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

Vocabulary

Trade Balance

Goods are the difference between the value of a country's exterior sales and purchases from other countries. When a country buys more than it sells, the trade balance is regarded as deficient. When it sells more than it buys, it has a surplus.

The balance of trade is an exchange between countries of both services and materials. A country whose imports exceed its exports, including financial services, is in deficit. Spain is considered to be in surplus in this respect.

Flows of Capital

Large amounts of money move around the world to fund loans, buy or sell companies, or invest in shares.

Information Flow

News and knowledge circulate quickly, allowing immediate diffusion thanks to new technologies such as the Internet and mobile... Continue reading "Spain's Trade Balance, Capital Flows and Agricultural Landscapes" »

Oil: 40% of Global Energy Consumption

Oil represents 40% of global energy consumption. It is found underground and extracted via wells. The oil refining process transforms it from a raw ore into various products, including plastics, gasoline, solvents, waxes, glues, tar, and asphalt.

Major Oil Reserves and Consumption

The largest reserves are in the Middle East, with other significant areas including Mexico, the USA, Venezuela, Nigeria, the Gulf of Guinea, Angola, Norway, Britain, Russia, Europe, and Japan. Consumption is highest in industrialized countries, particularly the USA and Canada. The U.S. oil industry was the first to develop, and during the 1929 stock market crash, the U.S. provided 70% of the world's oil. Other areas in Africa and... Continue reading "Fossil Fuels: Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas" »

19th Century Spain: Political, Economic, and Social Features

Political Landscape and the Restoration

• Politics: The Glorious Revolution (La Gloriosa) caused the fall of Isabel II and the exile of the royal family.
• This initiated a six-year period of progressive governments devoted to democratic rights and labor reforms, led by liberals.
• Amadeo of Savoy was elected king, but his reign was brief, and the First Republic was later proclaimed.
• The malaise of the times determined a return to the monarchy. Pavía's coup ushered in the restoration of monarchy in the person of Alfonso XII.
• When he died, the regency was assumed by Queen Christina until her adult child, the future King Alfonso XIII, came of age.
• Bipartisanship was established (Liberal and Conservative

Spanish Exploration and Settlement

Most Europeans saw the Americas as virgin land ripe for exploitation by settlers, and their mission to civilize the indigenous peoples and put them to work.

The Columbian Exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and human societies - including ideas about religion, time, and land ownership and use - had far-reaching effects.

1 Christopher Columbus

The discoverer of America: Columbus Day is celebrated as an official holiday in most states on the second Monday of October, commemorating his landing on San Salvador (Bahamas) on 12 October 1492, although he never set foot on U.S. territory and Viking sailors had visited Newfoundland 500 years before.

Many Native Americans regard Columbus and other European explorers and... Continue reading "European Exploration and Settlement of the Americas" »

English Language Practice Exercises

Why the Leopard Got Its Spots

Grammar Practice

1. They don't pay scientists much.
2. She can't have chosen that dress.
3. Ann is getting more and more scared.
4. I wish I had called him yesterday.

Vocabulary

• Noun from "goal": aim
• Word from the same root as "survive": survivor

Writing Task: Wildlife Protection

Would you like to have a job related to wildlife protection?

Work related to terrestrial life would help preserve it. Nowadays, we should care for it and not end up destroying it. Many people think that nature takes care of itself, but they are wrong, and this attitude will bring consequences in the future.

Firstly, I want to say that this problem should be given much more importance than it currently receives. Caring for species... Continue reading "Grammar, Vocabulary, and Writing Practice" »

The Late Medieval Crisis: 13th to 15th Centuries

The Middle Ages, from the 13th to the 15th century, experienced a deep crisis. In the 14th century, this was largely due to the Black Death of 1348, which resulted in a severe imbalance between the population and effective food production. Hunger and malnutrition weakened the population, making them more susceptible to disease.

Consequences of the Black Death

The epidemic considerably reduced the population and had the following consequences:

• A decrease in production due to a reduction in labor.
• A concentration of land ownership as many rural people emigrated to other places free from the plague.
• An increase in feudal power over the serfs.
• In Castile, stately rents decreased while wages increased due

LANDSCAPE PAINTING 19TH CENTURY

Royal Academy founded in 1768; Foundation of the Water-colour society in 1804; Painters fought for more recognition compared with the other arts (literature and architecture in particular); New National Gallery was founded in 1824.

Caspar David Friedrich

1- German romantic landscape painter. Best known for allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, barren trees or gothic or megalithic ruins. 2- Topographical interest endured 3- Travel at home and abroad, the search for the picturesque and primitive, the medieval. Ex: Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1818): In the foreground, a young man stands upon a rocky precipice with his back to the viewer.... Continue reading "19th Century Landscape Painting and Romanticism" »

The Preindustrial City: Origins and Characteristics

The preindustrial city represents the urbanized core of human settlements from their origins. These cities were defined by several distinct stages and features:

• Defensive Walls: Cities were typically enclosed by protective walls.
• Urban Planning: Plans were often uneven, though radial, linear, and grid patterns existed.
• Plot Structure: Closed plots dominated, featuring low-rise houses with yards and gardens, interspersed with prominent landmark buildings.
• Land Use: Diverse and mixed, combining housing with shops and warehouses.
• Social Stratification: Socially diverse groups coexisted, with the center serving as the elite hub for main public buildings.

Historical Urban Models

• Roman City: Characterized

The Viking Resistance of Wessex

The Vikings defeated all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms with one exception: Wessex. How was Wessex able to resist the Viking attacks?

Initially, the most important answer is the element of time. Because the attacks came from the North to the South, Wessex had time to anticipate the attacks and prepare. They were not caught by surprise.

Wessex adopted several key measures to combat the Vikings:

Defensive Measures

1. The Creation of Burhs

Wessex created strong defensive positions called Burhs. These structures provided a safe haven for people to defend themselves. Usually, these were created with the same structure (a kind of cross). We know that there were around 30 Burhs in Wessex thanks to a document of the age. In the... Continue reading "The Rise of Wessex: How a Kingdom Resisted the Vikings" »

Ireland

: The situation was very similar to Scotland one’s. Problems started in 1689 when James II counted with support in France, so a battle against William of Orange took place; it was the Battle of Boyne that ended with William’s victory.

It was a period of colonization and England used the colonies to obtain benefits. All of that is going to be known as the First British Empire. The 18^th century was a period of tremendous change. One thing that we need to do is to explain how things stand outside the British Isles.

For that we have to go back to the year 1588, which is the year of the Great Armada. That is an important year because this is the moment when England started the gradual rise for the power of the sea supremacy. There were... Continue reading "The First British Empire: Colonization and Sea Supremacy" »