de una ciudad o pueblo.

Urban: ciudad, cívico, centro urbano, metropolitano.

Residential: diseñado para que las personas vivan en él, casas privadas.... Continue reading "Vocabulario de vivienda y urbanismo" »

Developing Countries

Southern countries. Economic poverty, low GDP per inhabitant and the low standard of living, the basic needs of the majority population are not covered. The states invent nothing, social differences are very striking. Population is growing rapidly and young, living in shantytowns. The political systems are unstable, lack a democratic tradition, and authoritarian regimes, corruption, the violation of human rights.

Emerging Countries

Economies have experienced rapid growth, GDP remains small because development is based on low labor costs and the majority of workers have low salaries, huge contrasts in the standard of living between rich and poor. Population growth rate reduced, increase remains high and population concentrated... Continue reading "Development Challenges and Aid Programs" »

Exploring Human Habitats

Rural Habitats

A significant portion of the world's population (47%, or 3.4 billion people) resides in rural areas, maintaining traditional customs and playing a crucial role in food production and environmental preservation.

Traditional Houses and Their Classification

Rural dwellings often utilize natural materials and can be categorized based on shape, material, and geographical location:

• Mud Houses (Adobe): Common in regions with irrigated agriculture and livestock, such as Valencia, Aragon, the southern Sahara, and savannahs.
• Wooden Houses: Prevalent in forest areas, taiga, and wetter swamp regions like the Amazon River basin, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and mountainous areas of Spain.
• Houses Made of Fur and Fabric: Used

The Iberian Peninsula: Kingdoms and Conquests

The Rise of Asturias and León

1. Who moved the capital to León, and renamed Asturias as the Kingdom of León?

○ Ordoño II

2. When was Asturias renamed as León?

○ In the 10th century

3. Who made Castile an independent county and when?

○ Fernán González in the 10th century

4. Who unified Castile with León and when?

○ Ferdinand I unified them in 1038

5. From which kingdom did Aragon become independent and when?

○ From Navarre in the 11th century

6. What were the first two capitals of the Kingdom of Asturias?

○ Cangas de Onís and Oviedo

7. What was the Hispanic March?

○ A zone established by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Al-Andalus and the Carolingian Empire.

8. Who conquered... Continue reading "A History of Spain: From the Crown of Aragon to the Age of Exploration" »

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... Continue reading "Key Figures and Concepts of the Age of Exploration and Enlightenment" »