Multiple-Choice Exercise From the New York State Education Department. Regents High School Examination Internet. Available from http://www.nysedregents.nysed.gov/; accessed January 11, 2012.; All rights reserved. No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.
Choose the correct answer for each question.
Which geographic feature had the greatest influence on the development of ancient civilizations?
dense forests
mountain passes
smooth coastlines
river valleys
What was one cause of the development of many small independent city-states in ancient Greece?
Greece and Rome were often at war.
The mountainous terrain of Greece resulted in widely scattered settlements.
Military leaders found small Greek settlements easy to control.
Military leaders found small Greek settlements easy to control.
In India, Bangladesh, and much of Southeast Asia, agricultural productivity is most affected by the
seasonal monsoons
unnavigable rivers
numerous deserts
cold climate
both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans
at the same time as the Spanish explorers
lands in the Western Hemisphere
Arabia and the east coast of Africa
Many achievements of Islamic civilization reached European society by way of the
Crusades and eastern Mediterranean trading networks
merchant guilds and the Industrial Revolution
Middle Passage and the Columbian Exchange
conquests of the Germanic tribes and trade along the Silk Road
The Ottoman Empire controlled the largest amount of territory by 1453.
The Safavid Empire controlled parts of western Europe by 1629.
By the 1500s, the Ottoman Empire controlled parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and eastern Europe.
The Mediterranean Sea served as a cultural barrier between Asia Minor and North Africa.
Which statement about the geography of Africa is most accurate?
Much of the land in Africa is below sea level.
The variety of geographic barriers has served to promote cultural diversity.
Africa has an irregular coastline with many natural harbors
Much of the land in Africa is tundra and forest.
Which statement best describes an impact of geography on the history of the Korean peninsula?
Large deserts have led to isolation.
Location has led to invasion and occupation by other nations.
Lack of rivers has limited food production.
Lack of natural resources has prevented development of manufacturing.
During the late 19th century, which geographic factor helped attract European investors to southern Africa and southeast Asia?
smooth coastlines
navigable rivers
natural resources
temperate climates
Many regions of South America gained their independence between 1790 and 1828.
All of South America was independent by 1828.
Spain continued to gain South American colonies in the 19th century.
Between 1790 and 1828, South American political boundaries remained unchanged except for Brazil.
worldwide depression
treaties signed at the end of World War I
rise of Mussolini
dissatisfaction of the German people
The continued importance of the Middle East to the global economy is based on its
