AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY EXAM 2025 ||
DETAILED QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE
ANSWERS (GRADED A)
alliance - ANSWER - An association among countries for the purpose of mutual defense
or trade
antecedent boundary - ANSWER - A boundary placed before the cultural landscape
was developed
artifact - ANSWER - Tangible pieces of material culture
assimilation - ANSWER - The process in which immigrants become totally integrated
into the host culture
absolute location - ANSWER - The actual space a place occupies on Earth's surface
acculturation - ANSWER - The change that occurs within a culture when it adopts a
practice from another culture
agglomeration effects - ANSWER - The cost advantages (external economies) for an
individual company gained by locating near similar industries or companies
agribusiness - ANSWER - Commercial agriculture in which large corporations own and
operate various steps in the production process with an emphasis on profit
agricultural density - ANSWER - The number of people living in rural areas per unit of
agricultural land
animism - ANSWER - The belief that spirits (including ancestral) live within objects such
as animals, rivers, rocks, trees, and mountains
backwash effect - ANSWER - The negative impact to the peripheral region sometimes
caused by increased flows of labor and capital into a nearby high-growth region
biotechnology - ANSWER - The application of scientific techniques to modify and
improve plants, animals, and microorganisms to enhance their value
built environment - ANSWER - The material culture of an environment
,basic sector - ANSWER - Goods and services produced for individuals outside the
urban work area
bid-rent curve - ANSWER - The concept that the concentric circles in Burgess's
concentric zone model are based on the amount people are willing to pay for land in
each zone
carrying capacity - ANSWER - The number of people an area can support on a
sustained basis
central business district (CBD) - ANSWER - The business area found at the center of
every older central city and urban area
central place theory - ANSWER - A theory developed by Walter Christaller that states
that cities exist for economic reasons and that people gather in cities to share goods
and ideas
centrifugal force - ANSWER - A strong, divisive force, such as religious differences or a
weak communication systems, at work in a country
centripetal force - ANSWER - A strong, unifying force, such as a charismatic leader or
nationalism, at work in a country
chain migration - ANSWER - The part of a migrant flow (usually relatives and friends)
that follows former migrants to an area
channelized migration - ANSWER - Repetitive pattern of migration not linked to family or
ethnicity (senior citizens moving to the Sun Belt)
charter group - ANSWER - The first group of settlers to establish a new and lasting
culture and society is an area
compact state - ANSWER - A state that is basically round in shape, such as Poland or
Bhutan)
colonialism - ANSWER - A system in which a country declares control over a territory or
people outside its own boundaries, usually for economic purposes
commodity chain - ANSWER - A chain of activities from the manufacturing to the
distribution of a product
concentric zone model - ANSWER - The model of urban land use developed by
Burgess which demonstrates the invasion and succession processes that occur as the
city grows and expands outward
, confederation - ANSWER - A loose association of states organized for the purpose of
retaining cohesion, such as the former republic of the USSR
congregation - ANSWER - An ethnic group's grouping together in a specific part of the
city to support each other and minimize conflicts with those in the non-ethnic group
consequent boundary - ANSWER - A type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to
accommodate existing linguistic, cultural, or religious boundaries
conservation agriculture - ANSWER - A modern method of farming that balances
maximum crop yield with sustainable farming methods and protection of the
environment
creative destruction - ANSWER - The reinvestment of funds in new, profitable ventures
and regions that were once used to fund ventures and regions that are now not as
profitable
creole - ANSWER - A simplified mixture of two or more languages that is adopted in
areas of cultural diversity
crude birth rate (CBR) - ANSWER - The number of babies born per 1000 people per
year
crude death rate (CDR) - ANSWER - The number of deaths per 1000 people per year
crude density - ANSWER - The number of people per unit of land (also called arithmetic
density)
cultural barrier - ANSWER - hindrances to cultural diffusion that occur in a society and
keep cultural traits from spreading
culture region - ANSWER - A portion of the Earth's surface occupied by populations
sharing recognizable and distinctive cultural characteristics
cultural diffusion - ANSWER - The process in which culture is spread from one region to
another
cultural landscape - ANSWER - The unique landscape made up of all parts of a culture-
both material and nonmaterial
culture - ANSWER - The cluster of traits that make a group of people special and
unique
culture hearth - ANSWER - A place where innovations and new ideas originate and
spread outward (diffuse) to other regions
DETAILED QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE
ANSWERS (GRADED A)
alliance - ANSWER - An association among countries for the purpose of mutual defense
or trade
antecedent boundary - ANSWER - A boundary placed before the cultural landscape
was developed
artifact - ANSWER - Tangible pieces of material culture
assimilation - ANSWER - The process in which immigrants become totally integrated
into the host culture
absolute location - ANSWER - The actual space a place occupies on Earth's surface
acculturation - ANSWER - The change that occurs within a culture when it adopts a
practice from another culture
agglomeration effects - ANSWER - The cost advantages (external economies) for an
individual company gained by locating near similar industries or companies
agribusiness - ANSWER - Commercial agriculture in which large corporations own and
operate various steps in the production process with an emphasis on profit
agricultural density - ANSWER - The number of people living in rural areas per unit of
agricultural land
animism - ANSWER - The belief that spirits (including ancestral) live within objects such
as animals, rivers, rocks, trees, and mountains
backwash effect - ANSWER - The negative impact to the peripheral region sometimes
caused by increased flows of labor and capital into a nearby high-growth region
biotechnology - ANSWER - The application of scientific techniques to modify and
improve plants, animals, and microorganisms to enhance their value
built environment - ANSWER - The material culture of an environment
,basic sector - ANSWER - Goods and services produced for individuals outside the
urban work area
bid-rent curve - ANSWER - The concept that the concentric circles in Burgess's
concentric zone model are based on the amount people are willing to pay for land in
each zone
carrying capacity - ANSWER - The number of people an area can support on a
sustained basis
central business district (CBD) - ANSWER - The business area found at the center of
every older central city and urban area
central place theory - ANSWER - A theory developed by Walter Christaller that states
that cities exist for economic reasons and that people gather in cities to share goods
and ideas
centrifugal force - ANSWER - A strong, divisive force, such as religious differences or a
weak communication systems, at work in a country
centripetal force - ANSWER - A strong, unifying force, such as a charismatic leader or
nationalism, at work in a country
chain migration - ANSWER - The part of a migrant flow (usually relatives and friends)
that follows former migrants to an area
channelized migration - ANSWER - Repetitive pattern of migration not linked to family or
ethnicity (senior citizens moving to the Sun Belt)
charter group - ANSWER - The first group of settlers to establish a new and lasting
culture and society is an area
compact state - ANSWER - A state that is basically round in shape, such as Poland or
Bhutan)
colonialism - ANSWER - A system in which a country declares control over a territory or
people outside its own boundaries, usually for economic purposes
commodity chain - ANSWER - A chain of activities from the manufacturing to the
distribution of a product
concentric zone model - ANSWER - The model of urban land use developed by
Burgess which demonstrates the invasion and succession processes that occur as the
city grows and expands outward
, confederation - ANSWER - A loose association of states organized for the purpose of
retaining cohesion, such as the former republic of the USSR
congregation - ANSWER - An ethnic group's grouping together in a specific part of the
city to support each other and minimize conflicts with those in the non-ethnic group
consequent boundary - ANSWER - A type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to
accommodate existing linguistic, cultural, or religious boundaries
conservation agriculture - ANSWER - A modern method of farming that balances
maximum crop yield with sustainable farming methods and protection of the
environment
creative destruction - ANSWER - The reinvestment of funds in new, profitable ventures
and regions that were once used to fund ventures and regions that are now not as
profitable
creole - ANSWER - A simplified mixture of two or more languages that is adopted in
areas of cultural diversity
crude birth rate (CBR) - ANSWER - The number of babies born per 1000 people per
year
crude death rate (CDR) - ANSWER - The number of deaths per 1000 people per year
crude density - ANSWER - The number of people per unit of land (also called arithmetic
density)
cultural barrier - ANSWER - hindrances to cultural diffusion that occur in a society and
keep cultural traits from spreading
culture region - ANSWER - A portion of the Earth's surface occupied by populations
sharing recognizable and distinctive cultural characteristics
cultural diffusion - ANSWER - The process in which culture is spread from one region to
another
cultural landscape - ANSWER - The unique landscape made up of all parts of a culture-
both material and nonmaterial
culture - ANSWER - The cluster of traits that make a group of people special and
unique
culture hearth - ANSWER - A place where innovations and new ideas originate and
spread outward (diffuse) to other regions
