Deck 3: North America

Question 1

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the 2050 population of North America will be

A)265 million.
B)395 million.
C)464 million.
D)500 million.
E)almost 1 billion.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following factors greatly complicates the climate and vegetation patterns of Western North America?

A)latitudinal range
B)the topography of mountains
C)size
D)rivers
E)deserts

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Mexican environmental action group that joined with groups from the United States to form a Green Coalition to reestablish the Colorado River delta was?

A)the Sonoran Institute
B)Defenders of Wildlife
C)the Environmental Defense Fund
D)the Central Arizona Project
E)Pronatura

Answer 3

E

Question 4

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City did the city first develop a star-shaped pattern?

A)Pedestrian/Horsecar era
B)Electric Streetcar era
C)Automobile era
D)Freeway era
E)Internet era

Question 5

The Athabasca Oil Sands, controversial because of planned long-distance pipelines near environmentally sensitive areas, are located in

A)Alberta.
B)Oklahoma.
C)Texas.
D)British Columbia.
E)Saskatchewan.

Question 6

Which North American region is complex, and is made up of drowned river valleys, bays, swamps, and low barrier islands?

A)the West
B)the Piedmont
C)the Appalachian Highlands
D)the Atlantic coastline
E)the Gulf Coast

Question 7

Currently, how many people live in the North American Region?

A)265 million
B)295 million
C)345 million
D)500 million
E)1 billion

Question 8

What do we call the bioregion that is dominated by tall native grasslands, short grasses, or scrub vegetation in North America?

A)boreal forest
B)desert
C)prairie
D)tundra
E)farmland

Question 9

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)Canada is slightly smaller in land area than the United States, and its population is only about 10% that of the United States.
B)Canada is slightly smaller in land area than the United States, and its population is only about 20% that of the United States.
C)Canada is slightly larger in land area than the United States, but its population is only about 20% that of the United States.
D)Canada is slightly larger in land area than the United States, but its population is only about 11% that of the United States.
E)The United States and Canada have almost exactly the same land area, but the population of the United States is double that of Canada.

Question 10

What type of pollution is the greatest cause of acid rain?

A)industrial and auto emissions
B)agricultural pollutants
C)municipal waste
D)the generation of hydroelectric power
E)El Niño

Question 11

Which North American region features mountain-building, alpine glaciation, and erosion?

A)the Atlantic coastline
B)the Piedmont
C)the West
D)the Appalachian Highlands
E)the Gulf Coast

Question 12

Beneath which part of the United States is its largest aquifer, the Ogallala Aquifer, located?

A)the Pacific Northwest
B)New England
C)the Gulf Coast
D)the West Coast
E)the Great Plains

Question 13

As a consequence of climate change cruise ships will be able to use the Northwest Passage to connect

A)San Francisco and Miami, Florida.
B)New York City and Anchorage, Alaska.
C)Toronto to the province of Nunavat.
D)the United States to Russia.
E)the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay.

Question 14

What region of the United States contains the country's densest population settlement?

A)the Midwest
B)the Atlantic Coast
C)the Pacific Coast
D)the Sunbelt
E)the Great Plains

Question 15

Which North American region lies west and north of the Piedmont and is an internally complex zone of higher and rougher country reaching altitudes of 3,000-6,000 feet?

A)the Appalachian Highlands
B)the West
C)the Atlantic coastline
D)the Ozark Mountains
E)the Gulf Coast

Question 16

Which North American region is the transition zone between nearby flat lowlands and steep mountain slopes?

A)the West
B)the Atlantic coastline
C)the Appalachian Highlands
D)the Gulf Coast
E)the Piedmont

Question 17

The settlement of North America by Europeans took place in how many stages?

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four
E)five

Question 18

In what region of the United States is the Piedmont located?

A)New England
B)the Southeast
C)the Midwest
D)the Intermountain West
E)the Pacific Northwest

Question 19

Megalopolis includes all of the following metropolitan areas EXCEPT

A)Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
B)Chicago.
C)Philadelphia.
D)New York City.
E)Boston.

Question 20

Which of these dams on the Colorado River that have decreased seasonal water flows is the closest to the U.S./Mexico border?

A)Glen Canyon Dam
B)Hoover Dam
C)Parker Dam
D)Imperial Diversion Dam
E)Morelos Dam

Question 21

Using the graphic below, what is the primary difference between the populations of Iowa and Texas?

A)The population of Iowa is older.
B)Texas has a much lower birth rate.
C)The influx of immigrants into Iowa is making the population younger.
D)Texas has a higher percentage of both older males and females.
E)There is no difference: the populations of the two states are nearly identical.

Question 22

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City did suburban growth begin?

A)Pedestrian/Horsecar era
B)Electric Streetcar era
C)Automobile era
D)Freeway era
E)Internet era

Question 23

Which of the following statements best describes North America's population settlement pattern?

A)Settlement is evenly distributed across the region.
B)Settlement follows waterways and inland lakes.
C)Settlement is strongly centered on large cities with more thinly settled areas in between.
D)Settlement is heavier in the western half of the region.
E)Settlement is heavier in the southern half of the United States and Canada than in the north.

Question 24

During what period of time has the Sunbelt region of the United States grown most quickly?

A)1970-present
B)1950-1970
C)1930-1950
D)1910-1930
E)1890-1910

Question 25

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Colorado River.
B)By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Rocky Mountains.
C)In 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Great Plains.
D)By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Mississippi River.
E)By 1990, more than half of the population of the United States lived west of the Grand Canyon.

Question 26

The regular rectangular look of vast portions of the North American interior is the result of

A)urban sprawl.
B)the creation of Central Business Districts.
C)new edge cities.
D)the township-and-range survey system.
E)urban decentralization.

Question 27

Settlement landscapes of North American cities are characterized by ________, in which metropolitan areas sprawl in all directions and suburbs take on many of the characteristics of traditional downtowns.

A)hierarchical diffusion
B)centripetal forces
C)gentrification
D)counterurbanization
E)urban decentralization

Question 28

This is the process involving the displacement of lower-income residents of central-city neighborhoods by higher-income residents, the improvement of deteriorated innercity landscapes, and the construction of shopping complexes, sports and entertainment attractions, and convention centers in selected downtown locations.

A)hierarchical diffusion
B)centripetal forces
C)gentrification
D)counterurbanization
E)urban decentralization

Question 29

The mechanization of farming has resulted in what recent migration trend?

A)westward movement of the population
B)the black exodus from the South
C)the growth of the Sun Belt South
D)rural-to-urban migration
E)nonmetropolitan growth

Question 30

What part of North America was settled last?

A)the St. Lawrence Valley
B)the San Francisco, California region
C)the Gulf Coast of the United States
D)the Plains provinces of Canada
E)the Upper Rio Grande Valley

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a reason why U.S. citizens have migrated to the Sunbelt South?

A)government incentives
B)expanding economy
C)modest living costs
D)attractive recreational opportunities
E)adoption of air conditioning

Question 32

Cultural geographers estimate Native American populations in 1500 c.e. at ________ for the continental United States and another 1.2 million for Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Greenland.

A)2)8 million
B)3)2 million
C)4)2 million
D)5)5 million
E)8 million

Question 33

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City were cities compact, usually about 3-4 miles in diameter?

A)Electric Streetcar era
B)Pedestrian/Horsecar era
C)Automobile era
D)Freeway era
E)Internet era

Question 34

During which era of the Historical Evolution of the U.S. City did more decentralized settlement along commuter routes develop, in some cases as far away as 40-60 miles from downtown?

A)Pedestrian/Horsecar era
B)Electric Streetcar era
C)Automobile era
D)Freeway era
E)Internet era

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of urban sprawl?

A)population losses to inner cities
B)higher poverty rates in the inner cities
C)the relocation of industry to the inner cities
D)higher unemployment rates in the inner cities
E)increased racial tensions

Question 36

What do we call the situation wherein metropolitan areas sprawl in all directions and suburbs take on many of the characteristics of traditional downtowns?

A)counterurbanization
B)concentric zones model
C)urban realms model
D)edge cities
E)urban decentralization

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of gentrification?

A)the displacement of lower income residents by upper income residents
B)the rehabilitation of deteriorated inner-city landscapes
C)white flight to the suburbs
D)the construction of new shopping complexes
E)attraction of home-buyers to older, classic homes

Question 38

Which of the following statements regarding ethnic populations in the United States is LEAST accurate?

A)California has both the largest Hispanic population and the largest Asian population.
B)Nearly 60% of Canadian immigrants are Asian.
C)By 2050 nearly one in three Americans will be Hispanic.
D)The largest Asian ethnic group in the United States is the Chinese.
E)California has the largest Hispanic population, while New York has the largest Asian population.

Question 39

Today in North America, many of the key internationally connected corporate offices, industrial complexes, and entertainment facilities are located

A)in center cities.
B)in rural areas.
C)offshore.
D)in suburbs.
E)in primate cities.

Question 40

Which of the following cities grew by about 26% between 2000 and 2010?

A)Los Angeles
B)Seattle
C)Minneapolis
D)Houston
E)Chicago

Question 41

What percentage of today's Toronto population is foreign-born?

A)10
B)22
C)35
D)40
E)44

Question 42

Between 1820 and 1870, the majority of immigrants to the United States came from what world region?

A)Asia
B)Latin America
C)Southern and Eastern Europe
D)Africa
E)Northern and Western Europe

Question 43

The projected increase of the Hispanic population in the United States over the next 25 years will most likely be fueled by

A)increased immigration from Mexico.
B)consistent immigration from Cuba.
C)internal migration within the United States.
D)births to Hispanics already living in the United States.
E)all of the above.

Question 44

Lutherans are clustered in what part of the United States?

A)mostly in Utah and Idaho
B)the Deep South
C)the West and Southwest
D)mostly in Minnesota and the Dakotas
E)in the coal mining regions of West Virginia and Pennsylvania

Question 45

How have Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs reshaped the city of Toronto?

A)They have been able access both local and global sources of capital.
B)They tend to be younger than other Chinese immigrants.
C)They have decentralized their businesses and homes into Toronto suburbs.
D)They tend to be better educated than other Chinese immigrants.
E)All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 46

What cultural homeland is home to the Inuit?

A)Acadiana, in the southern United States.
B)Newfoundland, in eastern Canada
C)Hawaii, the United States's 50th state
D)the Navaho Reservation in the Southwest United States.
E)Nunavut, a self-governing territory in Canada

Question 47

Today, approximately how many undocumented immigrants live in the United States?

A)1-2 million
B)4-5 million
C)8-9 million
D)11-12 million
E)15-17 million

Question 48

This is the process in which immigrants were absorbed by the larger host society.

A)cultural assimilation
B)decentralization
C)gentrification
D)multiculturalism
E)mainstreaming

Question 49

During which period did the largest number of immigrants to the United States come from Southern and Eastern Europe?

A)1800-1820
B)1820-1870
C)1870-1920
D)1920-1980
E)1970-present

Question 50

What economic activity brings in much-needed income to Native Americans while challenging their traditional lifeways?

A)automobile assembly plants
B)gambling casinos
C)storage of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants
D)sweatshops
E)all of the above

Question 51

Almost half of U.S. Hispanics live in this state.

A)California
B)Texas
C)Arizona
D)New Mexico
E)Nevada

Question 52

What Canadian province has a majority of French-Canadian citizens?

A)British Columbia
B)Ontario
C)Quebec
D)Saskatchewan
E)Alberta

Question 53

In which of the places would one find a concentrated Cajun culture?

A)California
B)Texas
C)Louisiana
D)Alabama
E)Kentucky

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a Canadian province?

A)Nova Scotia
B)Manitoba
C)British Columbia
D)Quebec
E)Prince Charles Island

Question 55

What do we call new suburbs that include retailing, industry, office, and entertainment activities, but are less connected to the central city, and more connected to other suburban centers?

A)urban decentralization
B)counterurbanization
C)concentric zones model
D)urban realms model
E)edge cities

Question 56

An estimated ________ Mexican-born residents (more than 10% of Mexico's population)now live in the United States.

A)2 million
B)5 million
C)8 million
D)12 million
E)16 million

Question 57

What is the "cultural glue" that holds Quebec together?

A)private schools
B)the French language
C)prohibitions against international immigration to Quebec
D)religion
E)the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Question 58

Hedo Turkoglu, Manu Ginobili and Pau Gasol are all examples of the globalization of what American cultural product?

A)music
B)television
C)NBA Basketball
D)fashion
E)Disney goods

Question 59

Which term refers to the situation in which a group of people with a common background and history identify with one another?

A)culture
B)race
C)ethnicity
D)cultural assimilation
E)cultural nationalism

Question 60

Today what percentage of the North American population is urban?

A)90
B)80
C)70
D)60
E)50

Question 61

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Canada has a unitary system of government.
B)Ontarians have voted two times in the last two decades to secede from Canada.
C)Ontario is the Canadian province with the strongest separatist movement.
D)Quebec is predominantly English speaking.
E)The political status of Quebec remains a major issue in Canada.

Question 62

What is the most abundant fossil fuel in the Unites States?

A)natural gas
B)oil
C)kerosene
D)coal
E)petroleum

Question 63

Discuss the differences between the United States and Canada in their respective approaches to native peoples and national politics. Be certain to discuss such issues as gaming and the role of the governments in settling land claims.

Question 64

Using the graphic below, discuss the spatial settings of North American economic activities. Indicate why specific activities are located where they are in the United States and Canada.

Question 65

Using examples, please explain how natural hazards in North America have been magnified by the economic affluence of the region's population.

Question 66

Not everyone shares equally in the economic bounty of North America. Discuss economic disparities among ethnic groups and between men and women.

Question 67

Briefly discuss the historical evolution of the city in the United States. In addition to your essay, please also include a diagram illustrating the spatial expansion of the city through time.

Question 68

Compare and contrast the paths taken by the United States and Canada in the creation of those states, away from absolute administrative control by the British.

Question 69

Write an essay in which you first discuss the three main stages of settlement of North America and then discuss the migration patterns within the United States.

Question 70

What is the major trend in agriculture in North America in recent years?

A)There are fewer farms, but they are larger in size.
B)There are more farms, and they are larger in size.
C)There are fewer farms, and they are smaller in size.
D)There are more farms, but they are larger in size.
E)There has been no change.

Question 71

Briefly discuss the increasing population trend in the American and Canadian West. In your discussion please include the major pull factors to the region, specific examples of locations where individuals are moving, and the problems associated with this regional movement.

Question 72

What countries are members of the North American Free Trade Agreement?

A)Canada, Mexico, and the United States
B)Canada and Mexico
C)Mexico and the United States
D)United States and Canada
E)Canada, Mexico, United States, and Greenland

Question 73

Explain the process of gentrification. What are the positive outcomes? What are the negative outcomes?

Question 74

What employment sector is identified with information processing?

A)primary
B)secondary
C)tertiary
D)quaternary
E)quintenary

Question 75

What employment sector is identified with services?

A)primary
B)secondary
C)tertiary
D)quaternary
E)quintenary

Question 76

Discuss how changes in transportation technologies contributed to the growth of the city in the United States. In addition to your essay, please include a diagram illustrating how the city expanded via these technologies.

Question 77

What employment sector is identified with natural resource extraction, including mining and agriculture?

A)primary
B)secondary
C)tertiary
D)quaternary
E)quintenary

Question 78

What waterway opened up the Great Lakes to improved global trade connections?

A)St. Lawrence Seaway
B)Mississippi River
C)Rio Grande
D)Colorado River
E)Columbia River