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

1.2. The politics of the Ancien Régime The absolute monarchies and the parliamentary monarchy in England • The absolute monarchies • The model: Louis XIV of France (1643-1715). He did not called the Estates General, he controlled the government and he intervened in the economy (mercantilism) • Spain: Lesser Hapsburgs • Parliamentary monarchy in England • Civil War between Royalists (Charles I) and Parliamentarians • Republic: Lord Protector • Charles II and James II: absolute monarchy • Glorious Revolution (1688): Bill of Rights • Parliamentary monarchy: two chambers. House of Lords and House of Commons • 1707 United Kingdom of Great Britain. 2. The Economy and society of the Ancien Régime • Economy • Traditional agriculture:... Continue reading "Concept of education" »

World Climate Zones: Characteristics and Locations

Equatorial Humid Climate

• High temperatures throughout the year, around 26°C, with little annual range.
• It rains all months, averaging 2000mm.
• Soils in the jungle are poor.
• Locations: Congo and Amazon basins, the Gulf of Guinea, Indonesia, South India, Madagascar.

Tropical Climate with Dry and Wet Seasons

• Temperature range is 10°C between the warmest and the coldest month.
• Generally warm all year, with rainfall distributed in a wet season.
• Heavy rains are due to the monsoon winds. Rainfall exceeds 1500mm.
• Vegetation ranges from tropical forest to dense gallery forest, savannah, woodland, and herbaceous savannah.
• Locations: Central America and the Caribbean, much of South America, Africa south of the

LANDSCAPE:

Ok. I’m going to start talking about the landscape of Tasmania. In Tasmania there is a very different variety of landscapes, we can find from very green landscapes full of trees and different types of plants to very large deserts. The Tasmanian medium temperature is 23ºC during all the year as you can see this isn’t like Victoria (HAHAHAH), Victoria it's so cold and the summer lasts 2 months more than here.

The Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil is a species of dasyuromorphia marsupial of the Dasyuridae family. It is the largest carnivorous marsupial existing today, after the extinction of the marsupial wolf. It can arrive to 15 km per hour. Live in herds, that means you do not hunt or eat alone. As we have said before, they are... Continue reading "Discovering Tasmania: Landscapes, Wildlife, and Conservation" »

Carbon dioxide, fossil fuels, global warming, greenhouse effects, industrialized countries, natural habitats, sea levels, climate change, endangered species, greenhouse gases, heat waves, ice caps, solar power, nuclear power, developing countries, carbon emissions

turbine, panels, energy-saving, stand by (en funcionamiento), footprint, organic, thermostat, recyclable, hybrid, dryer

Should, ought to – express advice / have to – obligation and order / mustn’t – prohibition / must – obligation / need to – necessity / needn’t or don’t have to – lack of obligation

(Match the verbs to make collocations) clear the ground, fell trees, graze cattle, grow crops, raise public awareness, struggle for survival (Match adj with nouns to make... Continue reading "Environmental Issues, Energy Sources, and Job Sectors" »

Urbanization is a process of urban growth that leads to a greater proportion of people being concentrated into towns or cities.

Historical Context of Urban Growth

Towns and cities grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. The 19th century also saw an agricultural revolution, where new farm machinery reduced the need for labor on farms. This prompted people to move to towns where jobs were available in factories.

Towns and cities continued growing in the 20th century, causing rural depopulation and issues in rundown inner-city areas.

Causes of Urbanization in Developing Nations

• Rural-to-urban migration.
• High rates of natural increase among the youthful populations of these cities.
• Concentration of industry makes cities a natural magnet for young

San Francisco and Sacramento

San Francisco is one of the most famous cities in California. It's located on the West Coast of the United States, at the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. This peninsula is connected to Marin County via the Golden Gate Bridge. The territory of San Francisco was first explored by Gaspar de Portolá. Seven years later, in 1776, the Mission San Francisco de Asis was founded by Juan Bautista de Anza.

After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, the area became part of Mexico and was named Yerba Buena, the original name of San Francisco. In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, Yerba Buena was claimed by John B. Montgomery and became part of the United States. When Mexico officially ceded the territory at... Continue reading "San Francisco and Sacramento: History, Landmarks, and Attractions" »

Advantages and Disadvantages of Maritime Shipping

Advantages

• Low Sinister Rate: High international security.
• Flexibility: Adapts to varied demands.
• Capacity: Allows transport of heavy or voluminous loads.
• Traceability: Facilitates tracking vessels and loads.
• Long Distance: Connects all continents.
• Cost: Prices are very competitive.

Disadvantages

• Requires Other Means of Transport: It is not possible to make 'door to door' service.
• Slow: It is less competitive in this sense.
• High Requirement of Infrastructures: Depends on port development and connections with other means.
• Complexity: It is difficult to determine the legal framework of application.

The Port

The port encompasses all land spaces, maritime waters, and facilities located at the coast that meet... Continue reading "Introduction to Maritime Shipping" »

Traditional houses

: Stone houses: durable, sedentary population.Mud houses: Made of adobe, sometimes wooden frame and roofs made of branches, communities involved in irrigated agricultural activities or extensive livestock farming where stone is scarce.Wooden houses: forest areas, in wetter swamp areas-wooden poles to insulate, weight of the materials decreases as we get the top.Houses of fur: nomadic livestock activities. Some types: Arabic tent, Mongolian yurt, and tepee.Cave Houses: known as troglodyte homes because they are carved in rock, excellent thermal insulation. Found where soil lacks of construction materials. Sometimes used for storage or cellars.Ice homes: Eskimos arctic, made of cubes of ice, called igloos.

Towns and Villages

The Paleolithic Age

- The first and longest period in prehistory.

- It lasted from 4.2 million years to 10,000 BC. It is usually divided into:

• Lower Palaeolithic (4.2 million-200,000 BC)
• Middle Palaeolithic (200,000-35,000 BC)
• Upper Paleolithic (35,000-10,000 BC)

Life in the Paleolithic Age

- They were hunters and gatherers (they didn’t cultivate the land or keep animals). They hunted, fished and gathered.

- They were nomadic.

- They lived in caves in winter and in spring-summer in huts.

- They hunted in groups, for instance, skin, bones, fat…

- Tools from stone and bone, later more elaborate.

- Their groups were very small, twenty or thirty members.

Artistic representation

- Cave paintings: painting made on walls and ceilings of caves.

- The colours... Continue reading "Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages: Life, Art, and Religion" »

Population Density and Settlement Factors

Densely: (pleasant climate, + more jobs / food supply, water supply, flat land, railways & ports)

Types of Population Pyramids

• Stable pyramid: Shows unchanging fertility and mortality.
• Expansive: Wide at the base; high individual birth & death rates.
• Stationary: Low fertility & mortality; population size roughly constant.
• Contractive: More common with emigration out; typical of developed populations; description of shape.

Key Demographic Indicators

Pd: nº... Continue reading "Population Density, Structure and Migration Impacts" »