Question

The ethnic makeup of a city as a result of immigration is an example of what themes of geography? A. location and region B. place and movement C. place and region D. movement and human-environment interaction

Short answer

B. place and movement

Step-by-step solution

Understand Themes of Geography

The five themes of geography consist of location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. Understand each theme: 1. Location - Describes the position of a place on Earth’s surface. 2. Place - Describes the physical and human characteristics that make a location unique. 3. Human-Environment Interaction - Explains how humans adapt to and modify their environment. 4. Movement - Involves the transportation of people, goods, and ideas from one place to another. 5. Region - Describes areas that can be grouped together by a set of things special to that region.

Analyze the Question

The question is asking which themes of geography apply to the ethnic makeup of a city as a result of immigration. Focus on the process described: results of immigration (movement of people) and the description of a city's ethnic makeup (characteristics of a place).

Match Themes to the Scenario

1. Movement fits because it involves immigration, which is the movement of people from one place to another. 2. Place fits because it describes the characteristics (ethnic makeup) that make the city unique due to immigration.

Compare Options

A. Location and region - Incorrect, as it doesn’t describe the movement of people or characteristics of the place. B. Place and movement - Correct, matches both themes as explained. C. Place and region - Partially correct but missing the movement aspect. D. Movement and human-environment interaction - Incorrect, human-environment interaction is not directly relevant here.

Key concepts

Location

Location describes the position of a place on Earth’s surface. There are two types of location:

• Absolute Location: Uses coordinates like latitude and longitude to pinpoint a place exactly.
• Relative Location: Describes a place in relation to other landmarks or places.

For example, the absolute location of Cairo, Egypt is approximately 30.0444° N latitude and 31.2357° E longitude. However, its relative location might be described as north of the Sahara Desert and along the Nile River.

Place

Place refers to the physical and human characteristics that make a location unique.

• Physical Characteristics: Natural features like mountains, rivers, and climate.
• Human Characteristics: Include cultural aspects like language, religion, architecture, and ethnicity.

In our exercise, the ethnic makeup of a city as a result of immigration fits into the 'place' theme. This is because the unique ethnic or cultural traits resulting from immigration define the human characteristics of the city.

Human-Environment Interaction

Human-environment interaction explains how people adapt to, modify, and depend on their environment.

• Adaptation: Adjusting lifestyles and habits to fit the environment, like wearing warm clothing in cold climates.
• Modification: Changing the environment to suit human needs, like building dams or deforestation.
• Dependence: Relying on the environment for resources such as water, food, and raw materials.

Although human-environment interaction is a key theme in geography, it is not directly relevant in this particular exercise about immigration and ethnic makeup.

Movement

Movement involves the transportation of people, goods, and ideas from one place to another. This can include:

• People: Immigration, migration, travel, commuting.
• Goods: Trade, shipping, distribution of products.
• Ideas: Spread of culture, technology, and knowledge.

In our exercise, movement is crucial as it involves the immigration of people into the city, which results in changes to the city’s ethnic makeup and cultural diversity.

Region

A region is an area that is defined by certain similar characteristics, which could be physical, human, or functional.

• Physical Regions: Defined by natural features such as mountain ranges or climate zones.
• Human Regions: Defined by cultural traits like language, religion, and politics.
• Functional Regions: Defined by a function like a metropolitan area served by a city’s infrastructure.

Understanding regions helps in comparing different areas and comprehending how they operate both independently and collectively. Though regions are significant in geography, in this exercise, the primary focus is more on movement and place as they better describe the effects of immigration.