AP Human Geography Course Description

human
geography
Course Description
Effective Fall 2013
AP Course Descriptions are updated regularly. Please visit AP Central

(apcentral.collegeboard.org) to determine whether a more recent Course
Description PDF is available.
The College Board

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success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher
education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 5,900 of the worlds leading
educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year,
the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college
through programs and services in college readiness and college success including the SAT and
the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the education community through
research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools.
For further information, visit www.collegeboard.org.
AP Equity and Access Policy

The College Board strongly encourages educators to make equitable access a guiding principle
for their AP programs by giving all willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to
participate in AP. We encourage the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP for students from
ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underserved. Schools should
make every effort to ensure their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population. The
College Board also believes that all students should have access to academically challenging course
work before they enroll in AP classes, which can prepare them for AP success. It is only through a
commitment to equitable preparation and access that true equity and excellence can be achieved.
AP Course Descriptions
AP Course Descriptions are updated regularly. Please visit AP Central (apcentral.collegeboard.org) to
determine whether a more recent Course Description PDF is available.
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Contents
About the AP Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Offering AP Courses and Enrolling Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How AP Courses and Exams Are Developed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How AP Exams Are Scored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Additional Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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AP Human Geography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Teaching the Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Topic Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Answers to Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sample Free-Response Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Resources for AP Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AP Central (apcentral.collegeboard.org) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AP Course Audit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advances in AP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AP Teacher Communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Higher Ed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
College Board Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2013 The College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org.
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About the AP Program

AP enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school.
Through more than 30 courses, each culminating in a rigorous exam, AP provides
willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit,
advanced placement, or both. Taking AP courses also demonstrates to college
admission officers that students have sought out the most rigorous course work
available to them.
Each AP course is modeled upon a comparable college course, and college and
university faculty play a vital role in ensuring that AP courses align with college-level
standards. Talented and dedicated AP teachers help AP students in classrooms around
the world develop and apply the content knowledge and skills they will need in college.
Each AP course concludes with a college-level assessment developed and scored by
college and university faculty as well as experienced AP teachers. AP Exams are an
essential part of the AP experience, enabling students to demonstrate their mastery of
college-level course work. More than 90 percent of four-year colleges and universities
in the United States grant students credit, placement, or both on the basis of
successful AP Exam scores. Universities in more than 60 countries recognize AP
Exam scores in the admission process and/or award credit and placement for
qualifying scores. Visit www.collegeboard.org/ap/creditpolicy to view AP credit and
placement policies at more than 1,000 colleges and universities.
Performing well on an AP Exam means more than just the successful completion
of a course; it is a pathway to success in college. Research consistently shows that
students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams typically experience greater academic
success in college and are more likely to graduate on time than otherwise comparable
non-AP peers. Additional AP studies are available at www.collegeboard.org/
apresearchsummaries.
Offering AP Courses and Enrolling Students

This course description details the essential information required to understand the
objectives and expectations of an AP course. The AP Program unequivocally supports
the principle that each school develops and implements its own curriculum that will
enable students to develop the content knowledge and skills described here.
Schools wishing to offer AP courses must participate in the AP Course Audit, a
process through which AP teachers syllabi are reviewed by college faculty. The AP
Course Audit was created at the request of College Board members who sought
a means for the College Board to provide teachers and administrators with clear
guidelines on curricular and resource requirements for AP courses and to help
colleges and universities validate courses marked AP on students transcripts.
This process ensures that AP teachers syllabi meet or exceed the curricular and
resource expectations that college and secondary school faculty have established
for college-level courses. For more information on the AP Course Audit, visit
www.collegeboard.org/apcourseaudit.
How AP Courses and Exams Are Developed

AP courses and exams are designed by committees of college faculty and expert
AP teachers who ensure that each AP subject reflects and assesses college-level
expectations. AP Development Committees define the scope and expectations of
the course, articulating through a curriculum framework what students should know
and be able to do upon completion of the AP course. Their work is informed by data
collected from a range of colleges and universities to ensure that AP coursework
reflects current scholarship and advances in the discipline. To find a list of each
subjects current AP Development Committee members, please visit
apcentral.collegeboard.org/developmentcommittees.
The AP Development Committees are also responsible for drawing clear and
well-articulated connections between the AP course and AP Exam work that
includes designing and approving exam specifications and exam questions. The AP
Exam development process is a multi-year endeavor; all AP Exams undergo extensive
review, revision, piloting, and analysis to ensure that questions are high quality and
fair, and that there is an appropriate spread of difficulty across the questions.
Throughout AP course and exam development, the College Board gathers feedback
from various stakeholders in both secondary schools and higher education institutions.
This feedback is carefully considered to ensure that AP courses and exams are able to
provide students with a college-level learning experience and the opportunity to
demonstrate their qualifications for advanced placement upon college entrance.
How AP Exams Are Scored

The exam scoring process, like the course and exam development process, relies on
the expertise of both AP teachers and college faculty. While multiple-choice questions
are scored by machine, the free-response questions are scored by thousands of college
faculty and expert AP teachers at the annual AP Reading. AP Exam Readers are
thoroughly trained, and their work is monitored throughout the Reading for fairness
and consistency. In each subject, a highly respected college faculty member fills the
role of Chief Reader, who, with the help of AP Readers in leadership positions,
maintains the accuracy of the scoring standards. Scores on the free-response questions
are weighted and combined with the weighted results of the computer-scored multiplechoice questions. These composite, weighted raw scores are converted into the
reported AP Exam scores of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
The score-setting process is both precise and labor intensive, involving numerous
psychometric analyses of the results of a specific AP Exam in a specific year and of the
particular group of students who took that exam. Additionally, to ensure alignment
with college-level standards, part of the score-setting process involves comparing the
performance of AP students with the performance of students enrolled in comparable
courses in colleges throughout the United States. In general, the AP composite score
points are set so that the lowest raw score needed to earn an AP Exam score of 5 is
equivalent to the average score among college students earning grades of A in the
college course. Similarly, AP Exam scores of 4 are equivalent to college grades of A,
B+, and B. AP Exam scores of 3 are equivalent to college grades of B, C+, and C.

AP Score
5
4
3
2
1
Qualification
Extremely well qualified
Well qualified
Qualified
Possibly qualified
No recommendation
Additional Resources
Visit apcentral.collegeboard.org for more information about the AP Program.
AP Human Geography
INTRODUCTION
The Advanced Placement Program offers a course and exam in Human Geography to
qualified students who wish to complete studies in secondary school equivalent to an
introductory college course in human geography. The exam presumes at least one
semester of college-level preparation, as is described in this book.
The inclusion of material in this Course Description and in the exam is not intended
as an endorsement by the College Board or ETS of the content, ideas, or values
expressed in the material. The material has been selected by geographers who serve
as members of the AP Human Geography Development Committee. In their judgment,
the material printed here reflects the content of a typical introductory college course in
human geography. The exam is representative of such a course and therefore is
considered appropriate for the measurement of skills and knowledge in the field of
introductory human geography.
THE COURSE
An introductory college course in human geography is generally one semester in
length, with some variation among colleges. An AP Human Geography course need
not follow any specific college course curriculum but is taught as a yearlong course in
most high schools. The aim of the AP course is to provide students with a learning
experience equivalent to that obtained in most college-level introductory human
geography courses.
Purpose
The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the
systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding,
use, and alteration of Earths surface. Students learn to employ spatial concepts
and landscape analysis to examine human socioeconomic organization and its
environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools
geographers use in their research and applications.
Goals
The particular topics studied in an AP Human Geography course should be judged in
light of the following five college-level goals that build on the National Geography
Standards developed in 1994 and revised in 2012. On successful completion of the
course, students should have developed skills that enable them to:
Interpret maps and analyze geospatial data. Geography is concerned with the
ways in which patterns on Earths surface reflect and influence physical and
human processes. As such, maps and geographic information systems (GIS)
are fundamental to the discipline, and learning to use and think about them
is critical to geographical literacy. The goal is achieved when students learn
to use maps and geospatial data to pose and solve problems, and when they
learn to think critically about what is revealed and what is hidden in different
maps and GIS applications.
Understand and explain the implications of associations and networks among

phenomena in places. Geography looks at the world from a spatial perspective,
seeking to understand the changing spatial organization and material character
of Earths surface. One of the critical advantages of a spatial perspective is the
attention it focuses on how phenomena are related to one another in particular
places. Students should thus learn not just to recognize and interpret patterns
but to assess the nature and significance of the relationships among phenomena
that occur in the same place, and to understand how cultural values, political
regulations, and economic constraints work together to create particular
landscapes.
Recognize and interpret the relationships among patterns and processes at different
scales of analysis. Geographical analysis requires a sensitivity to scale, not just as a
spatial category but as a framework for understanding how events and processes
at different scales influence one another. Thus students should understand that
the phenomena they are studying at one scale (e.g., local) may well be influenced
by processes and developments at other scales (e.g., global, regional, national,
state or provincial). They should then look at processes operating at multiple
scales when seeking explanations of geographic patterns and arrangements.
Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process. Geography is concerned
not simply with describing patterns but with analyzing how they came about
and what they mean. Students should see regions as objects of analysis and
exploration and move beyond simply locating and describing regions to
considering how and why they come into being and what they reveal about the
changing character of the world in which we live.
Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places. At the heart of
a geographical perspective is a concern with the ways in which events and
processes operating in one place can influence those operating at other places.
Thus students should view places and patterns not in isolation but in terms of
their spatial and functional relationship with other places and patterns. Moreover
they should strive to be aware that those relationships are constantly changing,
and they should understand how and why change occurs.
Teaching the Course

The following section contains information for AP teachers and school administrators.
Although most students are supplied with a single textbook, no individual textbook
covers the full AP course outline. Given this situation, the AP Human Geography
Development Committee advises AP Human Geography teachers to obtain and
consult each of the major collegiate textbooks published for introductory human
geography. In addition teachers should participate in geography workshops, AP
Summer Institutes, or collegiate geography coursework to prepare for the course or
update their instructional skills and content knowledge.
AP classes require extra time on the part of the teacher for preparation, individual
consultation with students, and the reading of a much larger number of assignments
than would normally be given in regular classes. Accordingly the Development
Committee strongly urges that teachers offering such a class be assigned reduced
teaching hours. The Development Committee also suggests that schools enrich their
map, atlas, book, periodical, and video collections available to teachers and students in
classrooms, in libraries, and online.
Textbook titles, training events, the AP Human Geography Teachers Guide,
and several learning resources are available online at the AP Central website
(apcentral.collegeboard.org) and the AP Human Geography Teacher Community
website (apcommunity.collegeboard.org/web/aphumangeo), which provides a forum
for exchanging ideas, insights, and practices among members of the AP professional
community.
Topics
I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives
The AP Human Geography course emphasizes the importance of geography as a field
of inquiry. The course introduces students to the importance of spatial organization
the location of places, people, and events; environmental relationships; and
interconnections between places and across landscapes in the understanding of
human life on Earth.
Geographic concepts emphasized throughout the course are location, space, place,
scale, pattern, regionalization, and globalization. These concepts are basic to students
understanding of spatial interaction and spatial behavior, the dynamics of human
population growth and movement, patterns of culture, economic activities, political
organization of space, social issues, and human settlement patterns, particularly
urbanization. Students learn how to use and interpret maps. They also learn to apply
mathematical formulas, interpret models, and analyze quantitative and qualitative
geographic data.
The course teaches the concepts of space, place, and region; enables students
to consider the regional organization of various phenomena; and encourages
geographical imagination in order to understand processes in a changing world. For
example, geographical perspectives on nature and society examine human alterations
to the global and local environment, including impacts on land, water, and atmosphere,
as well as effects on population, biodiversity, and climate. A significant outcome of the
course is students awareness of geographic methods and the relevance of geospatial
technologies to everyday life, planning and public policy, professional decision
making, and problem solving at scales from local to global. This combination of the
conceptual and the applied helps give students a sophisticated view of the world and
an appreciation of the practical applications they have learned in the course.
II. Population and Migration

An understanding of the ways in which the human population is organized
geographically provides AP students with the tools they need to make sense of
cultural, political, economic, and urban systems. Thus many of the concepts and
theories encountered in this part of the course connect with other course units.
In addition the course themes of scale, pattern, place, and interdependence can
all be illustrated with population topics. For example, students may analyze the
distribution of the human population at different scales: global, regional,
national, state or provincial, and local.
Explanations of why population is growing or declining in some places center on
understanding the patterns and trends of fertility, mortality, and migration. In stressing
the relevance of place context, for example, students may assess why fertility rates
have dropped in some parts of the developing world, examine how agesex structures
(shown in population pyramids) vary from one country to another, and comprehend
the social, political, and economic implications of an aging population. Analysis of
refugee flows, immigration, internal migration, and residential mobility helps students
appreciate the interconnections between population phenomena and other topics. For
example, environmental degradation and natural hazards may prompt population
redistribution at various scales, which in turn creates new pressures on the
environment.
This part of the course also enhances students critical understanding of
population trends across space and over time by considering models of population
growth and decline, including Malthusian theory, the demographic transition, and the
epidemiological (mortality) transition model. For example, as a country develops, the
economic, social, and political roles of women in society change and influence levels
of fertility, mortality rates, and migration trends. Given these kinds of understandings,
students are in a position to evaluate the role, strengths, and weaknesses of major
population policies, which attempt to either promote or restrict population growth.
III. Cultural Patterns and Processes

Understanding the components and regional variations of cultural patterns and
processes is critical to human geography. In this section of the course, students begin
with the concepts of culture and culture traits. They learn how geographers assess the
spatial and place dimensions of cultural groups as defined by language, religion,
ethnicity, and gender, in the present as well as the past.
A central concern is to comprehend how cultural patterns are represented at a
variety of geographic scales from local to global. Diffusion is a key concept in
understanding how culture traits (e.g., agricultural practices, language, technology)
move through time and space to new locations, where interactions between global and
local forces result in new forms of cultural expression. Students learn that the concept
of region is central to understanding the spatial distribution of cultural attributes.
The course explores cultural interaction at various scales, along with the conflicts
that may result. The geographies of language, religion, ethnicity, and gender are
studied to illustrate patterns and processes of cultural differences. Students learn to
distinguish between languages and dialects, ethnic and universalizing religions, ethnic
political movements, and popular and folk cultures, and to understand why each has a
different geographic pattern. Another important emphasis of the course is the way
culture shapes relationships between humans and the environment. Students learn
how culture is expressed in landscapes, and how land use in turn represents cultural
identity. Built environments enable the geographer to interpret cultural values, tastes,
symbolism, and sets of beliefs. For example, both folk and contemporary architecture
are rich and readily available means of comprehending the cultural landscape and how
different cultures view it in separate ways.
IV. Political Organization of Space

This section of the course introduces students to the nature and significance of the
political organization of territory at different scales. Students learn that political
patterns reflect ideas of territoriality how Earths surface should be organized
which in turn affect a wide range of exercises of power over space and boundaries.
Two major themes are the political geography of the modern state and relationships
between countries. Students are introduced to the different forces that shaped the
evolution of the contemporary world political map. These forces include the rise of
nation-states in Europe, the influence of colonialism, the rise of supranational
organizations, and devolution of states.
Students learn about the basic structure of the political map, the inconsistencies
between maps of political boundaries and maps of ethnic, economic, and
environmental patterns. In addition students consider some of the forces that are
changing the role of individual countries in the modern world, including ethnic
separatism, terrorism, economic globalization, and social and environmental problems
that cross national boundaries, such as climate change. This part of the course also
focuses on subnational and supranational political units. For example, at the scale
above the state, attention is directed to regional alliances, such as NATO, the
European Union, ASEAN, and NAFTA. At the scale below the state, students are
introduced to the ways in which electoral districts, municipalities, indigenous areas,
and autonomous lands affect political, social, and economic processes.
V. Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use

This section of the course explores four themes: the origin and diffusion of
agriculture; the characteristics and processes of the worlds agricultural production
systems and land use; the impact of agricultural change on quality of life and the
environment; and issues in contemporary agriculture. Students examine centers
where domestication originated and study the processes by which domesticated crops
and animals spread. This diffusion process makes clear why distinct regional patterns
emerge in terms of diet, energy use, and the adaptation of biotechnology.
The course also covers the major agricultural production regions of the world.
Extensive activity (fishing, forestry, nomadic herding, ranching, shifting cultivation)
and intensive activity (plantation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock systems, market
gardening, horticulture, large-scale commercial agriculture) are examined, as are
settlement patterns and landscapes typical of each major agriculture type. Students
learn about land survey systems, environmental conditions, sustainability, global food
supply problems, and the cultural values that shape agricultural patterns. In addition
this section presents the roles of women in agricultural production, particularly in
subsistence farming and market economies in the developing world.
Explanations for patterns of rural land use and associated settlements (e.g., von
Thnens land use model) are major concerns. Also important are the impacts of
large-scale agribusiness on food production and consumption. The effects of economic
and cultural globalization on agriculture and the need to increase food supplies and
production capacity conclude this section.
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development

This section of the course presents the geographic elements of industrialization
and economic development, including past and present patterns of industrialization,
types of economic sectors, and how places acquire comparative advantage and
complementarity. Students also learn how models of economic development, such as
Rostows stages of economic growth and Wallersteins World Systems Theory, and
programs like the Millennium Development Goals help to understand why the world
is divided into a more-developed economic core and a less-developed periphery.
Measures of development (e.g., gross domestic product [GDP] per capita, the
Human Development Index [HDI], the Gender Inequality Index [GII], and the Gini
coefficient) are tools to understand patterns of economic differences. The analysis of
contemporary patterns of industrialization and their impact on development is the
third major theme of this section. Topics to be studied include Webers industrial
location theory and accounts of economic globalization, which accent timespace
compression and the international division of labor. As an example, students study the
reasons why some Asian economies achieved rapid rates of growth in the mid- to late
20th century, whereas most sub-Saharan African economies did not. In addition,
students need to understand patterns of economic growth and deindustrialization in a
region such as in North America, where the emergence of service sectors, high
technology, and growth poles (e.g., Silicon Valley, the Research Triangle, universities,
and medical centers) is transforming the contemporary economic landscape.
Countries, regions, and communities must confront new patterns of economic
inequity that are linked to geographies of interdependence in the world economy,
including global financial crises, the shift in manufacturing to newly industrialized
countries (NICs), imbalances in consumption patterns, and the roles of women in the
labor force. Communities also face difficult questions regarding raw material, energy
use, the conservation of resources, and the impact of pollution on the environment
and quality of life.
VII. Cities and Urban Land Use

The course divides urban geography into two subfields. The first is the study of
systems of cities, focusing on where cities are located and why they are there. This
involves an examination of such topics as the current and historical distribution of
cities; the political, economic, and cultural functions of cities; reasons for differential
growth among cities; and types of transportation and communication linkages among
cities. Theories of settlement geography, such as Christallers central place theory, the
rank-size rule, and the gravity model, are introduced. Quantitative information on such
topics as population growth, migration, zones of influence, and employment is used to
analyze changes in the urban hierarchy.
The second subfield focuses on the form, internal structure, and landscapes of
cities and emphasizes what cities are like as places in which to live and work. Students
are introduced to such topics as the analysis of patterns of urban land use, ethnic
segregation, types of intracity transportation, architectural traditions (e.g.,
neoclassical, modern, postmodern), cycles of uneven development, and environmental
justice (e.g., the disproportionate location of polluting industries in low-income or
minority residential areas). Students understanding of cities as places is enhanced by
both quantitative data from the census and qualitative information from narrative
accounts and field studies. Students also study models of internal city structure and
development in the United States and Canada (e.g., the Burgess concentric zone
model, the Hoyt sector model, the HarrisUllman multiple nuclei model, and the
galactic city model) and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories.
Topics such as economic systems, housing finance, culture, architectural history, and
innovations in transportation can be useful in the analysis of spatial patterns of urban
landscapes. Although much of the literature in urban geography focuses on the cities
of North America, comparative urbanization is an increasingly important topic. The
study of European, North African and Middle Eastern, East and South Asian, Latin
American, and sub-Saharan African cities serves to illustrate how differing economic
systems and cultural values can lead to variations in the spatial structures and urban
landscapes.
Students also examine current trends in urban development that are affecting
urban places, such as the emergence of edge cities, new urbanism, smart growth, and
the gentrification of neighborhoods. In addition, students evaluate sustainable urbanplanning design initiatives and community actions, such as the bikeways and walkable
mixed-use commercial and residential developments that reduce energy use and
protect the environments of future cities.
T opic O utline
Following is an outline of the major content areas covered by the AP Human
Geography Exam, as well as the approximate percentages of the multiple-choice
section that are devoted to each area. This outline is a guide and is not intended as an
exclusive list of topics.

Content Area
Percentage
Goals for
Exam
(multiple-choice
section)
I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510%

A. Geography as a field of inquiry

B. Major geographical concepts underlying the geographical perspective:
location, space, place, scale, pattern, nature and society, regionalization,
globalization, and gender issues

C. Key geographical skills

1. How to use and think about maps and geospatial data

2. How to understand and interpret the implications of associations among
phenomena in places

3. How to recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships
among patterns and processes

4. How to define regions and evaluate the regionalization process

5. How to characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places

D. Use of geospatial technologies, such as GIS, remote sensing, global
positioning systems (GPS), and online maps

E. Sources of geographical information and ideas: the field, census data,
online data, aerial photography, and satellite imagery

F. Identification of major world regions (see maps on the following page)
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AP Human Geography: World Regions A Big Picture View
AP Human Geography: World Regions A Closer Look
World regions maps: Many of these regions overlap or have transitional boundaries,
such as Brazil, which is part of Latin America but has Portuguese colonial heritage.
Although some regions are based on culture, others are defined by physiographic
features, such as sub-Saharan Africa, which is the part of the continent south of the
Sahara Desert. Not all geographers agree on how each region is defined. One
geographer may place Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Middle East, but another may
place them in Central Asia as both countries were formerly parts of the Soviet Union.
Likewise some geographers use the term Middle East, whereas others use Southwest
Asia to describe the same region.
11

Content Area
Percentage
Goals for
Exam
(multiple-choice
section)
II. Population and Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Geographical analysis of population

1. Density, distribution, and scale

2. Implications of various densities and distributions

3. Composition: age, sex, income, education, and ethnicity

4. Patterns of fertility, mortality, and health

B. Population growth and decline over time and space

1. Historical trends and projections for the future

2. Theories of population growth and decline, including the Demographic
Transition Model

3. Regional variations of demographic transition

4. Effects of national population policies: promoting population growth in
some countries or reducing fertility rates in others

5. Environmental impacts of population change on water use, food supplies,
biodiversity, the atmosphere, and climate

6. Population and natural hazards: impacts on policy, economy, and society

C. Migration

1. Types of migration: transnational, internal, chain, step, seasonal
agriculture (e.g., transhumance), and rural to urban

2. Major historical migrations

3. Push and pull factors, and migration in relation to employment and
quality of life

4. Refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons

5. Consequences of migration: socioeconomic, cultural, environmental, and
political; immigration policies; remittances
III.

12
Cultural Patterns and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Concepts of culture
1. Culture traits
2. Diffusion patterns
3. Acculturation, assimilation, and multiculturalism
4. Cultural region, vernacular regions, and culture hearths
5. Globalization and the effects of technology on cultures
B. Cultural differences and regional patterns
1. Language and communications
2. Religion and sacred space
3. Ethnicity and nationalism
4. Cultural differences in attitudes toward gender
5. Popular and folk culture
6. Cultural conflicts, and law and policy to protect culture
C. Cultural landscapes and cultural identity
1. Symbolic landscapes and sense of place
2. The formation of identity and place making
3. Differences in cultural attitudes and practices toward the environment
4. Indigenous peoples

Content Area
Percentage
Goals for
Exam
(multiple-choice
section)
IV. Political Organization of Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Territorial dimensions of politics

1. The concepts of political power and territoriality

2. The nature, meaning, and function of boundaries

3. Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange

4. Federal and unitary states, confederations, centralized government, and
forms of governance

5. Spatial relationships between political systems and patterns of ethnicity,
economy, and gender

6. Political ecology: impacts of law and policy on the environment and
environmental justice

B. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern

1. The nation-state concept

2. Colonialism and imperialism

3. Democratization

4. Fall of communism and legacy of the Cold War

5. Patterns of local, regional, and metropolitan governance

C. Changes and challenges to political-territorial arrangements

1. Changing nature of sovereignty

2. Fragmentation, unification, and cooperation

3. Supranationalism and international alliances

4. Devolution of countries: centripetal and centrifugal forces

5. Electoral geography: redistricting and gerrymandering

6. Armed conflicts, war, and terrorism
V.

Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Development and diffusion of agriculture
1. Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
2. Second Agricultural Revolution
3. Green Revolution
4. Large-scale commercial agriculture and agribusiness
B. Major agricultural production regions
1. Agricultural systems associated with major bioclimatic zones
2. Variations within major zones and effects of markets
3. Interdependence among regions of food production and consumption
C. Rural land use and settlement patterns
1. Models of agricultural land use, including von Thnens model
2. Settlement patterns associated with major agriculture types: subsistence,
cash cropping, plantation, mixed farming, monoculture, pastoralism,
ranching, forestry, fishing and aquaculture
3. Land use/land cover change: irrigation, desertification, deforestation,
wetland destruction, conservation efforts to protect or restore natural
land cover, and global impacts
4. Roles of women in agricultural production and farming communities
13

Content Area
Percentage
Goals for
Exam
(multiple-choice
section)
D. Issues in contemporary commercial agriculture

1. Biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms (GMO)
2. Spatial organization of industrial agriculture, including the transition
in land use to large-scale commercial farming and factors affecting the
location of processing facilities
3. Environmental issues: soil degradation, overgrazing, river and aquifer
depletion, animal wastes, and extensive fertilizer and pesticide use
4. Organic farming, crop rotation, value-added specialty foods, regional
appellations, fair trade, and eat-local-food movements
5. Global food distribution, malnutrition, and famine
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Growth and diffusion of industrialization

1. The changing roles of energy and technology

2. Industrial Revolution

3. Models of economic development: Rostows Stages of Economic Growth
and Wallersteins World Systems Theory

4. Geographic critiques of models of industrial location: bid rent, Webers
comparative costs of transportation and industrial location in relation to
resources, location of retailing and service industries, and local economic
development within competitive global systems of corporations and
finance

B. Social and economic measures of development

1. Gross domestic product and GDP per capita

2. Human Development Index

3. Gender Inequality Index

4. Income disparity and the Gini coefficient

5. Changes in fertility and mortality

6. Access to health care, education, utilities, and sanitation

C. Contemporary patterns and impacts of industrialization and development

1. Spatial organization of the world economy

2. Variations in levels of development (uneven development)

3. Deindustrialization, economic restructuring, and the rise of service and
high technology economies

4. Globalization, manufacturing in newly industrialized countries (NICs),
and the international division of labor

5. Natural resource depletion, pollution, and climate change

6. Sustainable development

7. Government development initiatives: local, regional, and national policies

8. Women in development and gender equity in the workforce
14

Content Area
II.
V

Percentage
Goals for
Exam
(multiple-choice
section)
Cities and Urban Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

A. Development and character of cities
1. Origin of cities; site and situation characteristics
2. Forces driving urbanization
3. Borcherts epochs of urban transportation development
4. World cities and megacities
5. Suburbanization processes
B. Models of urban hierarchies: reasons for the distribution and size of cities
1. Gravity model
2. Christallers central place theory
3. Rank-size rule
4. Primate cities
C. Models of internal city structure and urban development: strengths and
limitations of models
1. Burgess concentric zone model
2. Hoyt sector model
3. Harris and Ullman multiple nuclei model
4. Galactic city model
5. Models of cities in Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East,
sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and South Asia
D. Built environment and social space
1. Types of residential buildings
2. Transportation and utility infrastructure
3. Political organization of urban areas
4. Urban planning and design (e.g., gated communities, New Urbanism,
and smart-growth policies)
5. Census data on urban ethnicity, gender, migration, and socioeconomic
status
6. Characteristics and types of edge cities: boomburgs, greenfields, uptowns
E. Contemporary urban issues
1. Housing and insurance discrimination, and access to food stores
2. Changing demographic, employment, and social structures
3. Uneven development, zones of abandonment, disamenity, and
gentrification
4. Suburban sprawl and urban sustainability problems: land and energy use,
cost of expanding public education services, home financing and debt
crises
5. Urban environmental issues: transportation, sanitation, air and water
quality, remediation of brownfields, and farmland protection
15
Sample Questions for Human Geography
T he E x am
The AP Human Geography Exam is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes in length
and includes both a 60-minute multiple-choice section and a 75-minute free-response
section. Each section accounts for half of the students AP Exam score.
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

The following are examples of the kinds of multiple-choice questions that appear on
the AP Human Geography Exam. Additional sample questions can be found at AP
Central (apcentral.collegeboard.org). The distribution of topics and the levels of
difficulty are illustrative of the composition of the exam.
Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly.
Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, and no points are awarded for
unanswered questions. Because points are not deducted for incorrect answers,
students are encouraged to answer all multiple-choice questions. On any questions
students do not know the answer to, students should eliminate as many choices as
they can and then select the best answer among the remaining choices. Answers to
the multiple-choice questions can be found on page 21.
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five
suggested answers or completions. Select the one that best answers the question or
completes the statement.
1. Physiological population density is viewed as a superior measure of population
density for which of the following reasons?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
It is more reflective of population pressure on arable land.

It yields the average population density.
It is more reflective of the worlds largest population concentrations.
It measures the average by dividing total land area by total number of
people.
(e) It best reflects the percentage of a countrys population that is urbanized.
2. Which of the following regions has little dairying in its traditional agriculture?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
16
Eastern Europe
Western Europe
South Asia
East Asia
North America
3.

On the map above, which one of the following boxes is in an area where the
population density is high and the level of economic development is low?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
A
B
C
D
E
4. According to central place theory, the threshold is defined as the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
economic base of a central place

distance away from a central place
gross value of the product minus the costs of production
minimum number of people needed to support a service
point at which consumer movement is at a minimum
5. Outsourced industrial production in less-developed countries often relies on

female labor because
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
men are engaged mainly in agriculture

wage rates for women are much lower than for men
women are more skilled at operating machinery than men are
social taboos prevent women from working in the service sector
women are not protected by international labor laws
6. The spread of specialty coffee shops across the United States in the 1990s is an
example of
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
hierarchical diffusion
contagious diffusion
stimulus diffusion
periodic movement
relocation diffusion
17
7. Which of the following is a subsistence crop?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Corn
Cotton
Rubber
Cocoa
Timber
8. All of the following statements about the geography of meat production in the
United States and Canada are true EXCEPT
(a) Industrial farmers are raising ever-increasing numbers of animals on their
farms.
(b) Animal slaughtering and meat-processing activities are dominated by a few

large corporations.
(c) The development of the poultry industry has made chicken the least
expensive kind of meat consumed in the United States and Canada.
(d) Fast-food restaurants have created a demand for increased standardization
and homogeneity of animals raised for meat.
(e) Consumer demand for organic foods has significantly decreased the amount
of meat produced by most agribusiness firms.
9. Compared with more-developed countries, which of the following statements is
true of less developed countries?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
A higher percent of the labor force is engaged in food production.

The population pyramids exhibit narrower bases.
The per capita consumption of energy is higher.
The natural increase of the population is lower.
Fertility rates are lower.
10. Free-trade zones such as the countries of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) are established to increase the ease and volume of
international trade by
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
increasing diplomatic relations between member states

opening borders to migrant guest workers from member states
establishing a common monetary unit among member states
offering large economic-development loans to poorer member states
eliminating tariffs on goods that cross borders between member states
11. Which of the following best describes the process of gentrification in United
States and Canadian cities?
(a) An increase in construction of new housing for elderly and retired persons
(b) Privately funded redevelopment of existing commercial and residential
buildings
(c) Government-led planning of public spaces such as parks and riverfronts
(d) The sale of naming rights for stadiums and arenas
(e) The expansion of suburban housing developments on the urban periphery
18
12. A formal region defines an area in which

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
a core dominates its surrounding hinterland

a transportation network links different types of land use
there is uniformity in one or more physical or human characteristics
there are significant geographic variations in physical or human
characteristics
(e) a unified government system has been established
13. Squatter settlements exist in cities of less-developed countries because

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
city governments set aside vacant areas for new migrants

people want to live near the center of the city, where jobs are located
affordable housing is not available elsewhere for new migrants to the city
new migrants prefer to live in squatter settlements with other recent
migrants
(e) new migrants need to be isolated from other city residents until they adjust

to urban life
14. What would be the most profitable location for an ethanol manufacturing plant
that converts corn into alcohol for use as an additive for gasoline?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

(e)
Near a large university to facilitate recruitment of highly trained chemists

Near a break-of-bulk point for ease of transportation
Near a navigable river to reduce transportation costs to distant markets
Near a prime corn-producing area to minimize transportation costs of
raw materials
Near a large metropolitan area to serve a major market
15. It is generally agreed that the current trend in climate change is caused by
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
sea-level rise
increased use of fossil fuels
reduction in biodiversity
tilt of Earths axis
changes in the velocity of ocean currents
19
16. Which of the following originated in South Asia and subsequently spread
throughout much of Southeast and East Asia?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Hinduism
Christianity
Buddhism
Sikhism
Confucianism
17. According to the rank-size rule, if the largest city in a region has a population size
of 900,000, then the third largest city will have a population of
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
3,000
9,000
45,000
300,000
900,000
18. Since 1960 Brazil, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Tanzania have relocated
their capital cities. Which of the following statements about the new locations is
true for all five countries?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
A militarily strategic location was chosen.

An isolated location was chosen.
An ethnically mixed location was chosen.
A more central location was chosen.
A coastal location was chosen.
19. Since the 1970s changes in the social roles, lifestyles, and employment patterns of
women in Europe, Canada, and the United States have affected the overall
population through which of the following?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Increased total fertility rates

Decreased total fertility rates
Increased death rates
Decreased death rates
Increased infant mortality rates
20. Which of the following is the primary assumption of environmental determinism?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
20
Human destiny is controlled by the cultural environment.

The physical environment has little influence on humans.
Humans have complete control over the physical environment.
Many human adaptations are possible within a specific physical environment.
The physical environment controls human culture.
21. Environmental laws, labor availability, and access to markets are major factors
affecting which of the following?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Political affiliation
Gross domestic product
Property tax rates
Manufacturing locations
Transportation costs
22. Which of the following is an example of a supranational organization with the

main mission of increasing economic integration?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The European Union
The United Nations
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The United States Federal Reserve
23. Which of the following can be an example of a centrifugal political force?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Homogeneous ethnic population

Strong central government
Variation of language within the country
Shift to tertiary economy
Concentrated ownership of media
Answers to Multiple-Choice Questions

1a
5b
9a
13 c
17 d
21 d
2d
6a
10 e
14 d
18 d
22 b
3c
7a
11 b
15 b
19 b
23 c
4d
8e
12 c
16 c
20 e
21
Sample Free-Response Questions

In the free-response section of the AP Human Geography Exam, students have
75 minutes to answer three constructed-response questions. The score on each
response accounts for one-third of the students total constructed-response score,
so students should spend approximately one-third of their time (25 minutes) on each
question. The questions may require students to synthesize different topical areas and
to analyze and evaluate geographical concepts. Questions may also require students
to supply appropriately selected and well-explained real-world examples to illustrate
geographic concepts. Questions may be based on stimulus material such as verbal
descriptions, maps, graphs, photographs, and diagrams. Students are expected to use
their analytical and organizational skills to formulate responses in narrative form;
bulleted lists are not acceptable as a response. The following are sample questions;
additional sample questions can be found at AP Central.
Directions: You have 75 minutes to answer all three of the following questions. While a
formal essay is not required, it is not enough to answer a question by merely listing
facts. Your answer should be based upon your critical analysis of the question posed. It
is recommended that you spend one-third of your time (25 minutes) on each question.
It is also suggested that you take up to 5 minutes of that time to plan and outline each
answer.
1.

Multiple processes affect the development of large cities worldwide. Define and
explain each of the following terms using a different city from the map above as
an example of each term.
(a) Situation
(b) Deindustrialization
(c) Gentrification
22
2.

Employment structures are the proportion of people working in different sectors
of the economy.
(a) Describe two reasons why a low percentage of people work in jobs in the

tertiary sector of a country like Laos.
(b) Describe two reasons why a low percentage of people work in primary jobs

in countries such as the United States.
(c) Predict and describe how the structure of employment will change as

Brazil becomes more developed.
3. Less than 3 percent of employment in the United States is from on-farm
agricultural activity. However, agriculture continues to be an important part of the
United States economy.
(a) Identify and describe three reasons why agriculture continues to be an
important part of the United States economy.
(b) Identify and describe two reasons why the United States imports some
agricultural products rather than producing them domestically.
23
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AP Course Descriptions are updated regularly. Please visit AP Central

The College Board

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About the AP Program

Offering AP Courses and Enrolling Students

How AP Courses and Exams Are Developed

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Understand and explain the implications of associations and networks among

Teaching the Course

II. Population and Migration

III. Cultural Patterns and Processes

IV. Political Organization of Space

V. Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use

VI. Industrialization and Economic Development

VII. Cities and Urban Land Use

I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510%

AP Human Geography: World Regions A Big Picture View

AP Human Geography: World Regions A Closer Look

II. Population and Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

Cultural Patterns and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

IV. Political Organization of Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

D. Issues in contemporary commercial agriculture

VI. Industrialization and Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

Cities and Urban Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1317%

Sample Questions for Human Geography

Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

It is more reflective of population pressure on arable land.

Sample Questions for Human Geography

4. According to central place theory, the threshold is defined as the

economic base of a central place

5. Outsourced industrial production in less-developed countries often relies on

men are engaged mainly in agriculture

Sample Questions for Human Geography

7. Which of the following is a subsistence crop?

A higher percent of the labor force is engaged in food production.

increasing diplomatic relations between member states

Sample Questions for Human Geography

12. A formal region defines an area in which

a core dominates its surrounding hinterland

13. Squatter settlements exist in cities of less-developed countries because

city governments set aside vacant areas for new migrants

Near a large university to facilitate recruitment of highly trained chemists

Sample Questions for Human Geography

A militarily strategic location was chosen.

Increased total fertility rates

20. Which of the following is the primary assumption of environmental determinism?

Human destiny is controlled by the cultural environment.

Sample Questions for Human Geography

22. Which of the following is an example of a supranational organization with the

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

23. Which of the following can be an example of a centrifugal political force?

Homogeneous ethnic population

Answers to Multiple-Choice Questions

Sample Questions for Human Geography

Sample Free-Response Questions

Sample Questions for Human Geography

Resources for AP Teachers

College Board Store