Geography Human Case Studies latest
version 2025/2026.
What is Antarctica's status as a global common? - ANSWERIt is not owned by any
country and is governed by international agreements to protect peace, science, and the
environment.
What percentage of the world's ice and freshwater does Antarctica hold? -
ANSWERAntarctica holds 90% of the world's ice and 70% of its freshwater.
What is the Antarctic Treaty (1959)? - ANSWERAn agreement signed by 56 countries
(as of 2024) that prohibits military activity, promotes scientific cooperation, and bans
nuclear activity and waste disposal.
What is the Madrid Protocol (1991)? - ANSWERAn environmental agreement that bans
mining and mineral extraction and designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve devoted
to peace and science."
How much has West Antarctica warmed since the 1950s? - ANSWERSome areas have
warmed by more than 3°C — one of the fastest rates on Earth.
How much ice is Antarctica losing per year, and how has this changed? - ANSWERIce
loss has increased from 76 billion tonnes/year in the 1990s to 219 billion tonnes/year in
the 2010s.
What is the impact of Antarctic ice melt on global sea levels? - ANSWERIt contributes
around 1.4 mm per year to global sea level rise.
Name a major ice shelf collapse linked to climate change. - ANSWERLarsen B
collapsed in 2002, and Larsen C lost a massive iceberg (A68) in 2017.
How has climate change affected krill populations in Antarctica? - ANSWERKrill
populations have declined by over 80% in some areas, disrupting the food chain.
How many tourists visited Antarctica in the 2022-23 season? - ANSWEROver 100,000
visitors — raising environmental concerns.
Why is commercial fishing a threat to Antarctica? - ANSWERIt targets species like krill
and Patagonian toothfish, which are vital to the food chain, and includes illegal,
unregulated fishing.
What types of pollution are affecting Antarctica? - ANSWERMicroplastics, marine
pollutants, and fuel residues have been found in ice and snow — even in remote areas.
What is the CCAMLR and what does it do? - ANSWERThe Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources manages sustainable fishing and
created the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.
What is the Ross Sea MPA? - ANSWERA marine protected area over 2 million km² in
size — the largest in the world, established to conserve biodiversity.
What role do NGOs play in Antarctica? - ANSWERNGOs like Greenpeace, WWF, and
ASOC monitor threats, lobby for protection, and promote clean-up and conservation.
What does the IAATO do? - ANSWERThe International Association of Antarctica Tour
Operators enforces responsible tourism with limits on ships, landings, and visitor
impact.
What is Apple and why is it studied in global governance? - ANSWERApple is a US-
based transnational corporation (TNC) and is studied for its global operations,
, especially its regional HQ in Ireland, highlighting issues of tax avoidance and economic
impact.
Where is Apple's European headquarters located? - ANSWERCork, Ireland.
Why did Apple choose Ireland as its European base? - ANSWERBecause of Ireland's
low corporation tax rate (12.5%), English-speaking workforce, and access to the EU
single market.
How many people does Apple directly employ in Cork, Ireland? - ANSWEROver 6,000
people — the largest private sector employer in Cork.
What positive economic impact has Apple had on Ireland? - ANSWERIt has created
thousands of jobs, contributed to Ireland's tech sector growth, and attracted other tech
companies.
What is the "multiplier effect" in the context of Apple in Cork? - ANSWERApple's
presence has stimulated indirect employment and growth in local businesses and
services through increased economic activity.
How has Apple contributed to Ireland's infrastructure? - ANSWERIt has invested in local
facilities, data centres, and has been involved in education and community projects.
What controversy surrounds Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland? - ANSWERApple was
accused of paying as little as 0.005% tax on profits in some years using loopholes in
Irish tax law.
What is the "Double Irish" tax loophole? - ANSWERA strategy used by companies like
Apple to route profits through Ireland and offshore jurisdictions to avoid paying higher
taxes.
How much did the EU order Apple to repay Ireland in back taxes? - ANSWER€13 billion
— due to illegal state aid and unfair tax benefits ruled by the European Commission in
2016.
How did Ireland respond to the EU's tax ruling against Apple? - ANSWERIreland
appealed the ruling, arguing it was unfair and threatened national tax sovereignty.
What global governance issue does Apple's tax case highlight? - ANSWERIt exposes
the difficulty of regulating TNCs across borders and the need for global tax reform and
cooperation.
How does Apple benefit from globalisation? - ANSWERIt uses global supply chains,
international tax structures, and digital markets to maximise profits and minimise costs.
What criticism has Apple faced over global supply chains? - ANSWERConcerns about
labour rights violations in factories (e.g. Foxconn in China), and environmental impacts
from component sourcing.
What role do international institutions play in TNC regulation? - ANSWEROrganisations
like the EU, OECD, and UN push for corporate accountability, fair taxation, and ethical
labour practices — but enforcement is challenging.
What type of disease is malaria? - ANSWERVector-borne disease caused by a parasite
transmitted by mosquitoes.
What was the global malaria incidence rate in 2020? - ANSWER59.4 cases per 1000
people.
What were the global malaria cases in 2022? - ANSWEREstimated 249 million cases
across 85 countries.
What region is most affected by malaria? - ANSWERAfrican Region - accounts for 94%
of global malaria cases (WHO).
version 2025/2026.
What is Antarctica's status as a global common? - ANSWERIt is not owned by any
country and is governed by international agreements to protect peace, science, and the
environment.
What percentage of the world's ice and freshwater does Antarctica hold? -
ANSWERAntarctica holds 90% of the world's ice and 70% of its freshwater.
What is the Antarctic Treaty (1959)? - ANSWERAn agreement signed by 56 countries
(as of 2024) that prohibits military activity, promotes scientific cooperation, and bans
nuclear activity and waste disposal.
What is the Madrid Protocol (1991)? - ANSWERAn environmental agreement that bans
mining and mineral extraction and designates Antarctica as a "natural reserve devoted
to peace and science."
How much has West Antarctica warmed since the 1950s? - ANSWERSome areas have
warmed by more than 3°C — one of the fastest rates on Earth.
How much ice is Antarctica losing per year, and how has this changed? - ANSWERIce
loss has increased from 76 billion tonnes/year in the 1990s to 219 billion tonnes/year in
the 2010s.
What is the impact of Antarctic ice melt on global sea levels? - ANSWERIt contributes
around 1.4 mm per year to global sea level rise.
Name a major ice shelf collapse linked to climate change. - ANSWERLarsen B
collapsed in 2002, and Larsen C lost a massive iceberg (A68) in 2017.
How has climate change affected krill populations in Antarctica? - ANSWERKrill
populations have declined by over 80% in some areas, disrupting the food chain.
How many tourists visited Antarctica in the 2022-23 season? - ANSWEROver 100,000
visitors — raising environmental concerns.
Why is commercial fishing a threat to Antarctica? - ANSWERIt targets species like krill
and Patagonian toothfish, which are vital to the food chain, and includes illegal,
unregulated fishing.
What types of pollution are affecting Antarctica? - ANSWERMicroplastics, marine
pollutants, and fuel residues have been found in ice and snow — even in remote areas.
What is the CCAMLR and what does it do? - ANSWERThe Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources manages sustainable fishing and
created the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area.
What is the Ross Sea MPA? - ANSWERA marine protected area over 2 million km² in
size — the largest in the world, established to conserve biodiversity.
What role do NGOs play in Antarctica? - ANSWERNGOs like Greenpeace, WWF, and
ASOC monitor threats, lobby for protection, and promote clean-up and conservation.
What does the IAATO do? - ANSWERThe International Association of Antarctica Tour
Operators enforces responsible tourism with limits on ships, landings, and visitor
impact.
What is Apple and why is it studied in global governance? - ANSWERApple is a US-
based transnational corporation (TNC) and is studied for its global operations,
, especially its regional HQ in Ireland, highlighting issues of tax avoidance and economic
impact.
Where is Apple's European headquarters located? - ANSWERCork, Ireland.
Why did Apple choose Ireland as its European base? - ANSWERBecause of Ireland's
low corporation tax rate (12.5%), English-speaking workforce, and access to the EU
single market.
How many people does Apple directly employ in Cork, Ireland? - ANSWEROver 6,000
people — the largest private sector employer in Cork.
What positive economic impact has Apple had on Ireland? - ANSWERIt has created
thousands of jobs, contributed to Ireland's tech sector growth, and attracted other tech
companies.
What is the "multiplier effect" in the context of Apple in Cork? - ANSWERApple's
presence has stimulated indirect employment and growth in local businesses and
services through increased economic activity.
How has Apple contributed to Ireland's infrastructure? - ANSWERIt has invested in local
facilities, data centres, and has been involved in education and community projects.
What controversy surrounds Apple's tax arrangements in Ireland? - ANSWERApple was
accused of paying as little as 0.005% tax on profits in some years using loopholes in
Irish tax law.
What is the "Double Irish" tax loophole? - ANSWERA strategy used by companies like
Apple to route profits through Ireland and offshore jurisdictions to avoid paying higher
taxes.
How much did the EU order Apple to repay Ireland in back taxes? - ANSWER€13 billion
— due to illegal state aid and unfair tax benefits ruled by the European Commission in
2016.
How did Ireland respond to the EU's tax ruling against Apple? - ANSWERIreland
appealed the ruling, arguing it was unfair and threatened national tax sovereignty.
What global governance issue does Apple's tax case highlight? - ANSWERIt exposes
the difficulty of regulating TNCs across borders and the need for global tax reform and
cooperation.
How does Apple benefit from globalisation? - ANSWERIt uses global supply chains,
international tax structures, and digital markets to maximise profits and minimise costs.
What criticism has Apple faced over global supply chains? - ANSWERConcerns about
labour rights violations in factories (e.g. Foxconn in China), and environmental impacts
from component sourcing.
What role do international institutions play in TNC regulation? - ANSWEROrganisations
like the EU, OECD, and UN push for corporate accountability, fair taxation, and ethical
labour practices — but enforcement is challenging.
What type of disease is malaria? - ANSWERVector-borne disease caused by a parasite
transmitted by mosquitoes.
What was the global malaria incidence rate in 2020? - ANSWER59.4 cases per 1000
people.
What were the global malaria cases in 2022? - ANSWEREstimated 249 million cases
across 85 countries.
What region is most affected by malaria? - ANSWERAfrican Region - accounts for 94%
of global malaria cases (WHO).
