Mid-Term Exam Review Notes

Second Mid-Term Review

  • Date: Wednesday/Thursday, November 29th/30th
  • Format: 50 multiple-choice questions focusing on application of terms and concepts, particularly from the Political Unit.

Unit Three: Culture Geography

  • General Culture Concepts:

    • Mentifact: Values and beliefs, including language and religion.
    • Artifact: Physical objects created by a culture, e.g., tools, buildings.
    • Sociofact: Social structures and organizations in society.
    • Culture (Definition): A set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices.
    • Assimilation: Process where a minority group adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.
    • Acculturation: Modification of the culture of a group due to contact with another culture.

  • Language:

    • Largest Language Family: Indo-European.
    • English Language:
    • Language family: West Germanic
    • Global distribution of English.
    • Most Spoken Language (Native Speakers): Mandarin Chinese.
    • Lingua Franca: A language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different. Recognize examples on a map.
    • Belgium Case Study:
    • Languages Spoken: Dutch, French, German.

  • Religion:

    • Universalizing Religion: Seeks to appeal to all people (e.g., Christianity, Islam).
    • Ethnic Religion: Appeals primarily to a specific group (e.g., Hinduism, Judaism).
    • Locations: Study major world religions on a map.
    • Largest Religion: Christianity.
    • Religious Case Studies:
    • Northern Ireland Conflict: Involves Protestant and Catholic groups.
    • Jerusalem: Coexists as a sacred city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

  • Ethnicity:

    • Definitions of Ethnicity & Race: Ethnicity refers to cultural factors, race refers to physical characteristics.
    • Nation-State: A sovereign state whose citizens share a common language or culture.
    • Balkanization: Fragmentation into smaller, often hostile units; apply with specific examples (e.g., former Yugoslavia).

Unit 4: Political Geography

  • Key Terms:

    • State: A political unit with defined territory and government.
    • State vs. Nation:
    • State: political entity (e.g., France).
    • Nation: a group of people with common cultural identity (e.g., Kurdish people).
    • Multinational States: Countries with multiple national groups (e.g., Canada).
    • Irredentism: Political movement to reclaim territory lost (e.g., Russia regarding Crimea).
    • Multistate Nation: A nation that spreads across states (e.g., the Kurds).
    • Stateless Nations: A nation without a state (e.g., Palestinians).
    • Enclave/Exclave:
    • Enclave: A territory entirely surrounded by another state.
    • Exclave: A portion of territory separated from the main state and surrounded by foreign territory.
    • Centripetal/Centrifugal Forces:
    • Centripetal: Forces that unite a country (e.g., shared culture).
    • Centrifugal: Forces that divide a country (e.g., ethnic conflicts).

  • Berlin Conference:

    • European powers divided Africa without consideration of indigenous cultures.

  • Supranational Organizations:

    • Examples include the United Nations, European Union, NATO.

Political Case Studies

  • Russia-Ukraine:

    • Root Causes: Historical ties, political control, cultural affiliations.
    • Map Location: Be able to locate Ukraine on a map.

  • Israel-Hamas/Palestine:

    • Groups Involved: Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.
    • Map of the Region: Familiarity with the Occupied Territories.

  • Hotel Rwanda:

    • Ethnic Groups Involved: Hutu and Tutsi.
    • Source of Conflict: Historical tensions, colonial legacies, competition for resources.