Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Geography for Secondary education

Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Baltic Trade Routes in Medieval Europe

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mediterranean route:

Spanish or Italian towns to Islamic and Byzantine ports, imported luxury, perfumes, silks, porcelain.

atlantic and baltic routes:

Portuguese, Cantabria, Germany, Russia: Spanish and English wood, French wine, English tin, leather.

guild:

Artisans of the same trade formed craft guilds, they have strict laws.

romanesque :

Fisrt appearance in France, Italy, became an international style in 11th and 12th century, churches, cathedrals, monasteries made of stone, human representation: figures were rigid, unrealistic, Romanesque sculptures were polychrome, they were painted in bright colors.

gothic:

Began in France and spread widely from the second half of the 12th century, developed when cities were expanded, civil buildings, cathedrals,...

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The Rise of Authoritarian Monarchy in Spain: Unification, Expansion, and Religious Control

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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
...
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Agriculture and Livestock in Spain

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Agriculture in Spain

Wheat: It is the most widely cultivated cereal in the world and characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.

Rice: It is the second most consumed cereal and the first in Asia.

Corn: 116,307 hectares, Aragon is the main producer.

Others: Oats and Barley.

Olive Oil Production

The value of production of olive oil in Spain represents 4.6% of the production of the agricultural industry. Spain is at the top of the world production and it constitutes a 75% of the production in the EU and 45% of global production. The surface dedicated for this in Spain is over 2 million hectares. In the last ten years, the production has increased by 23%.

Vineyards and Wine Production

Spain has almost 1.2 million hectares of vineyards, which makes it the

...

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Globalization: Advantages, Disadvantages, and the Future

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Globalization: A Closer Look

Advantages of Globalization

Globalization allows countries to specialize in what they do best. For example, if a country imports cheap steel, it can focus on other industries like technology.

It expands market reach, enabling businesses to sell more goods, generate higher profits, and create more jobs.

Consumers benefit from lower prices and faster access to new products.

Disadvantages of Globalization

Globalization can lead to job losses in developed countries as companies relocate factories to countries with cheaper labor.

It may exacerbate environmental problems as companies seek locations with less stringent regulations.

Globalization can create financial instability. The emerging markets crisis of the 1990s demonstrates...

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Oceania and Asia: Geography, Climate, and Culture

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Oceania

Oceania is made up of Australia, New Zealand, and many small Pacific Islands. Australia is by far the largest landmass in the continent.

Australia

Capital: Canberra (although the largest city is Sydney).
Divided into eight states.
Population: 21.2 million people.
Population density: 2.6 people per km2.
80% of the population lives on the coast.
95% of the population lives in urban areas (towns/cities).

Australia's Climate

Factors that affect climate:

  • Latitude: As you move away from the Equator, temperatures fall.
  • Distance from the sea: The sea moderates the temperatures of places near the coast (e.g., the sea cools coastal places in summer and warms coastal places in winter).
  • Ocean currents: Either warm (from the equator) or cold (from the poles)
...
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Agricultural Practices: From Plots to Production

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Primary Sector Activities

The primary sector encompasses activities related to obtaining resources and food production. This includes agriculture, livestock farming, fishing, and forestry.

Agricultural Landscape

An agricultural landscape is a landscape modified to obtain products from nature. Key elements include plots, tillage systems, and settlements.

Understanding Plots

A plot is a division of agricultural land. Plots differ in size (large or small), shape (regular or irregular), and boundaries (open or enclosed).

  • Openfield: Open plots without fences, typically small and regular in shape. Common in Central Europe.
  • Enclosed fields or Bocage: Relatively large, irregular plots enclosed by walls or fences. Common in the European Atlantic region.

Polyculture

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Urban Concepts and City Dynamics: Key Definitions

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Key Concepts of Urban Areas

City Concept

Quantitative: Over 10,000 inhabitants.

Economic Activity: Primarily tertiary sector.

Secondary Sector Level and Influence: Building and construction.

Spatial Criterion: Exercising influence over a territory.

Location

Specific Location: Concrete place where the city is situated.

Relative Location: Location in relation to other places.

Urban Morphology

External appearance of the city.

Urban Structure

Division of the city into areas with distinct morphology, features, and functions:

  • Old Town: Part of the city that was urbanized from the outset.
  • Ensanche: Growth of the city after the demolition of the walls, leading to a regular plan with wide, straight roads.
  • Periphery: Outermost areas of the city.

Urban Functions

Main...

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17th Century Enlightenment: Ideas Shaping Modern Government and Rights

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The Enlightenment: 17th Century Intellectual Movement

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement developed in Europe in the 17th century that questioned all the principles of the Ancien Régime (Old Regime).

Key Philosophers and Principles of Freedom

Philosophers such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau defended the principles of freedom and equality, arguing that all people are born free and equal.

Economic Thought: Physiocracy vs. Mercantilism

In opposition to mercantilism, Physiocracy was imposed. The Physiocrats maintained that agriculture was the main basis for the wealth of a country. They defended private property, freedom of trade and industry, and opposed any state intervention.

Political Thought: Montesquieu and Separation

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Industrial Revolution: Causes and Key Developments

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The Industrial Revolution: Causes and Key Developments

Until the second half of the 18th century, the economic life of European countries was based on farming techniques developed using outdated and rudimentary methods. Industry was reduced to almost artisanal work. From this period in England began a profound transformation of the forms of production that directly affected the lives of the majority of the population.

Causes of the Industrial Revolution

Demographic Revolution

  • Decline in mortality
  • Maintenance of high birth rates
  • Better-fed population
  • Improvements in medicine and hygiene

This reduction in mortality resulted in a large population increase. This demographic growth provided the manpower needed by the factories and was a vital stimulus for

...

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Elements of Agricultural Landscapes: Uses, Systems & Habitats

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Elements of Agricultural Landscapes

Plots

Plots are the basic divisions of the agricultural landscape. They can be classified according to:

  • Size: Large, medium, or small.
  • Shape: Irregular (characteristic of spontaneous occupation of space) or regular.
  • Boundaries: Open or closed, surrounded by trees, hedges, or fences.

An exploitation is a plot or set of plots, even if not contiguous, worked by the same farmer, regardless of ownership.

Agricultural Uses

Agriculture is the practice of farming for the cultivation of vegetables, fodder, or industrial crops intended for human or animal consumption or industrial transformation.

Cropping Systems

Cropping systems are the techniques used by farmers for agricultural production and vary according to:

  • Crop Variety:
...
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