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

Understanding the Primary Sector

The primary sector includes economic activities related to obtaining resources from nature.

Main Economic Activities

Agriculture: Cultivating the Land

Agriculture is the cultivation of land to obtain:

• Grasses
• Vegetables
• Bushes
• Trees

Livestock Farming: Raising Animals

Livestock farming is the breeding of animals in order to obtain products for human use.

Fishing: Harvesting from Water

Fishing is any activity which obtains natural products from the sea. Products obtained include canned goods, frozen goods, and oils.

Factors Influencing Primary Production

Natural Factors: Climate and Land

Climate: The growth of plants depends on the temperature, humidity of the land, and the amount of light received.

Land Relief: The best lands... Continue reading "Understanding Primary Economic Activities" »

Consequences of the Industrial Revolution

A. Society

They were divided into social classes marked by money. Three groups:

• Upper bourgeoisie: bankers, landlords, owners of large factories.
• Middle bourgeoisie: traders, senior officials, professionals (lawyers, doctors).
• Lower bourgeoisie: shopkeepers, employees, artisans.

Workers: less important than the bourgeoisie. The factory workers and peasants were the proletariat.

B. Cities

General changes

• The cities grew.
• City walls were demolished.

The cities were divided

• Wealthy part of the city: water and sewage systems, rich houses, well constructed and with green areas.
• Workers' part: overcrowded, no hygiene, houses were small, dark, damp and dirty; streets unorganized, epidemics, no health services, no sewers,

Context: The Victorian Era

• This period was named after Queen Victoria, who reigned over Britain throughout this era.
• The Victorian Era lasted from 1837 to 1901.
• It was a time of significant reforms and social change driven by the Industrial Revolution. Under her rule, Britain became the world's largest empire.

Queen Victoria and Her Reign

• The Victorian Era marked the 63-year reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
• Queen Victoria ascended the throne at age 18. She was the granddaughter of George III and succeeded to the throne following the death of her uncle, William IV.
• The era was defined by rapid industrialization and the expansion of the British Empire.

Victorian Values

• Economic Growth: The middle class grew wealthy through industry, leading

Key Concepts in Agricultural Production

• Arable farming: Comprises the economic activities and techniques relating to the treatment of soil and cultivation of land for food production.
• FAO: The Food and Agriculture Organization is an agency that leads international efforts to stop hunger.
• Open fields: These are made up of regular plots without boundaries.
• Bocage: This refers to irregular plots separated by walls or hedges.
• Irrigation system: Used as an alternative to rainfed farming, part of the water is brought to fields by artificial means.
• Rainfed farming: This is a type of farming that relies solely on rainfall for water.
• Intensive agriculture: Characterized by maximum productivity, reduced space, and large investment in fertilizers, special seeds,

Global Transformations: 1870–1991 Historical Dynamics

Population Growth and Urbanization (1870–1914)

Between 1870 and 1914, the European population accelerated its growth, rising from approximately 300 million to 400 million people.

Emigration Abroad: Emigration was favored by improved and less expensive means of transport. It initially originated from:

• The United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Scandinavia

The main destinations for these migrants were the United States, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Urbanization: Cities significantly increased their population. By the late 19th or early 20th century, cities were home to a third or half of the population, and some major centers, like Paris or London, held over one million people.

Imperialism and Colonialism:

Unit 1: Introduction to Canada 1900-1914

Immigration and Policy

Immigration: The movement of people from one country into another. Canada experienced its largest wave of immigration between 1901 and 1911. Three reasons for increasing immigration were to provide cheap labour for businesses, prevent the USA from expanding into territories, and satisfy railroads and businesses that believed there would be a high demand for Canadian natural resources.

Open Door Policy: An act providing few restrictions on who could immigrate to Canada, with the exception of criminals.

Imperialism:

Nationalism: A feeling of extreme patriotism toward one's country (Britain).

Métis: A person of mixed American Indian and Euro-American ancestry; in the 19th century, they... Continue reading "Canadian History 1900-1914: Immigration and Growth" »

Environmental Movement

A social and political movement that seeks to protect and improve the quality of the environment.

Environmental Value System

A worldview that shapes the way an individual or group of people perceive environmental issues. This will be influenced by cultural, religious, economic and socio-political context.

• Conservationist: Their emphasis was on the sustainable use of the environment and the management of its resources to allow for future development.

• Preservationist: They advocate for the preservation of land and its resources in pristine untouched condition.

EVS Main Approaches

• Ecocentric (nature centred): They say that humans need to work within natural systems to conserve the ecological processes on which all life depends.

Feudalism in Europe

Political Changes in Europe

England

A civil war for the throne, known as the War of the Roses, raged between the Houses of York and Lancaster. The monarchy grew stronger during the reign of Henry VIII.

Spain

The Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, unified all of the Iberian Peninsula except for Portugal.

Characteristics of Authoritarian Monarchy

• National Territory: Considered the patrimony of the royal family.
• Bureaucracy: Managed by civil servants who controlled the territory.
• Permanent Court: Ended the tradition of traveling courts from the Middle Ages.
• Permanent Army: Established a standing army.
• Diplomatic Service: Utilized ambassadors for international relations.
• Taxation System: Implemented a system for collecting