Chapter 22 Homework

Chapter 22, Section 1

1. What are three of the problems cash-crop production has created for the economies of

the countries of the region?

Answer:  One problem is the complete reliance on one or two crops.  A disease or drought killing those crops could demolish the countries' economies.  Another problem is land and lack of fair distribution.  Farmers that produce essential foods do not have enough room to grow enough crops and support the country.  The cash crop farms are using up everything.  Another problem is the fights that spring up between the farmers and the cash-crop plantation owners over land and how much each should get.

2. What are three ways that transportation and communications in the region are changing?

Answer:

Transportation is slowly moving into roads and railroads.  Some countries consider the construction, maintenance, and workers on railroads to be number one priority.  Because of this, more people from various countries have been able to meet.  New satellite technology improves the reach of television to broadcast global news.  Telephone service is also been closely looked at, many countries trying to establish phone lines in more rural areas so people can communicate with one another.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph about the possible reasons that countries in the region have taken on enormous debt that they have been unable to repay. Consider the economic activities, transportation and communications, and trade relationships of the countries of Africa south of the Sahara.

Answer:

I think that the debt is a result of many things.  One is the constant building of new roads and paying the workers, which requires a lot of money.  Another would be making satellites, or paying other countries to make them, and also installing telephone poles.  Another reason that the debt exists could be the multiple wars in which the countries had to pay outside countries to help and provide aid.  The wars result is major debt, which is also a factor.

Chapter 22, Section 2

1. What are three reasons food shortages have occurred in parts of Africa south of the Sahara?

Answer:  Grasslands turning into Deserts, wars stunting economical growth, and drought.

 

2. What are three of the steps African countries south of the Sahara are taking to protect

their environment?

Answer:  Creating reserves for endangered species, Encouraging ecotourism, or tourism based on concern for the environment, and signing agreements to preserve the forests.

Creative Writing: Famine and war are among the threats to the people of Africa south of the Sahara, and desertification and poaching are among the threats to the environment and wildlife. Write a paragraph describing how the threats are related, and how reducing the threats to the people can reduce the threats to environment and wildlife.

Answer:

Desertification causes famine and wide spread death.  By taking better care of the environment and stop abusing resources, people can stop desertification.  And, with no desertification, or at least less, droughts will be less common and therefore famine will be less common.  Less common famine will lead to more people surviving.  War is another thing that causes panic.  People in panic often look for any way to make ends meet, even if it is killing animals. Poverty may drive people to hunt endangered animals and sell their goods for high prices in order to stay alive.  By stopping war, people will be less desperate and perhaps decrease in poaching.

Chapter 20 homework

Chapter 20, Section 1

1. How has the shifting of tectonic plates affected the development of the landforms of Africa south of the Sahara?

Answer:

The shifting tectonics plates moving apart has resulted in the Great Rift Valley that stretches from Syria to Mozambique.  It is considered a natural wonder.  The plates moving and pushing magma up has resulted in mountains.  Plates moving continents together and moving them apart has resulted in collision sites where mountains have risen up.

2. How do landforms affect the water systems of Africa south of the Sahara?

Answer:

Basins and valleys formed in between mountains have become homes to lakes and rivers.  All of the escarpments and rifts and cliffs have resulted in rapids in the waters, making them dangerous and hard to navigate.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph about how landforms and water systems in Africa south of the Sahara cause problems for the nations in the region as they try to take advantage of their mineral resources.

Answer:

The dangerous mountains and rifts make it hard to mine and navigate.  The hard rock also makes it difficult to mine.  Lack of water and irregular, unpredictable rainfall results in lack of energy or water to support the miners.

Chapter 20, Section 2

1. In addition to rainfall, what are three of the geographic factors that affect climate in Africa south of the Sahara? Give examples.

Answer:

Ocean currents such as the benguela current, elevation such as how high you are on a mountains making the temperature cold and being in a low valley makes the temperature hot, and latitude.  The lower you are, the generally colder it is.  The closer you are to the center, the more rain and heat you get.

2. What are the main kinds of climate and vegetation found in Africa south of the Sahara?

Answer:

The main climates are Tropical Wet, Tropical Dry, Steppe, Desert, and Mid latitude Climates.  Tropical Wet climates house shrubs, ferns, and mosses, and also huge rain forests which house orchids, ferns, and more mosses on the canopy area.  Crops such as bananas, pineapples, cocoa, tea, coffee, and cotton are grown here.  The Tropical Dry, or savanna, houses grass.  The Steppe houses low-growing grasses, shrubs, and acacia trees.  The Desert houses grasses and trees and some cacti.  Mid Latitude Climates house any where from grasslands to farm crops to great forests. 

Creative Writing: The Great Plains in the United States and Canada and Africa’s Serengeti Plain are both vast grasslands. Write a paragraph comparing the two regions

The Great Plains in the US and Canada are generally more populated and built on, the grasslands themselves slightly dying out.  The Serengeti plain is more untouched and receives more heat.  The Great Plains receive less heat. 

Chapter 19 Home Work

Chapter 19, Section 1

1. How does physical geography affect farming and fishing in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia?

Answer:
Because most countries in that region have non-arable land, there is not a lot of farming activity.  The few countries with arable land grow citrus fruits, grapes, olives, dates, and cereal crops.  However, the plants grown vary from country to country, depending on circumstances, environment, and the needs and habits of surrounding people.  The many seas and gulfs have resulted in huge fishing industries.

2. How are improvements in transportation and communications changing life in the region?

Answer:

The improvements have made it easier for cultures and people to mix.  It is also easier to trade and to communicate with other nations beyond the ones in their own region.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph comparing some of the similarities and differences in the ways people earn a living, communicate with each other, and travel in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia and in the United States and Canada.

Answer:

Some of the jobs such as farmers, miners, and fishers are similar to jobs in the U.S.  However, it is more common in the U.S. and Canada to have service jobs, while these are a bit more rare in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia.  There, it is more common to have a travel agency job.  Travel methods are similar being provided by cars, airplanes, and trains. However, subways and trains are more common in Southwest/Central Asia and North Africa.

Chapter 19, Section 2

1. How have people in the region dealt with scarce water resources?

Answer:

The people have resorted to desalination when possible, and people are making man-made rivers to drain water from sources into inland people through the Sahara.  If more rivers were completed, then the countries and people would have more water.

2. What are the causes and effects of three of the major environmental problems in the

region?

Answer:
Three main environmental problems in the region are the oil in the Persian gulf, the shrinking seas, and nuclear and chemical dangers.  The oil in the Persian gulf is the result of Kuwait setting fire to their oil wells and Iraqi troops dumping millions of gallons of oil into the Persian gulf.  The result of this spill has been the deaths of millions of birds and marine life.  The shrinking seas has been caused by pollution and overfishing.  the result of this has been the death of fish, the decline of fishing industries, and loss of water.  The nuclear residue from the Soviets' bomb testings have affected Kazakhstan greatly, the citizens suffering from radiation even today.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement: It is necessary for all of the countries in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia to cooperate to develop plans and technologies to bring more freshwater to the region.

Answer:

Yes, it is necessary that they do this.  The people of that region are suffering for water, and at this rate they don't care.  And, if the countries agree and cooperate on a way to deliver freshwater into the region, then there would be no dispute on construction happening in one another's land.  Wars of this would not be necessary if they worked together, and no wars means no unnecessary death and no more economical or environmental damage.

Chp 17.1 and 17.2 Homework

Chapter 17, Section 1

1. What land and water features dominate North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central

Asia?

Answer:

North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia are dominated by deserts, mountains, and three small bodies of salt water.

2. Why is much of the world economically dependent on North Africa, Southwest Asia,

and Central Asia?

Answer:

The world is economically dependant on North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central asian because the world needs natural gas to power it, and there are many sources of natural gas in said areas.

Creative Writing: Agree or disagree with the statement: The supply of water in North

Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia is more critical to the region’s security than the

supply of oil.

Answer:  I agree with the statement.  Athough the supply of oil means economic stability and wealth, supply of water means the survival of the people.  People's lives should always be put first, and other matters after.

 

Chapter 17, Section 2

1. How do the climates of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia differ?

Answer:

There are two main climates, the desert climate and the steppe climate.  The desert climate is about ten inches of rainfall, or less, per year.  There are few sand dunes, instead there are desert pavements, mountains, and barren rock.  Only cacti and shrubs grow here, and only nomadic herds of sheep and goats and camels live here.  Steppe climates usually get a bit more rain, fourteen inches on average.  The climate can support grasses for livestock and shrubs and trees.  It is more liveable.

2. How are the agricultural activities of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia

affected by the climate regions?

Answer:

Drier climates usually result in little to no agricultural activities, those activities being replaced by herding livestock.  Places by the coast and highland have more and more farms and pastures, supporting barley, oat, and wheat farms without irrigation.

Creative Writing: The steppe climate areas of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central

Asia, and the steppe climate in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada are

similar. Cereal crops and livestock are important commodities in each region. What are

some similarities and differences between the agricultural economies of each region?

Answer:

Some similarities will be the products grown there.  If both regions require the same commodities, they ought to create the same commodities, right?  The economies would be different because the U.S. is probably less dependent, knowing that they can import as much as they would like, that if all else fails there will be help.  The steppe climates in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia have no such support and probably have more secure irrigation systems.