AP Human Geography : Organization of the World Economy

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #101 : Industrialization & Economic Development

All of the following are considered Asian Tigers EXCEPT __________?

Possible Answers:

South Korea

Hong Kong

Taiwan

Singapore

Japan

Correct answer:

Japan

Explanation:

Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore are all considered Asian Tigers. The Four Asian Tigers are countries in East and Southeast Asia that experienced rapid growth between 1960 and 1990. Japan experienced its growth before World War II, making it a world power by the 1930s.

Example Question #102 : Industrialization & Economic Development

Which of these best describes the difference between bulk-gaining industries and bulk-reducing industries?

Possible Answers:

Bulk-gaining industries make products that weigh less after assembly, than before assembly; bulk-reducing industries make products that weigh more after assembly, than before assembly.

Bulk-gaining industries are primarily focused on environmental sustainability; bulk-reducing industries are concerned solely with profit.

Bulk-reducing industries provide benefits to both the developed markets and the developing manufacturing centers; bulk-gaining industries make products that only provide benefits to the markets of the developed world.

Bulk-gaining industries provide benefits to both the developed markets and the developing manufacturing centers; bulk-reducing industries make products that only provide benefits to the markets of the developed world.

Bulk-gaining industries make products that weigh more after assembly than before assembly; bulk-reducing industries make products that weigh less after assembly than before assembly.

Correct answer:

Bulk-gaining industries make products that weigh more after assembly than before assembly; bulk-reducing industries make products that weigh less after assembly than before assembly.

Explanation:

“Bulk-gaining industries” are so named because they make products that weigh more after they are assembled from their composite parts than they weigh before they are assembled. For “bulk-reducing industries” the opposite is true - their products weigh less after assembly. Because it costs more to transport something the heavier it is (as a general rule) “bulk-reducing industries” usually have their manufacturing centers close to the sources of raw materials, whereas “bulk-gaining industries” usually have their manufacturing centers close to the source of various large markets.

Example Question #1 : Organization Of The World Economy

Which of these is an example of a secondary economic activity?

Possible Answers:

Manufacturing.

Ecotourism.

Mining.

Customer service.

Teaching.

Correct answer:

Manufacturing.

Explanation:

Secondary economic activities include anything that involves the assembly of raw materials. Manufacturing constitutes the majority of what could be considered a secondary economic activity. It is currently the biggest part of the economy in much of the semi-developed world.

Example Question #103 : Industrialization & Economic Development

Which of these examples best represents a “break-bulk point”?

Possible Answers:

The moment when a region of a country becomes far less desirable due to decreased employment opportunities.

A dockyard where a manufactured product is separated into various shipments headed for a diverse range of markets.

A manufacturing center that has become financially untenable due to striking workers and a rising standard of living.

None of these answers are correct.

The border between a region with a high standard of living and a region with a low standard of living.

Correct answer:

A dockyard where a manufactured product is separated into various shipments headed for a diverse range of markets.

Explanation:

A “break-bulk point” is the name given to an economic center, like a dockyard, where a manufactured product is assembled and then separated into various shipments ready to be transported to a wide range of markets.

Example Question #41 : Contemporary Patterns Of Industrialization & Development

Which of the following levels of economic activity is associated with collaborative scientific research and data analysis to aid in decision-making?

Possible Answers:

Quinary

Tertiary

Secondary

Primary

Quaternary

Correct answer:

Quinary

Explanation:

Quinary economic activities are sometimes considered as a subset of quaternary economic activities. Other times, they are considered to be an independent group of economic activity. Quinary economics are separate from quaternary because they use collaborative research projects, data analysis, and scientific inquiry designed to improve policy-making of governments and decision-making of corporations. It is an extremely modern branch of economic activity and one that is still being defined.

Example Question #1 : Organization Of The World Economy

Which of the following choices is best described as an example of a quaternary economic activity?

Possible Answers:

Research

Retail

Fishing

Agriculture

Real estate

Correct answer:

Research

Explanation:

Quaternary economic activities include anything that has to do with research, teaching, and development. Other examples include computer and information work, consultancy, and scientific inquiry.  

Example Question #104 : Industrialization & Economic Development

Which of the following countries is not included in the "core" of the Core-Periphery Model? 

Possible Answers:

Australia

Japan

Italy

China

Canada

Correct answer:

China

Explanation:

Despite having the world’s second largest economy, China is not considered one of the “core” countries in the Core-Periphery Model. This is because standards of living and levels of product consumption are still quite low for a large majority of Chinese citizens. China’s economy is heavily driven by its manufacturing and exporting, which is a characteristic of a “semi-peripheral” country.

Example Question #2 : Organization Of The World Economy

Which of these levels of economic activity is concerned with the sale and exchange of manufactured products and raw materials?

Possible Answers:

Secondary

Tertiary

Quaternary

Primary

Quinary

Correct answer:

Tertiary

Explanation:

Tertiary economic activities are associated with the sale and exchange of manufactured products and raw materials. Examples of this include retail and marketing. In the past hundred years the majority of people living in the developed world have become associated with tertiary economic activities.

Example Question #1 : Organization Of The World Economy

“World Cities” are so-called because they __________.

Possible Answers:

are global centers of economic activity

are extremely diverse and cosmopolitan

are global centers of cultural diffusion

All of these answers are correct.

are capital cities of major economic countries

Correct answer:

are global centers of economic activity

Explanation:

“World Cities” are so-named because they are global centers of economic activity. They are generally also centers of cultural diffusion and are extremely diverse, but this is not what makes them “World Cities.” Many are capital cities of major economic countries, but many are not, such as New York City and Los Angeles. the key to this question was narrowing the possibilities down to the most specific, and most significant, reason for the appellation.

 

Example Question #1 : Organization Of The World Economy

Which of these is not a first-tier World City?

Possible Answers:

New York City

London

Tokyo

Hong Kong

Berlin

Correct answer:

Berlin

Explanation:

Four of these answer choices make up the top 5 World Cities (the missing city is Paris) except for Berlin, which is considered a second-tier or third-tier World City, depending on which study you adhere to.

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