Deck 8: Political Geography

Question 1

Political unity in the ancient Mediterranean world reached its height in

A) the Fertile Crescent.
B) Egypt.
C) the Roman Empire.
D) Western Europe.
E) the Alexandrian Empire.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Attributes of a state include all of the following except

A) sovereignty.
B) an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs.
C) is synonymous to the term country.
D) must possess a military.
E) it occupies a defined territory on Earth's surface and contains a permanent population.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Before the world was divided into a collection of independent states in the 1800s,

A) it was under control of the Roman Empire.
B) powerful kings divided control of various continents.
C) much of the Earth's surface was unorganized territory.
D) only the Fertile Crescent was organized in any way.
E) city-states everywhere fought one another for regional dominance.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The most populous countries not members of the UN are

A) Taiwan and Kosovo.
B) North and South Korea.
C) Switzerland and Monaco.
D) Monaco and Vatican City.
E) Western Sahara and Morocco.

Question 5

An area organized into an independent political unit is a

A) colony.
B) nationality.
C) satellite.
D) state.
E) suburb.

Question 6

Kosovo can be considered a sovereign state because

A) the United States and many European countries recognize its sovereignty.
B) Serbia recognizes its sovereignty.
C) ethnic cleansing was practiced there.
D) its capital and largest city is Pristina.
E) it is a subdivision of Serbia.

Question 7

Kosovo might not be considered a sovereign state because

A) the United States and many European countries recognize it.
B) Serbia, Russia, and many other countries do not recognize it.
C) ethnic cleansing was practiced there.
D) its capital and largest city is Pristina.
E) it is a subdivision of Serbia.

Question 8

Taiwan can be considered a sovereign state because

A) China recognizes its sovereignty.
B) its government carries on diplomatic relations with many other countries.
C) the Nationalist party rules both China and Taiwan.
D) its size meets the minimum geographic threshold for independence.
E) it is no longer a British colony.

Question 9

After the fall of the Roman Empire,Europe

A) became more unified under the British Empire.
B) divided into city-states along the Fertile Crescent.
C) gained military dominance over Asia and northern Africa.
D) was fragmented into rival estates held by nobility.
E) consisted of unorganized territory.

Question 10

Ancient ________ were sovereign cities where ________ delineated the boundaries of the city.Periodically one city in Mesopotamia would gain military dominance over many others,and a(n)________ would form.

A) kingdoms, maps, province
B) kingdoms, bodies of water, empire
C) city-states, markers, province
D) nation-states, walls, nation
E) city-states, walls, empire

Question 11

The Sahrawi Republic is not recognized by

A) Mauritania.
B) Morocco.
C) Spain.
D) the United Nations.
E) the Polisario Front.

Question 12

The most populous countries not members of the UN are

A) Taiwan and Kosovo.
B) North and South Korea.
C) Switzerland and Monaco.
D) Monaco and Vatican City.
E) Western Sahara and Morocco.

Question 13

The first widespread use of the nation-state concept came in

A) Mesopotamia.
B) the Roman Empire.
C) Western Europe.
D) the United States.
E) Southeast Asia.

Question 14

Korea is a good example of a(n)

A) sovereign state.
B) nation-state.
C) ethnicity divided between more than one state.
D) colony.
E) patron-state.

Question 15

A global organization created after WWII that provides a forum for the discussion of international problems is called

A) the World Trade Organization.
B) sovereignty.
C) International Tribunal.
D) the World Court.
E) the United Nations.

Question 16

The first states in ancient Mesopotamia were

A) city-states.
B) colonies.
C) empires.
D) nation-states.
E) patron-states.

Question 17

A state with control over its internal affairs has

A) centripetal forces.
B) nationality.
C) suffrage.
D) sovereignty.
E) ethnicity.

Question 18

The territorial ambitions of the Nazi party in the 1930s exemplified the idea of

A) a multinational state.
B) many states speaking a common language.
C) dividing the country into eastern and western sections.
D) a war against Italy.
E) the nation-state.

Question 19

The Fertile Crescent

A) followed the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
B) extended from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
C) was the location of the first city-states in the Middle East.
D) is sometimes considered to be extended into the Nile Valley.
E) All of the above

Question 20

The Law of the Seas

A) has standardized the territorial limits of most countries.
B) regulates the amount of pollution that can be tolerated in the seas.
C) has been signed by about 50 countries.
D) disputes can be taken to the UN.
E) only applied to island countries.

Question 21

A territory tied to a state rather than being completely independent is a

A) nation.
B) state.
C) nation-state.
D) colony.
E) patron-state.

Question 22

The U.S.and Russia recognize the South Pole region claims of

A) New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
B) Argentina, Australia, and Chile.
C) no country.
D) Argentina and Chile.
E) Argentina only.

Question 23

The motives of European states in establishing colonies can be summarized as all but which of the following?

A) God
B) glory
C) guilt
D) gold
E) B and C

Question 24

A feature of the physical environment commonly used to separate states includes all but which of the following?

A) deserts
B) geometry
C) mountains
D) lakes
E) rivers

Question 25

A frontier,in contrast to a boundary,

A) separates two states.
B) is an area rather than a line.
C) has become a more common means to separate states.
D) is a region of ethnic conflict.
E) All of the above.

Question 26

By 1914,most of Latin America

A) was under the colonial control of Spain and Portugal.
B) was part of the Protectorate of Mexico.
C) had formed independent states.
D) had converted to Protestantism.
E) was being colonized in the search for gold and other riches.

Question 27

Frontiers between countries are

A) becoming more common.
B) the same as a boundary.
C) becoming less common.
D) usually extremely narrow.
E) None of these statements is true.

Question 28

A common physical boundary separating North African countries from countries to the south is

A) desert.
B) water.
C) mountain.
D) ethnic.
E) religious.

Question 29

Greenland

A) is the world's largest landmass not under national control.
B) is considered a colony of Iceland.
C) has a high degree of autonomy despite remaining a part of Denmark.
D) recently became independent from Canada along with the territory of Nunavut.
E) All of these are true of Greenland.

Question 30

Boundaries in much of Europe follow the

A) distribution of languages.
B) demands of the victorious British and French.
C) containment of Nazism.
D) League of Nations.
E) North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Question 31

A tangible geographic area in which no state exercises complete political control is called a(n)

A) frontier.
B) ethnic border.
C) colony.
D) commonwealth.
E) buffer.

Question 32

The world's largest multinational state is

A) China.
B) Canada.
C) Russia.
D) Alaska.
E) India.

Question 33

The only large land mass(es)not part of a sovereign state is/are

A) the North and South Polar regions.
B) Greenland.
C) Siberia.
D) Borneo.

Question 34

Czechia is a good examples of a

A) nation-state.
B) multinational state.
C) province.
D) colony.
E) city-state.

Question 35

The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves is called

A) multinational state.
B) self-determination.
C) nation-state.
D) self-rule.
E) ethnocentrism.

Question 36

The United States and Canada share

A) a physical boundary between the countries that is 1300 miles long.
B) a 1300 mile long mountain boundary.
C) two geometric boundaries, one that runs along the 49 degree north latitude, and the other between Alaska and Canada.
D) a religious boundary with mostly protestants on the U.S. side.
E) cultural boundary, English and Spanish on the U.S. side, French and English on the Canada side.

Question 37

Gambia is an example of a(n)________ state.

A) elongated
B) fragmented
C) landlocked
D) compact
E) prorupted

Question 38

Australia,Canada,and India were all ________ of England in 1914.

A) allies
B) colonial possessions
C) enemies
D) former colonies
E) states

Question 39

The attempt by one country to impose political control over another territory is

A) colonialism.
B) constitutionality.
C) self-determination.
D) sovereignty.
E) suffrage.

Question 40

The Antarctic Treaty established that

A) states may establish research stations in Antarctica, but militaries are not permitted.
B) countries can submit claims to Antarctica until 2009.
C) Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom claimed portions of Antarctica.
D) Russia and Argentina have claimed portions of Antarctica.

Question 41

An increasing number of states have adopted a federal form of government primarily to

A) grant different ethnicities or nationalities more effective representation.
B) encourage the breakup of the superpower alliances.
C) govern compact states more effectively.
D) deploy scarce resources efficiently.
E) meet all of the above needs.

Question 42

The congressional districts of Iowa display

A) "wasted vote" gerrymandering.
B) no gerrymandering.
C) "stacked vote" gerrymandering.
D) "excess vote" gerrymandering.

Question 43

Redistricting so that the opposition is spread across many districts as a minority is termed a(n)________ strategy.

A) wasted vote
B) stacked vote
C) gerrymandering
D) excess vote

Question 44

Malawi is an example of a(n)________ state.

A) elongated
B) fragmented
C) landlocked
D) compact
E) prorupted

Question 45

Which shape most easily fosters the establishment of effective internal communications for a smaller state?

A) compact
B) elongated
C) fragmented
D) prorupted
E) prolonged

Question 46

Landlocked states

A) lack direct access to the sea.
B) must cooperate with immediate neighbors to engage in trade.
C) are common in sub-Saharan Africa.
D) include Lesotho and Swaziland.
E) All of these are true of landlocked states.

Question 47

The process of redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power is called

A) gerrymandering.
B) stacking votes.
C) hanging chads.
D) redlining.
E) blockbusting.

Question 48

An example of a perforated state is

A) South Africa.
B) Sahrawi Republic.
C) Slovenia.
D) Borneo.

Question 49

The Germans established the proruption known as the Caprivi Strip in present-day Namibia for which of the following reasons?

A) access to resources in central Africa
B) disruption of British communications
C) fighting apartheid in neighboring South Africa
D) access to the Zambezi river
E) A, B, and D

Question 50

Italy is a good example of a(n)________ state because it completely surrounds both ________ and ________.

A) elongated, the Vatican, Rome
B) perforated, the Vatican, San Marino
C) fragmented, sea, land
D) prorupted, Rome, the Vatican
E) elongated, Rome, San Marino

Question 51

Kenya is an example of a(n)________ state.

A) elongated
B) fragmented
C) landlocked
D) compact
E) prorupted

Question 52

Democracies differ from autocracies because

A) citizens vote for leaders, citizens participate, and there is a system of checks and balances.
B) citizens vote for leaders, citizens can own land, citizens are innocent until proven guilty.
C) education is not free, citizens participate, leaders have term limits.
D) citizen participate, have the right to bear arms, and leaders have term limits.
E) of a system of checks and balances, education is not free, and citizens can own land.

Question 53

A state which places most power in the hands of a central government is a

A) federal state.
B) nation-state.
C) fragmented state.
D) unitary state.
E) compact state.

Question 54

Elongated states may suffer from poor internal communication and difficulty defending its borders.Which of the following is not an elongated state?

A) Malawi
B) Gambia
C) Namibia
D) Chile
E) Italy

Question 55

Which of the following is more typical of a democracy than an autocracy?

A) Leaders selected according to clear rules of succession
B) Citizen participation is sharply restricted.
C) Constraints on the exercise of power by the executive
D) Leaders exercise power with no meaningful checks from other institutions.
E) Leaders selected from within the established political elite

Question 56

The world is becoming more democratic through

A) the replacement of monarchies with elected governments.
B) increased participation from universal rights to vote and serve in government.
C) the diffusion of democratic governance from democracies in Europe and North America.
D) All of these are reasons the world is becoming more democratic.
E) None of these are reasons the world is becoming more democratic.

Question 57

Landlocked states need to have agreements with another country's seaport to send and receive sea-going goods.Which of the following is not a landlocked state?

A) Chad
B) Niger
C) Angola
D) South Sudan
E) Botswana

Question 58

Redistricting so that the opposition supporters are concentrated in a few districts is known as the ________ form of gerrymandering.

A) stacked vote
B) redistricting
C) dishonest
D) excess vote
E) wasted vote

Question 59

A country that is not fully democratic but also not fully autocratic is described as a(n)

A) dictatorship.
B) anocracy.
C) totalitarian state.
D) socialist group.
E) corptocracy.

Question 60

Angola is an example of a(n)________ state.

A) elongated
B) fragmented
C) landlocked
D) compact
E) prorupted

Question 61

Discuss the development of the modern concept of the state.

Question 62

What would be the global opinion if Puerto Rico decided they no longer wished to be a U.S commonwealth country and the United States took steps to prevent this?

Question 63

The European Union

A) has removed most barriers to trade within its borders.
B) is governed by an elected European Parliament.
C) provides subsidies to its poorest member states.
D) has 27 members.
E) All of these are true.

Question 64

Which of the following is true about the European Union?

A) A country must be a EU member to issue euros.
B) All EU member countries use the euro.
C) The economically weaker countries were forced to implement unpopular policies such as cutting services and raising taxes.
D) The German mark is still in wide use in Europe.
E) The European Parliament is elected by the people in each of the member states in a sequential manner.

Question 65

Which of the following is not true of al-Qaeda?

A) Al-Qaeda has been implicated in several bombings since the attack on the United States in 2001.
B) Al-Qaeda is a single unified organization.
C) Most al-Qaeda cell members have lived in ordinary society, supporting themselves with jobs or crime.
D) Finance, media, legal-religious policy and military committees report to a council called Majiis al shura.
E) Al-Qaeda grew out of the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Question 66

State-sponsored terrorism commonly includes all but

A) providing sanctuary for terrorists.
B) providing supplies to terrorists.
C) prohibiting women from attending school.
D) actively sponsoring terrorist attacks.

Question 67

What geographic elements contributed to the development of the United States and Soviet Union/Russia as superpowers,and what geographic elements contribute to the weakness of these two countries?

Question 68

Which of the following is not true of the Islamic State (ISIS)?

A) Members of ISIS are Sunni Muslims.
B) ISIS primarily operates in Southwest Asia.
C) ISIS controls much of northern Iraq and eastern Syria.
D) ISIS seeks to impose strict religious laws through Southwest Asia.
E) Unlike Al-Qaeda, ISIS does not use religion to justify attacks.

Question 69

What are the major types of physical and cultural boundaries,and what conflicts can occur between states because of the manner in which boundaries are drawn?

Question 70

Compare and contrast the relationship of the United States to its 50 states,and the European Union to its member countries.

Question 71

Why are many countries moving from unitary to federal forms of government?

Question 72

Define gerrymandering and explain how it relates to the geographic concept of place.

Question 73

The European Union has

A) replaced COMECON as the main organization for regional cooperation in Eastern Europe.
B) protected Western Europe from a Soviet invasion.
C) promoted economic growth in Western Europe.
D) closed NATO military bases around the Mediterranean Sea.
E) done all of these.

Question 74

Why did the Soviet Union face difficulty governing a multinational state,and why does Russia face difficulties today?

Question 75

With the end of the Cold War,

A) Russia has become a nation-state.
B) military alliances have become more important in Europe.
C) nationalities have been discouraged from expressing their cultural identities.
D) the European Union has become the world's leading economic superpower.
E) the Organization of American States has disbanded.

Question 76

Acts of terrorism can be difficult to differentiate from acts of war because

A) both use bombs.
B) both may target civilians and appear unjustified.
C) neither is provoked.
D) both target only governments.
E) all use well-organized groups.

Question 77

Compare and contrast the issues of statehood for Korea and Western Sahara.

Question 78

What special problems do landlocked states face?

Question 79

Muammar el-Qaddafi conducted state-supported terrorist attacks,which include all but

A) planting bombs on Pan Am Flight 103.
B) 1986 bombing of a nightclub in Berlin.
C) planted bombs on UTA Flight 772.
D) bombed U.S. Embassy in Libya.
E) brutal attacks on Libyan protestors in 2011.

Question 80

Why can't laws be passed and enforced that simply make all forms of gerrymandering illegal?