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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When did the nation-state emerge in Europe?
(a) Between 1650 and 1850.
(b) Between 1850 and 1950.
(c) Between 1450 and 1550.
(d) Between 1250 and 1450.

2. What profession does de Blij say should include training in cartography?
(a) Teaching.
(b) Politics.
(c) Art.
(d) Law.

3. How did the volcano explosion in Sumatra affect life on Earth?
(a) It caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
(b) It was connected with the beginning of the evolution of modern humans.
(c) It caused an evolutionary bottleneck in which much genetic diversity was lost.
(d) It caused an incredible explosion of genetic diversity, producing many new species.

4. How many mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history?
(a) None.
(b) One.
(c) Three.
(d) Hundreds.

5. Which of the following countries does de Blij think will play an important role in the new world order?
(a) France.
(b) India.
(c) Somalia.
(d) Great Britain.

6. In addition to population, what else does de Blij say will increase in the next century?
(a) Infant mortality rates.
(b) Education levels.
(c) Tax rates.
(d) The proportion of young people compared to old people.

7. Why did the volcano explosion in Sumatra affect Earth's climate?
(a) It heated Earth's atmosphere.
(b) It shifted one of the plates in Earth's crust.
(c) It caused a tsunami.
(d) It sent millions of tons of ash and debris into the atmosphere.

8. Which of the following countries was never colonized by Europe?
(a) Kenya.
(b) South Africa.
(c) Ethiopia.
(d) Egypt.

9. Why does de Blij feel that Americans have an obligation to be well informed?
(a) Because it is important to be a good citizen.
(b) Because the decisions made by Americans affect the entire planet.
(c) Because Americans have economic ties to many other countries.
(d) Because part of being well educated is understanding geography.

10. Which of the following empires thrived during the Medieval Optimum?
(a) The Roman and Han Empires.
(b) The Russian and French Empires.
(c) The Aztec and Mayan Empires.
(d) The Empire of Alexander the Great.

11. Why is the population growing so fast in sub-Saharan Africa?
(a) Religious leaders in those areas encourage families to have more children.
(b) There are no problems with famine or lack of medical care there.
(c) There is plenty of land on which to build more homes for larger families.
(d) Having more children gives a family higher status in certain cultures.

12. When were the boundaries of nation-states in Africa drawn?
(a) When Europe colonized Africa.
(b) When World War II ended.
(c) When African countries became independent.
(d) When developed countries began sending foreign aid to Africa.

13. What did scientists think was happening to the climate in the 1950s, when de Blij was in graduate school?
(a) Global upheaval.
(b) Global warming.
(c) No change in climate.
(d) Global cooling.

14. What kind of location must be given in degrees, minutes, and seconds of longitude and latitude?
(a) Absolute location.
(b) Relative location.
(c) Prime meridian location.
(d) USGS location.

15. What does de Blij say that the Snowball Earth theory explains?
(a) It explains how Earth's oceans formed.
(b) It explains Earth's first deep freeze.
(c) It explains the extinction of the dinosaurs.
(d) It explains why glaciers form during Ice Ages.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why has the United States been so slow to convert maps to the metric system?

2. What is the name of the interglacial that we are currently in?

3. What population problem is facing European countries?

4. What reason did Iraq give for invading Kuwait just before the first Gulf War?

5. Why did life expectancy in Botswana fall from 60 to 39 between 1994 and 2004?

(see the answer keys)

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