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

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

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" »

The Iberian Peninsula Before Rome: Cultures and Colonization

The Dawn of Civilization: Indigenous and Early Contact

Contact between the indigenous population and new arrivals gave rise to the Celtic and Iberian Cultures. These pre-Roman peoples were inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula when the Romans arrived.

Early Mediterranean Colonizers (1000–500 BC)

By the start of the 1st millennium BC, the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula were still living in the Bronze Age. However, between 1000 and 500 BC, peoples from Northern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean came to the Iberian Peninsula in several waves.

Phoenicians and Greeks: Trade and Settlements

• The Phoenicians settled in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. They founded Gadir (Cádiz) in 1000 BC

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

economic system=way that goods and services are produced and distributed.

Urban Hierarchies

World Cities

• World metropolises: New York and Tokyo.
• Megacities: Delhi.
• Megalopolises.
• Global cities: These exert global influence regarding certain activities, such as technology in Seattle or trade in Dubai.

Continental and Regional Cities

• Continental cities: They usually govern a large number of areas and perform different activities (e.g., London, Madrid, San Francisco).
• Regional cities: They govern a large number of areas, but fewer than the continental cities (e.g., Milan, Barcelona).

Medium-Sized Cities

These cities are less polluted, foster better relationships, and offer the best quality of life. Definition: They represent a balanced urban model.

World Cities in the 21st Century

Globalization has changed all cities.

Cities in

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" »

The Role of Cities in Innovation and Diversity

Cities and regions are an important issue for sociologists, economists, and urbanists. Marshall, Robert Park, and Jane Jacobs have seen cities as cauldrons of diversity and difference and as fonts for creativity and innovation. "Great cities have always been melting pots of races and cultures," said Park, Burgess, and MacKenzie (1925).

Over the last decades, students have forgotten the creativity and innovation among other basic themes.

Why Geography Is Not Dead

With the internet and modern telecommunication and transportation systems, it might seem that it is no longer necessary for people to be together to work, and then they won't be. "The new economy operates in a space rather than a place," said... Continue reading "Urban Dynamics: The Power of Place in the Creative Age" »

Global Population Dynamics and Growth

World population grew very slowly before the 19th century. Birth rates were high, but death rates were also high. From the early 19th century, the death rate in developed countries fell due to improved medicine and better nutrition following improvements in agriculture, causing the world population to increase.

In the 20th century, there was rapid population growth, often referred to as the Population Explosion.

Regions with Low Population Growth

These regions typically have low population growth, often around 0.2%. This trend is linked to several factors:

• Low birth rate.
• More working women.
• Contraception is widely available.
• Families delay having children.
• It is expensive to raise a family.
• Social values are changing.

Global Distribution of Industrial Activities

Industrial activities are concentrated in developed countries, especially in four large areas: the European Union, the United States, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

Industrial activities are now being redistributed worldwide because developed countries are becoming deindustrialized. They are transferring some of their production processes to other countries where labour and environmental legislation is less strict.

Industrial Development in the European Union

The Industrial Revolution began in England and spread to Belgium, France, and Germany, making Europe the most industrialized region in the world throughout the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

Today’s European Union is very industrially... Continue reading "Global Industrial Distribution and Regional Hubs" »