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

Agricultural Land Holdings

Smallholder

A small farm unit, typically under 5 hectares.

Latifundio

A large landholding, typically above 100 hectares.

Spanish Primary Sector Contributions

Primary sector breakdown (example percentages):

• Cereals: 38%
• Vineyards: 6%
• Olive Groves: 14%
• Horticultural: 8%
• Other: 12%

Note: The original text mentioned "total Spain brings to the U.S.", which was unclear. This section lists sector percentages.

Economic Phases and Sectors

Phases

Production, Distribution, Consumption

Economic Sectors

Primary Sector

Activities involved in obtaining food and raw materials from nature. Examples: agriculture, fishing.

Secondary Sector

Economic activities that transform raw materials extracted from nature into manufactured products. Examples: industry,

The European Union: A Historical Perspective

Post-War Origins and Economic Cooperation

After World War II, several Western European nations sought to establish stability, security, and a robust economic bloc to compete with powers like the United States and Japan. In 1951, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This created a common market for these crucial resources. In 1957, these same countries signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community) and the EEC (European Economic Community).

The core objectives of these treaties were to foster peace, economic integration, and political union. The EEC aimed to achieve... Continue reading "European Union: A Comprehensive Overview" »

Pre-Roman Peoples of the Iberian Peninsula

A set of peoples occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the first millennium BC. They resulted from the union of indigenous peoples and Indo-European invaders in the center and west, along with Greek and Phoenician settlers in the Levant, South, and Southeast. The Iberians were among the more economically and culturally developed peoples. In the center and west of the peninsula, Celtic influence dominated, although Iberian elements were also present. The most archaic peoples inhabited the North: Galicians, Asturians, and Basques. From this era remains Euskera (Basque language), which is still spoken in current areas of the Basque Country and Navarra.

The Vascones

According to Roman sources, the Vascones were... Continue reading "Iberian Peninsula: Pre-Roman Peoples, Roman Hispania & Visigoths" »

Globalization: Internal unit (countries economically dependent on others).

Ecological Footprint: Measuring human demand on spending and use rights.

Natural Resources: Resources we get from the physical environment.

Renewable Natural Resources

Resources that regenerate at the same rate as consumption, such as wind and sun. Critical resources include land, forests, fisheries, and water. Non-critical resources include wind, sun, and waves.

Non-Renewable Natural Resources

Resources where consumption is greater than regeneration, such as fuels (coal, oil, gas), recoverable minerals (metallic minerals, gravel), and recycled materials (metal minerals like aluminum and iron).

Biodiversity: The set of animal and plant species distributed across the surface.... Continue reading "Understanding Globalization, Resources, and Economic Development" »

Economic Globalization: Models and Impacts

Model A: Key Aspects of Economic Globalization

Items 1 to 8 model economic globalization's most famous aspects. Globalization responds to the term 'performance of large multinationals in all regions of the world', meaning the process of relocation of labor to cheaper areas. Small national companies must adapt strategies to survive as competition grows increasingly. There are other processes of culture, consumption, population, habits, information, and environmental problems.

2. The reference is the continuous exchange of goods, money, people, and information on a global scale. Within these international trade flows, which imply the exchange of products between different countries, and investment capital,... Continue reading "Economic Globalization: Models, Impacts, and Key Factors" »

Climate Types in Spain

• Coastal Mediterranean Climate

  Extends along the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. Average annual rainfall is between 400 and 700 mm, higher in the north than in the south. Rainfall is highly irregular, with a maximum in autumn (due to the 'cold drop' phenomenon) and a minimum in summer. This situation is caused by the low humidity of arriving air masses. Temperatures are mild in winter (8-12°C) and high in summer (23-26°C), with a thermal amplitude between 12 and 18°C.

• Inland Mediterranean Climate

  Located in the interior of the peninsula, characterized by strong continentality due to the relief and distance from the sea. Rainfall peaks in spring, with minimums in summer and winter (between 350 and 600 mm per

Santiago

Plant:

• Type of Work: Construction of architecture.
• Title: St. James Cathedral.
• Location: Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain.
• Author: Unknown.
• Date: 1075 to 1128.
• Style: Romanesque.

Technical Analysis:

• Shape: Romanesque cathedral, typical pilgrimage church model with a Latin cross plan and a head featuring an ambulatory and apses.
• Overview: One of the largest Romanesque buildings, it features a narthex at its feet, housing the Portico de la Gloria. The interior is divided into three naves. The central nave has a barrel vault, while the lower side aisles have cross vaults. Arches connect the aisles to the nave, with external openings illuminating the upper nave.

The vaults rest on compound pillars with adjacent columns, the central nave... Continue reading "Santiago de Compostela Cathedral: Architectural and Historical Overview" »

England, Home of the Industrial Revolution

This kingdom was small but industrially a head movement, its leadership for a century due to the following conditions:

1. It was the nation most favored by the commercial revolution.
2. It had obtained the most valuable colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
3. A large proportion of profits from overseas trade was available for productive investments.
4. Its military expenditures were lower, and it had excellent administration.
5. Nowhere else in society was trade as developed; it was organized as a legal business and had the best banking system in Europe.

Impact of the Industrial Revolution

• The development of capitalism and the rise of the bourgeoisie in the 19th century.
• The Industrial Revolution brought commercial development

The European Society of the Old Regime

The Old Regime in Europe was characterized by an aristocratic social structure, legal privileges, and a rigid social division into three estates: the Nobility, the Clergy, and the Third Estate (commoners).

The first two estates held significant privileges, while the vast majority of the population, the Third Estate, engaged in productive activities and struggled for survival. This society was fundamentally based on inherited inequality, favoring a privileged minority.

Social Dynamics in 18th Century Europe

During the 18th century, Europe witnessed the rise of the bourgeoisie, whose tastes and values began to challenge and even dominate aristocratic norms.

The Nobility

• Privileges by Birth: Nobles enjoyed extensive

Understanding Early Human History

Hominid Species

• Homo sapiens sapiens
• Homo neanderthalensis
• Homo erectus
• Australopithecus

The Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods

Paleolithic: The primary period of prehistory, also known as the Old Stone Age. Characterized by nomadic hunter-gatherer societies.

Neolithic: Follows the Paleolithic period. Marked by the beginning of food production (agriculture and livestock) and sedentary settlements.

Concern for the Afterlife

(Information about the reason for concern is missing from the original text.)

Prehistoric Painting

Cantabrian Painting: Naturalistic paintings, such as those found in Altamira.

Mediterranean Painting: Schematic group paintings.

Early Life and Egyptian Concepts

Houses

Simple private structures constructed... Continue reading "Key Aspects of Prehistory and Ancient Egypt" »