EXAM REVIEW

Page 1: Exam Overview and Geographer’s Skills

  • Exam Details

    • Date: Jan. ____

    • Length: 90 minutes

    • Instructor: Mr. Stewart

    • Start Time: 8:20 AM

Unit 1 – Geographer’s Skills

  • Definition of Geography

    • Study of changes over space and time on the Earth’s surface.

  • Major Branches of Geography

    • Physical Geography:

      • Focuses on the environment and natural phenomena (e.g., weather patterns, mountains, oceans).

    • Human Geography:

      • Studies people and their relationships (e.g., cities, transportation, population, diseases).

  • Interrelationships

    • Occur when one factor impacts another in identifiable ways:

      • Natural-Natural

      • Natural-Human

      • Human-Natural

      • Human-Human

  • Patterns and Trends

    • Patterns: Distribution of data across space (e.g., dispersed, concentrated, linear).

    • Trends: Changes in data over time, commonly shown in graphs (e.g., increasing, decreasing).

  • S.E.E.P Framework

    • Common perspectives in geography:

      • Social: Impact on human populations (individuals, organizations).

      • Environmental: Effects on the natural world (wildlife, climate).

      • Economic: Financial impacts (costs, job creation).

      • Political: Government-related issues (laws, taxes).

  • Spatial Significance

    • Understand both absolute (exact location) and relative location (location in relation to other known places).

Reasoning & Stakeholders

  • Issue Analysis:

    • Understanding why an event/system exists and who stakeholders are—influence and responsibility towards the issue.

  • Importance of Place Understanding:

    • Example: Fossil fuel burns impacting human health.

Page 2: Canadian Geography and Vegetation/Landscape

  • Vegetation/Landscape Features

    • Characteristics:

      • Lush rainforests, high precipitation, dense forests

      • Mountains with bare rock and snow at higher elevations

  • Geological Formation

    • Formed over 85-50 million years due to Pacific Plate merging with North American Plate, pushing sedimentary rock into the sky.

  • Canada's Provinces and Territories

    • Provinces, Capitals, Landforms:

      • Ontario - Toronto: Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Lowlands, Canadian Shield

      • Quebec - Quebec City: Canadian Shield, St. Lawrence Lowlands

      • Manitoba - Winnipeg: Interior Plains, Canadian Shield

      • Saskatchewan - Regina: Interior Plains, Canadian Shield

      • Alberta - Edmonton: Cordillera, Interior Plains

      • British Columbia - Victoria: Cordillera

      • Yukon - Whitehorse: Cordillera

      • Northwest Territories - Yellowknife: Canadian Shield, Western Cordillera

      • Nunavut - Iqaluit: Canadian Shield, Arctic Lands

      • Nova Scotia - Halifax: Appalachian Region

      • Newfoundland and Labrador - St. John's: Appalachian Region

      • Prince Edward Island - Charlottetown: Appalachian Region

      • New Brunswick - Fredericton: Appalachian Region

  • Key Compass Points

    • Longitude & Latitude:

      • Longitude: North-South lines determining East/West from Prime Meridian.

      • Latitude: East-West lines determining North/South from the Equator.

Unit 2 – Physical Geography

  • Canada's Landforms and Characteristics:

    • Western Cordillera:

      • Location: Most of BC and Yukon; young, rugged mountains, common in fishing and mining.

    • Interior Plains:

      • Location: Part of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba; characterized by flat land and fertile soil supporting agriculture.