AP AP Resource Geography & Energy Systems 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time, such as solar energy, wind, and timber?
- Nonrenewable resources
- Renewable resources (Correct answer)
- Flow resources
- Recyclable resources
Correct answer: Renewable resources
Renewable resources are natural resources that can be regenerated through natural processes within a human timescale, making them sustainable with proper management.
Question 2: The 'resource curse' or 'paradox of plenty' describes a situation where:
- Countries with abundant resources always develop faster
- Countries with abundant natural resources tend to have less economic growth and worse development outcomes than resource-poor countries (Correct answer)
- Resource-rich countries attract more foreign investment
- Abundant resources always lead to political stability
Correct answer: Countries with abundant natural resources tend to have less economic growth and worse development outcomes than resource-poor countries
The resource curse suggests that countries with abundant natural resources, especially oil and minerals, often experience slower economic growth, less democracy, and more conflict than resource-poor nations.
Question 3: Which concept describes the minimum amount of a natural resource that can be sustainably harvested without reducing its future availability?
- Critical zone
- Maximum sustainable yield (Correct answer)
- Carrying capacity
- Resource threshold
Correct answer: Maximum sustainable yield
Maximum sustainable yield is the largest long-term average catch or harvest of a resource that can be maintained over time without depleting the resource.
Question 4: In which region does the United States obtain the majority of its imported petroleum?
- Middle East
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Western Hemisphere (Canada, Mexico, South America) (Correct answer)
- Southeast Asia
Correct answer: Western Hemisphere (Canada, Mexico, South America)
The U.S. imports most of its petroleum from Western Hemisphere nations, particularly Canada, which is its largest single supplier, reducing dependence on Middle Eastern sources.
Question 5: The 'hydraulic fracturing' (fracking) revolution in the United States primarily changed the geography of:
- Coal mining in Appalachia
- Natural gas and oil production, unlocking shale reserves in new regions (Correct answer)
- Nuclear power plant locations
- Offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
Correct answer: Natural gas and oil production, unlocking shale reserves in new regions
Hydraulic fracturing enabled the extraction of oil and natural gas from previously inaccessible shale formations, transforming states like North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas into major energy producers.
Question 6: Which term describes the increasing global interconnection of energy production and consumption, where energy crises in one region affect prices and supply worldwide?
- Energy colonialism
- Energy interdependence (Correct answer)
- Peak oil theory
- Energy autarky
Correct answer: Energy interdependence
Energy interdependence describes how nations are economically linked through global energy markets, so that supply disruptions or price changes in one area ripple through the entire global economy.
AP AP Resource Geography & Energy Systems 1
Which term describes natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time, such as solar energy, wind, and timber?