AP Human Geography : Political Organization of Space

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #7 : War & Terrorism

The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan following the failed invasion by __________.

Possible Answers:

The Soviet Union

The United States of America

The United Kingdom

China

Iraq

Correct answer:

The Soviet Union

Explanation:

The Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan following the failed invasion of the Soviet Union during the 1980s. During the war the United States provided weapons and supplies to the Afghan resistance fighters known as the “Mujahideen.” These weapons have been used against the American army in recent American occupations of Afghanistan. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has had far reaching consequences including contributing to the breakup of Soviet Union, the rise of the Taliban, and the continued destabilization of the region.

Example Question #111 : Political Organization Of Space

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a region that exists between which two countries?

Possible Answers:

China and Tibet

Germany and France

Pakistan and India

North Korea and South Korea

Russia and Afghanistan

Correct answer:

North Korea and South Korea

Explanation:

All of these countries have either hostile relations currently or they have had hostile relations recently. Relations between North and South Korea, however, are particularly extreme. Despite having not been at war since the 1950s the countries are still technically in an “armistice” which loosely means temporary peace. The Demilitarized Zone is a sort of unnatural buffer zone forced into existence to try and prevent the outbreak of further hostilities. It lies between the territory of North and South Korea.

Example Question #271 : Ap Human Geography

The Boer War of 1899-1902 was primarily waged over __________.

Possible Answers:

None of these answers is correct.

access to and control of precious metals and resources

access to petroleum deposits in the South African interior

British attempts to Christianize the population of Southern Africa

disagreements between the British and the Germans over trading rights with South Africa and Tanzania

Correct answer:

access to and control of precious metals and resources

Explanation:

The Boer people were settlers who arrived in what is now called South Africa in the seventeenth century. Following the arrival of the British in the nineteenth century the Boers migrated north to avoid direct control by the British government; however shortly thereafter gold and diamonds were discovered in unprecedented quantities in the territory of the Boer Republic. This led to a brutal war of suppression being waged by the British army against the Boer Republic that ended with the Cape Colony and the Boer Republic being combined into the Union of South Africa -under British control.

Example Question #11 : War & Terrorism

The Franco-Prussian War, and to a slightly lesser degree, World War I were both caused by hostility and territorial disagreement between which two nations?

Possible Answers:

Austria and Germany

Austria and Italy

France and Italy

France and Spain

France and Germany

Correct answer:

France and Germany

Explanation:

The biggest clue here is the name “Franco-Prussian.” “Franco” means relating to France, of France and “Prussia” was the largest German state of the nineteenth century (before German unification in 1871). Both the Franco-Prussian War, fought in 1870-1, and World War I, fought between 1914-1918 were caused or partially caused by territorial animosity and disputes between France and Germany.

Example Question #281 : Ap Human Geography

There are many conflicts in the world today caused by ethnic competition. Many wars and acts of terrorism are labeled as an "Ethnic Cleansing" or a "Genocide". Sometimes these two terms are mistaken to mean the same thing although they are not always the same. 

How is a "Genocide" is different from an "Ethnic Cleansing"?

Possible Answers:

An "Ethnic Cleansing" refers to a war caused only by a racial bias while a "Genocide" can be in reference to any act of violence due to any genre of biases. 

A "Genocide" must number more than 1 million deaths but an "Ethnic Cleansing" does not have to reach any particular death toll quota. 

None of these correctly differentiates between "Ethnic Cleansing" and "Genocide."

An "Ethnic Cleansing" can be used in reference to the Holocaust of WWII as the Jewish ethnicity was attacked, but the term "Genocide" can not be applied to this historic event because it does not specify the ethnic conflict.  

A "Genocide" can include mass killings for reasons other than ethnicity while an "Ethnic Cleansing" is a mass killing solely based on ethnic conflict. 

Correct answer:

A "Genocide" can include mass killings for reasons other than ethnicity while an "Ethnic Cleansing" is a mass killing solely based on ethnic conflict. 

Explanation:

Both terms refer to an event in which there was a mass killing and both can be in relation to an ethnic conflict. However, the term "Ethnic Cleansing" is more specific than the term "Genocide".  An "Ethnic Cleansing" is when a people group commits mass expulsion or mass killing of a particular ethnic group whom they do not want to exist either in a particular region or in the world as a whole.  A "Genocide" can be an "Ethnic Cleansing" but it can also be a mass killing for reasons other than ethnicity. A "Genocide" can refer to a people group committing a mass killing of people within their same ethnicity which is not considered ethnic conflict but a different type of conflict such as religious conflict or perhaps economic conflict.  

Here is an explanation how each of the incorrect answers are incorrect: 

1.) There is no statistic that makes the difference between labeling a mass killing event as a "Genocide" or "Ethnic Cleansing". Both have a high death toll. 

2.) Ethnicity and Race are not interchangeable terms. Ethnicity is someone's ethnic background, i.e. where their ethnic heritage is from. We often group that with a nationality, although that is also a slightly different term.  Race, on the other hand, means the color of your skin. You may have the same color of skin as someone from a different ethnic background, or you can have a different color of skin as someone from the same ethnic background.  

3.) Both terms, "Ethnic Cleansing" and "Genocide" can be used to explain the Holocaust of WWII. It can be classified with the more general term of "Genocide" as it was a mass killing. Because about 6 million Jews were killed with the purpose of removing them from a particular region, if not the world as a whole, it can also be more specifically classified as an "Ethnic Cleansing."

Example Question #282 : Ap Human Geography

Often conflict is brought about by rulers who try to abuse their power. This can happen regardless of whether a ruler was elected, born into royalty, or forcibly took their position. This often happens when an Autocratic government is controling a nation. 

What is an Autocratic Government? 

Possible Answers:

A government run by a prime minister who is elected by the people.

A government run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people. 

A government run according to the interests of the ruling class rather than the monarch. 

A government run by a parliament with a ruler who inherited the position through birth. 

A government run by one King who was elected by their constituents. 

Correct answer:

A government run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people. 

Explanation:

Autocracies often face political strife due to being run according to the interests of the ruler rather than hearing and fulfilling the needs and desires of the people.  Whether the ruler inherits or is elected into their office, they rule in a way that does not cater to the needs of their people. 

Here is the explanation for why the incorrect answers are incorrect: 

1.) A King is not elected, they inherit the throne. 

2.) A government with a Parliament has a process of election in which the Parliament is elected to bring the people's needs and concerns to the governemnt and take them into account. 

3.) While a ruling class may have more influence in how a government runs a country, an autocracy does not necessarily favor the ruling class as a whole and sometimes even goes against the interests of that class. 

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors