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

Item 10: Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of land to obtain food for human and animal consumption and raw materials for industry.

Agricultural Continuous Evolution: Very fast change of ownership patterns and land work.

Agricultural Development: In underdeveloped countries, agriculture represents a high percentage of production (80%) due to low-tech and traditional farming, resulting in low productivity. Only 5% of the population is dedicated to agriculture.

Physical Factors of Agriculture

• Weather: Each plant needs a certain humidity and temperature. Plants generally grow between -10ºC and +45ºC.
• Relief: Altitude and slope of terrain condition agricultural activity. Temperature decreases with altitude.
• Soil: Each plant requires specific

Mixed livestock animals combine food and life outdoors and in the barn.

Forestry Practices and Forest Management

Forestry farming is dedicated to harnessing the forest. The higher yields come from species in tropical hardwood forests and temperate regions. Forest types may be wooded or brush-covered. Forestry is the cultivation of forests or mountain areas in order to avoid degradation.

Shifting Cultivation in Tropical Africa

This agricultural practice is located in the equatorial zone and humid tropical climate of Africa. The agricultural landscape is made up of irregular parcels, located around towns, worked with quite primitive techniques and tools. The soil is cultivated continuously for two or three years until exhausted. When this happens,... Continue reading "Primary Economic Activities: Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing" »

Geography of Population

Geography of Population studies the relationships established between people and space. It is the branch of Human Geography that studies the patterns or spatial structures of demographic phenomena in the human population and the processes of change in the same over time.

Structure

Analyzes the characteristics of a particular population, including the split:

• Sex / Age: We present average age pyramids, horizontal bar graphs representing: the x-axis (absolute figures or percentages of the total population, men and women) and the vertical axis (the different age groups, generally 5 to 5 years).
• Economic Activity: Distinction by economic sectors with the most basic division:
  • Primary: Livestock, agriculture, and fisheries, produce

Key Features of Islamic Architecture

Islamic architecture can be distinguished by several key characteristics:

• Buildings are often regularly sized.
• Brick and wood were the most commonly used building materials.
• Vaults and domes are frequently used, including ribbed vaults, honeycomb (muqarnas), and fluted domes.
• Pillars and columns serve as supporting elements.
• Various arch types are employed, such as the horseshoe, semicircular (half-point), pointed, and polylobed arches.
• Interiors typically feature rich decoration, often contrasting with simpler exteriors.

Islamic architecture can be broadly divided into religious and civil categories.

Islamic Religious Architecture

In religious architecture, the most important building is the mosque, a place created... Continue reading "Distinctive Elements of Islamic Architecture" »

Early Spanish Industrialization

The exploitation and trade of iron and coal from Biscay and Asturias eventually led to the development of the steel and mechanical industries. Concurrently, the cotton textile industry developed in Barcelona, alongside the wool industry in Sabadell, Terrassa, and Béjar.

Autarky and INI (1939-1959)

This period saw the imposition of a policy of autarky, which emphasized self-sufficiency and minimizing trade with foreign countries. The Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) was created during this time.

Key Export Sectors During Autarky:

• Consumer Goods: Footwear, leather, cork, furniture, paper, and publishing.
• Basic Industries: Rubber, machinery, mining, and shipbuilding.

Regional Industry in 1975

Different regions developed... Continue reading "Spanish Industrial History and Regional Development" »

T14 5.1 Workforce

The workforce consists of the active population, including employed adults and those unemployed or seeking their first job. In Spain, this represents the active population, but only about 58% of the total population.

Employed active population accounts for over 58% of the total population.

Three Main Sectors:

1. Primary Sector: Employs a small percentage of the workforce (4.8%) and continues to decline.
2. Secondary Sector: While it created jobs, the workforce has decreased (29.6%). Some administrative roles have moved to other countries.
3. Tertiary Sector: Employs a large portion of the Spanish population and has diversified in recent years.

Unemployment rates in Spain are high due to a greater demand for work than job creation. In 1994,... Continue reading "Understanding Spain's Workforce, Immigration, and Murcia's Population" »

Columbus's Atlantic Crossing Proposal

Genoese sailor Christopher Columbus proposed a westward voyage across the Atlantic to reach the Spice Islands, aiming to bypass the traditional eastern routes around Africa.

Columbus's Voyages to the Americas

First Voyage: Reaching the New World (1492)

The first expedition, consisting of the flagship Santa Maria and two caravels, the Pinta and the La Niña, departed from the port of Palos de la Frontera. After a stopover in the Canary Islands, the ships crossed the Atlantic, sighting land on October 12, 1492. This was the small island of Guanahani in the Bahamas, which Columbus named San Salvador.

Later Expeditions by Columbus

The success of the first voyage led to the swift preparation of subsequent expeditions:... Continue reading "Columbus's Voyages: Dawn of a New World Era" »

19th Century Economic and Social Changes

The nineteenth century saw significant agricultural changes that could be divided into two groups:

• Liberal Land Reform

  The first was the liberal land reform, which stimulated the improvement of agricultural production and marketing in Spain but led to social conflict because it was unable to create a class of smallholders and a middle class: the working peasantry. The primary measures of this reform were the abolition of the manorial regime, the division of land, and the confiscation of assets, leading to agricultural market liberalization. These changes led to the consolidation of private land ownership and placed assets and property systems in Catalonia into the hands of new owners, favoring production

Franco's Spain: Economy and Social Change

In 1939, Spain was devastated. The Franco regime was modeled after Italy (Mussolini) and Germany (Hitler). These models emphasized state intervention and economic self-sufficiency (autorquía). The state controlled prices of agricultural products, compelling farmers to surrender their crops.

In 1941, the National Institute was established to control foreign commerce and industry.

Economic Failure in the 1940s

Agricultural production declined after the war, and the black market dominated the economy. The international isolation of the Franco regime worsened the situation.

The End of Autorquía (1950s)

Economic policy shifted in the 1950s. Prices were deregulated, and food rationing ended in 1952. Starting... Continue reading "Franco's Spain: Economy and Social Transformation" »

Toward the Contemporary World

At the end of the 18th century, certain movements in the economy overrode attempts at protectionism, which was based in most countries of old Europe. Industry was widely dispersed, operating in workshops, and the small textile industry was concentrated. After 1760, this process became known as the Industrial Revolution. This reform began in England, where the bourgeoisie controlled power, helping to transform agriculture. The Industrial Revolution marked the transition from a traditional agrarian economy to one marked by industry and machine production.

Demographic Revolution: Population Increases

Causes:

• Drop in mortality.
• Eradication of diseases (Black Death).
• Progress of personal and urban hygiene.
• Collection of garbage