Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Geography

Russia's Economy and Natural Resources

Russia is a leading global power in energy and possesses the largest reserves of iron (40% worldwide) and manganese (30% of the world's total). The dispersed location of its mines, oil, and natural gas deposits contributes to its decentralized industrial structure. Russian agriculture is constrained by climatic conditions. The Russian North is predominantly covered by forests, and the northern parts of Siberia are characterized by permafrost. Cereal crops are primarily cultivated in the central and southwestern regions with intensive agriculture.

Middle East: Oil Production and State Control

The countries in the Near and Middle East Asia (Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Abu Dhabi, United Arab... Continue reading "Economic Geography of Russia, Asia, Latin America & Africa" »

Spain's Tertiary Sector in 2007: Regional Analysis

Choropleth thematic maps, where color intensity represents quantity, illustrate the state of Spain's tertiary sector in 2007. This analysis focuses on the sector's contribution to the working population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across different autonomous communities (regions).

National Overview and Regional Disparities

In Spain, the average contribution of the tertiary sector to national wealth was high at 66.8% in 2007, typical for a developed country. However, significant differences existed in the degree of economic tertiarization among regions.

Regional Groupings by Tertiary Sector Contribution

Based on the map legend, Spain's autonomous communities can be categorized into four groups... Continue reading "Spain's Tertiary Sector: 2007 Regional GDP Contributions" »

Consequences of Tourism

Demographic Impacts

Tourism attracts people seeking employment in the sector, which can halt outward migration from certain developing areas. Conversely, it can lead to excessive population congestion during peak times, potentially saturating local services.

Economic Impacts

Tourism can generate significant benefits:

• Creates employment opportunities.
• Provides high yields.
• Fosters the development of other economic activities.

However, there are potential drawbacks:

• Jobs created may be precarious and temporary.
• Revenue often flows back to the origin areas of tourist businesses rather than staying local.
• Goods consumed by tourists are frequently imported, potentially undermining local production.
• Prices for goods and services can increase,

Tourism in Spain

Tourist Areas

Spain's tourist areas experience significant visitor influx. High-density zones include the sun and beach destinations of the Balearic and Canary Islands, and the mainland Mediterranean coast. Madrid attracts substantial cultural tourism, while other areas with notable, though lower, densities, are found along the northern and northwestern coasts, particularly in Catalonia, Valencia, and Andalusia. Beyond these, isolated tourist spots cater to specific interests, such as ski resorts, rural tourism, and inland cities like Salamanca and Segovia.

These areas can be categorized by seasonal use, with some experiencing peak seasons (e.g., Catalonia) and others enjoying stable, year-round tourism (e.g., the Canary Islands... Continue reading "Spanish Tourism: An In-Depth Look" »

Utopian Reformism and Modern Urban Planning

Utopian reformists began to create the first alternative models to the industrial city, attempting to address its social and urban shortcomings. Key figures like Robert Owen in England (1817) and Charles M. Fourier in France (1822) proposed innovative models for worker settlements and their relationship with new industries. Fourier's concept was the Phalanstère.

Haussmann's Paris Reforms

The reform model of Haussmann in Paris (1845) was more comprehensive. It aimed to reorganize the city center, creating avenues for smoother functioning. Based on large-scale public works, it provided employment while also making future revolutions more difficult by replacing narrow medieval streets with wide, straight... Continue reading "Urban Reform: From Utopian Visions to Modern City Planning" »

Spain: Rural and Urban Settlements

Rural Settlement Types

• The dispersed settlement is typical of the northern peninsula.
• The predominant type of settlement in rural areas of the peninsula is concentrated.

Spanish Rural Houses

• Stone houses (predominantly in the mountainous periphery).
• Mud houses (interior peninsular, Valencia, and Murcia orchards).
• Buildings of mixed wood (wood, stone, or clay) are in rural areas of the Basque Country, the Central System, and the Iberian System.

Transformations in the Rural World

• Rural mountainous interiors of the peninsula were affected by the rural exodus.
• Rural communities located in coastal areas experienced a radical transformation.
• Rural populations close to large urban cities have taken office.

Urban Settlement in

The Problems of the Spanish Countryside

The Spanish countryside in the 20th century was marked by unequal land ownership. Large estates coexisted with smallholdings, impacting agricultural yields and hindering modernization. Landowners of large estates displayed risk aversion and limited interest in efficient cultivation, leaving the rural population near subsistence. This disparity in living conditions fueled social conflict and peasant protests, often exacerbated by poor harvests and food shortages. As farmers organized, they demanded land reform to access and cultivate underutilized land held by absentee owners.

In regions like Galicia, smallholdings, while producing high-quality crops, struggled with limited land, hindering profitability... Continue reading "Spanish Countryside in the 20th Century: Inequality and Reform" »

Urban Infrastructure

• Infrastructure: Urban infrastructure includes water and energy utilities, and city parkland for managing large quantities of water. Major problems related to water supply are scarcity and quality. Urban cores consume energy at various rates.
• Transportation: In large cities, passenger and cargo transportation causes significant problems, including pollution. Urban centers experience a high density of vehicular traffic, especially during peak hours, known as "rush hour". To resolve such problems, bypasses are built around cities, and public transportation is promoted.

Types of Rural Settlements

The dispersed settlement is characteristic of the north of the peninsula. It is customary for houses to be grouped together to form villages,... Continue reading "Urban and Rural Settlements in Spain: Challenges and Solutions" »

What is Absolute Monarchy?

During the 17th century, the bourgeoisie did not accept that all the world's power rested in the hands of the absolute monarchy and aristocracy. King Louis XIV of France was a model of an absolute monarch. In the 17th century, European monarchs concentrated all powers: government, taxation, foreign policy, heading the army, elaborating laws, and acting as supreme court judges.

What is a Parliamentary Monarchy?

During the reign of Isabel II, Spain definitively became a parliamentary monarchy. The constitution of 1837 established national sovereignty, the separation of powers, and the recognition of individual rights of citizens. Democratization took a step forward during the Democratic Sexennium, and the First Republic... Continue reading "Absolute vs. Parliamentary Monarchy & Rise of Industrialization" »