Study guide for the final exam - geography 4 - fall 2001

Geography Awareness Week - Dams

• Why are huge dams often seen as symbols of progress and development?
• Why should rivers be understood as more than ribbons of water? What other resources do rivers have to offer?
• What are some of the ecological consequences of building a huge dam? What are possible consequences for the people living around the dam?
• Big development projects generate big benefits and big costs. Where do the benefits accrue and where do the costs?
• Describe some proposed alternatives to big dams. Why are micro-hydro projects often more sustainable and more appropriate technology?

Ch. 10

• Why were early cities so small by our standards today?
• Describe the locational patterns of cities as they relate to their function and economic base.
• What is a gateway city and where were they typically established?
• Which regions of the world are the most urbanized? Which are the least?
• Which regions of the world are experiencing the fastest rate of urbanization? Why?
• What makes an urban area a primate city?
• Why is a city's economic base important for its growth prospects?
• In central place theory, what is the size and spacing of urban areas a function of?

Ch. 11 & Ch. 5 pp. 213-219

• Compare central place theory with the model of urban land-use. Why do both of these urban models assume conditions of an isotropic surface?
• Why do the cores of older Islamic cities have such complex street patterns? Compare them to those of American cities.
• Describe the characteristics of the 1) central business district (CBD) and the 2) zone of transition.
• Explain what is an isochron and how is it used to explain the process of sprawl?
• Many major cities have experienced a fiscal squeeze. Why are central city areas unable to generate sufficient tax revenue?
• Distinguish between suburbanization and gentrification. How has each process changed the cultural geography of the city?
• What are the two main causes of segregation? What is the difference between an enclave and a ghetto?
• Explain the historical geography of the San Francisco gay and lesbian community. Why San Francisco, and why the Castro?
• Describe why edge cities formed, and their effect on the original core and surrounding hinterland.

Ch. 12

• On what information are geographers predicting future trends? What aspects of the future are the least predictable?
• What caused the current debt crisis? What are the long-term prospects for for highly indebted countries?
• Describe the technologies and innovations of the next economic cycle.
• How can we design cities to be more sustainable with regards to the environment?
• Is carrying capacity meaningful at the national scale?
• What is the World Trade Organization and how is it changing the role of national and local governments?