BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Geography 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which map projection preserves the correct shapes of small areas but distorts size at higher latitudes?
- Mercator projection (Correct answer)
- Peters projection
- Albers equal-area projection
- Azimuthal equidistant projection
Correct answer: Mercator projection
The Mercator projection is conformal, preserving local shapes, but greatly exaggerates the size of landmasses near the poles.
Question 2: What does the term 'aridification' describe in physical geography?
- Increasing salinity of coastal waters
- The process by which a region becomes progressively drier (Correct answer)
- Expansion of wetland ecosystems
- Formation of river deltas
Correct answer: The process by which a region becomes progressively drier
Aridification is the long-term process through which a region's climate becomes increasingly dry, reducing water availability.
Question 3: Which economic theory suggests that industries locate to minimize transportation and production costs?
- Central place theory
- Dependency theory
- Least cost theory (Weber's model) (Correct answer)
- World-systems theory
Correct answer: Least cost theory (Weber's model)
Alfred Weber's least cost theory of industrial location argues that industries will locate where transportation, labor, and agglomeration costs are minimized.
Question 4: A 'rain shadow' effect occurs when:
- Cyclonic storms deposit rain on coastal plains
- The leeward side of a mountain range receives significantly less precipitation (Correct answer)
- Urban heat islands increase local rainfall
- Trade winds bring moisture inland
Correct answer: The leeward side of a mountain range receives significantly less precipitation
The rain shadow effect describes how the leeward side of mountains receives little precipitation because air loses moisture as it rises and cools on the windward side.
Question 5: Which concept in political geography refers to a state's exclusive right to control its territory without external interference?
- Geopolitics
- Sovereignty (Correct answer)
- Irredentism
- Subnationalism
Correct answer: Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the principle that a state has supreme authority over its territorial boundaries and internal affairs.
Question 6: What does 'ecological footprint' measure?
- Carbon emissions from factories
- The area of biologically productive land and water needed to sustain a population's resource consumption and waste (Correct answer)
- Biodiversity loss in a region
- Urban green space per capita
Correct answer: The area of biologically productive land and water needed to sustain a population's resource consumption and waste
The ecological footprint quantifies how much biologically productive land and sea is required to support human consumption patterns and absorb waste.
Question 7: In Wallerstein's world-systems theory, 'semi-peripheral' countries are characterized by:
- Extreme poverty and raw material export only
- A mix of core and peripheral economic activities (Correct answer)
- Full industrialization and global financial dominance
- Isolation from the global economy
Correct answer: A mix of core and peripheral economic activities
Semi-peripheral countries occupy a middle position, combining some manufacturing and service industries with continued export of lower-value goods to core countries.
BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Geography 3
Which map projection preserves the correct shapes of small areas but distorts size at higher latitudes?