Review for Licensure Examination for Teachers

Area: SOCIAL SCIENCE

Focus: Geography (Philippine and World)

Part I: Content Update

NATURE OF GEOGRAPHY

Geography is the study of spatial variation of the Earth’s surface and of

humankind’s relation to the environment. Of essential concern to the
geographer are spatial patterns and the interrelations of climate, landforms,
vegetation, soils, population, economic activities, and political units, either on
a global scale or in a more limited area.

The word Geography is derived from the Greek, meaning “Earth

description. There are two principal approaches to the study of geography have
developed: Topical and Regional. The branches of Geography are Physical
Geography (Geomorphology, Biogeograhy, Climatology) and Human Geography
(Cultural geography, Population geography, Economic geography, Historical
geography, Political geography and Urban geography)

Gerardus Mercator, b. Mar. 5, 1512, d. Dec. 2, 1594, was a Flemish

cartographer and geographer best known for mapping work, especially the
Mercator projection. A cartographer (mapmaker) begins making a map by
reducing the surface of the Earth in size. But globe is still considered as the
best representation of the earth.

Map is one of the most versatile of human creations, are useful for
activities from the sciences to the arts. The goal of these projections is to
reproduce the Earth, or a portion of it, with a minimum of distortion. Different
projections have specific properties that make them useful for particular
purposes like Conformal projects, Equal-area projections, Mercator projection,
Lambert azimuthal projection and the Albers conic projections.

In terms of imaginary lines, the latitude of a point on the Earth’s surface

is the distance north or south of the equator. Lines of latitude, or parallels,
extend east and west at precise intervals from the equator, which is the 0º
parallel. Because the latitude lines are drawn around the Earth’s sphere, they
can be divided, as a circle can be, into degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Longitude is a position on the Earth’s surface indicating the distance

east or west of Greenwich, England, the prime meridian. The imaginary half-
circles connecting the points of the same longitude, from the North Pole to the
South Pole, are called meridians. On the opposite side of the globe from
Greenwich is the International Date Line, 180º West or East. The International
Date Line is an imaginary line that runs approximately along the 180º
meridian in the Pacific Ocean.

The South Pole is the location marking the southern end of the Earth’s
axis. It is found in the Arctic Ocean at 90º north latitude, where all meridians
of longitude intersect.

PHILIPPINES
 Many of the more than 7,000 volcanic islands that constitute the
Philippine archipelago are uninhabited; the 11 largest islands account for more
than 94% of the total area. The archipelago extends for more than 800 km
(500 miles) from Luzon in the north, through the Visayan Islands (including
Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Samar, and Panay) in the center, to Mindanao and the
Sulu Archipelago in the south. The terrain is generally mountainous, rising to
a high point of 2,954 m (9,692 ft) at Mount Apo, a volcano on Mindanao. Only
Luzon and Mindanao have extensive lowland areas. The Pacific floor under the
Philippines is unstable, with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The
1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, in Central Luzon, was one of the worst
eruptions of the century.

The Philippines has a tropical climate, with a mean of annual lowland

temperature of about 27º C (80ºF temperatures vary more between day and
night and high and low altitudes than between seasons. About 90% of the
country receives more than 1,780 mm (70 in) of rainfall a year. Rainfall is
heaviest from October to April in the east and from June to November in the
west, and windward areas is wetter and leeward ones. Much of the land is
hilly, eroded, and unfit for human habitation, but fertile volcanic soils are
found on Luzon, Mindanao, and parts of Negros. The forests that once covered
80% of the land are being rapidly depleted.

Although, the people of the Philippines speak a variety of Austronesian

languages and are scattered across many islands, they have a relatively high
degree of cultural homogeneity. The uses of the Filipino and English languages
in the schools, and rural-to-urban migration have contributed to a sense of
national identity. The 97,976,603 (July 2009 est.) million Filipinos are mixture
of Malay and Mongoloid racial elements, with some admixture of Chinese,
Indian, Spanish, and American. The leading ethno linguistic groups are the
Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Pampangans, Bicolanos, and Hiligaynon of Luzon and the
Cebuanos, Ilongos, and Waray-Waray of the Visayan Islands. These groups,
constituting more than 90% of the population, are predominantly Roman
Catholic while Islam is strongest in the Sulu Archipelago and parts of Southern
Mindanao.

The Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia and higher
education is greatly valued, although the Philippine economy cannot absorb all
college graduates. On the other hand, Manila provides excellent medical
facilities, but a shortage of trained medical personnel exists in rural areas.

Rice and corn are the staple food crops. Agriculture now contributes less
than one-fourth of the gross domestic product (GDP). Land is unequally
distributed about 70% of all peasants are landless, and large landowners
exercise economic and political power to the detriment of the
peasantry. Land reform has been on every government’s agenda since 1946,
but little meaningful redistribution has occurred. In 1996 industry provided
about one-third of the GDP, with the service sector increasing to about 46%.
By 1997, however, electronics constituted more than half of the nation’s total
exports.

ASIA

Asia is the largest of all the continents and includes within its limits an
area of 44,444,100 km2 (17,159,995 mi2), or about 33% of the world’s total
land surface. Asia is by far the most populous of all the continents, with an
estimated population in 3,780,819,792 (2008), or more than 53.6% of the
world’s total population. The population is, however, diverse and divided by
language, race, religion, politics, economics, and cultural into a complex
cultural mosaic.

The nations of Asia are usually grouped into five main geographical and
political-cultural subdivisions: Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia,
Southeast Asia and Central/North Asia. The topography of Asia comprises a
series of high mountain belts, which are the dominant landforms, and a related
complex of plateaus, basins, island arcs, and alluvial lowlands. The highest
point in Mount Everest, which towers to 8,848 m (29,028 ft) in Nepal; the
lowest point is 395 m (1,296 ft) below sea level along the shores of the Dead
Sea in Israel and Jordan. The highest is the Tibetan Plateau, which has an
average elevation of over 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and is bordered by some of the
world’s highest mountains, including the Himalayas on the south, the
Karakoram on the west, and the Kunlun Mountain on the north. This entire
complex of high mountains and plateaus is often referred to as the “roof of the
world.”

According to plate tectonics theory, Asia, together with the ancestral

cores of all the other continents, formed the supercontinent known as Pangaea
and a large sea called Tethys. Three broad climatic realms may be
distinguished in Asia. They are: monsoon Asia, dry Asia, and cold Asia.

About 60% of Asia’s school-age children attend school. Literacy varies

markedly from one Asian country to another. In addition, the rates of infant
mortality are higher in India and the Middle East than in China and are lowest
in the industrial developed countries of Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore. The
average life expectancy of Asians is 65 years. In Japan, life expectancy is 80
years, while in Afghanistan it is only 46 years. Death rates throughout the
world have been reduced as a result of improved nutrition and medical care,
although it is estimated that 10 million Asians will die of AIDS before 2015.
Asia also contained 9 of the world’s 14 largest megacities, including Tokyo, the
world’s largest.

More than 90% of the entire world’s rice is grown in Asia; agriculture in
much of the Southeast Asia was adversely affected by an El Niño induced
drought. Asia’s greatest wealth of mineral resources furnishes the raw
materials for much of the world’s industrial establishments. Among the fuels,
in 1993 Asia produced about 40% of the world’s total oil supply.

Political unrest is apparent in many developing Asian countries, such

unrest stems from discontent with land ownership patterns, the widening gap
between rich and poor in almost all Asian nations, ethnic conflicts, and
dislocations resulting from urbanization and industrialization.
Industrialization is widely promoted as the solution for economic growth and
protective and military device for a politically fragmented continent. Major
cooperative ventures include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), Arab League, established in 1945 to promote Arab unity; the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), while the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) group seeks trade liberalization within the entire
Pacific basin.

AFRICA
 Africa is the second-largest continent after Asia. It is separated from
Asia by the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Suez, and the Red Sea, and from Europe by
the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded by the
Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Indian Ocean on the east.

The earliest-known hominid fossils have been found in Africa in Ethiopia,

Kenya, and Tanzania. The continent was also the home of one of the world’s
oldest civilizations of ancient Egypt. The modern European colonization of
Africa was begun by the Portuguese in the 15 th and 16th centuries, but the
interior of what Europeans called the “Dark Continent” was not explored or
colonized until the 19th century. By the nearly 20 th century nearly all of Africa
had been subjected to European rule.

Africa has a number of outstanding natural features that have influenced

its history and development. The northern coastal area is separated from the
rest of the continent by the Sahara, the largest desert in the world. Rising
above this plateau are Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m/19,340 ft), a semiactive
volcano and Africa’s highest peak. The climates of Africa are predominantly
tropical. Rainfall decreases poleward from the equator to the Sahara, Kalahari,
and Namib deserts. There is increasing evidence that much of Africa is
becoming progressively drier. The Nile River, the world’s longest (6650
km/4,132 mi), the Congo, Africa’s second-longest river and third-longest river,
the Niger. Only few areas of Africa possess fertile soils, while animal life in is
remarkable for its great diversity.

Few of its states are ethnically homogenous, and few have developed a
strong sense of national unity. For centuries traditional values prevailed,
Africans identified first and foremost with members of their own tribe or nation
and avoided or competed with those who spoke a different language and were
of a different culture. The imposition of colonial boundaries without regard for
the indigenous cultural mosaic further divided the African people. The number
of languages spoken in Africa has been variously estimated at between 800 and
1,700. The multilinguistic nature of most states has hindered nationalism.
The dominant religion of northern Africa is Islam, which replaced Christianity
in the 7th century.

Educational standards, facilities, and programs very considerably and

reflect differences in class, ethnicity, sex, and location. There is an urgent
need to improve general health and nutritional standards in Africa. At present,
AIDS is a growing problem, especially in central Africa. In 1998 it was
estimated that 21 million of the 30 million people in the world infected with the
AIDS (or HIV) virus lived in Africa.

Africa’s population numbered some 922,011,000 (2005), if this will

continue at its present rate, it will double by the year 2025. Africa is the most
rural and least urbanized of the continents. Despite Africa’s great natural
resources and energy potentials, industrialization is in its infancy due to
insufficient capital technology, political instability, a poorly trained workforce,
a small purchasing power, and economic policies and practices determined
outside of Africa.

NORTH AMERICA
 The continent’s land area places its third in size among the seven
continents, smaller only than Asia and Africa. The Caribbean Islands may be
combined with Mexico and Central America and described, collectively, as
Middle America. It is extended in the northwest by the peninsula of Alaska
and its Aleutian Island chain, in the northeast by the world’s largest island
(Greenland), in the southeast by Florida’s peninsula, and in the southwest by
Mexico and the land bridge to South America. In addition, the islands of the
Caribbean Sea are also often included in the physical definition of North
America.

The region has a continental climate, characterized by a wide seasonal

temperature range and periods of intermittent aridity. The northern plains are
colder than the southern portion, and the eastern portion of the region is more
humid than the western. Because of the east-west climatic division of the
interior Plains, the drier western portion is often referred to as the Great Plains,
with the remainder still called the Interior Plains.

The agricultural resources of North America are suitable for agriculture.

The United States and Canada, however, are among the world’s primary food
exporters. Mineral fuel resources coal, petroleum, and natural gas are found
in abundance in North America. About 7% of the world’s reserves of petroleum
and natural gas are found in North America.

Of the more than 400 million people in North America, almost 60% are
located in the United Sates and another 20% live in Mexico. Differences in
population growth rates are most marked between Middle America and the two
larger northern countries. In North America, the overwhelming majority are
Christian and North America’s agriculture may be the most productive on
Earth.

Two issues between the United States and Mexico illustrate their
interdependence. Northwestern Mexico, like the U.S. Southwest, is dry, and
most of the irrigation water in the region is drawn from the south-flowing
Colorado River. At U.S. demands on this limited supply increased, farmers
south of the border complained that an international river has been
appropriated for only one country’s needs. Bilateral discussions were begun
but have so far failed to settle the issue. Despite rapid economic growth in
Mexico, the country’s fast-growing population has maintained many people in
poverty. The growth of southwestern U.S. cities has led many Mexicans,
perhaps by the hundreds of thousands annually, to cross the border illegally in
search of employment. Even the most stringent efforts by the United States
have failed to stem this flow, and the social, economic, and political issues
involved remained tangled and sensitive.

SOUTH AMERICA

South America is the world’s fourth-largest continent; it is smaller than

North America but larger than Antarctica. It has a number of outstanding
features. The Andes, which parallel the western side of the continent, form the
longest mountain chain in the world. The Amazon River surpasses all others
in volume of flow, and the Amazon Basin is the world’s largest area of tropical
rain forest. The continent is part of Latin America, so named because most of
its settlers during the colonial period came from the Iberian Peninsula. The
cultural characteristics brought with these immigrants included the Spanish
and Portuguese languages, and the Roman Catholic religion.
 Many factors affect the climate of South America. Latitude is the most
significant of these. Tropicality is the dominant feature of South America’s
climate, and much of the continent remains frost free throughout the year and
the other factor is the Altitude. Northwestern South America is affected by the
seasonal ocean current known as El Niño. Major climate types are found in
South America: tropical rainy climate, and the semiarid climates dominates the
coast of Peru and northern Chile.

South America’s racial heritage stems from three basic sources:

Caucasian, African and Indian. The Europeans imported thousands of black
slaves from Africa, the largest number brought to Brazil and Colombia. They
also intermarried with their masters, creating a new racial type known as the
mulatto, while Indian women intermarried with the European conquerors, and
from these unions a new race was born – the mestizo. Spanish is the official
language of nine countries in South America. In Brazil, the people speak
several dialects of Portuguese. Roman Catholicism is found throughout South
America.

One natural phenomenon that periodically has a devastating effect on

South America is the seasonal ocean called El Niño, while mountains in the
Andes mountain range are volcanic and origin. Here volcanoes and
earthquakes go hand in hand.

South America is engaged in a period of rapid political, social and

economic change. The continent is moving politically toward democracy, and it
has enormous untapped natural resources like rich supplies of raw materials,
and an increasingly well-educated population. All of these factors can
contribute to an improvement in living standards for the poor and to regional
political and economic stability. While internal insurrections and problems
created by narcotraficantes, or international drug traffickers, have hampered
development in some South American nations like in Colombia. In Colombia,
the illegal trade in drugs is thought to be comparable in value to that of
Colombia’s legal exports.

ANTARCTICA

Antarctica is the fifth-largest and southernmost continent. Its position

at the South Pole, together with its elevation and ice-and-snow cover, generates
the coldest climate on Earth. At least at third of the coastline (about 30,000
km/18,600 mi) is hidden beneath perennial ice.

The summer population is several thousand, but only a few hundred

scientists and support personnel stay during the winter. They live in
semitransparent bases.

Offshore petroleum and natural gas have more economic potential.

Fishing boats take whales, seal, and krill (small protein-rich crustaceans) from
the surrounding ocean. Growing controversy surrounding the issues of
environmental protection and resource development Antarctica was fueled by
oil spills there in 1989.
 Antarctica has two topographies, one of perennial snow and ice (about 2
km/1.24 mi thick) and one of land. The discovery in 1982 of the fossil remains
of the first land mammal found in Antarctica supports this theory. Other fossil
evidence (including dinosaur remains, first found in 1986) indicates that
Antarctica once had a climate milder than its present one. Most of the life on
and around the Antarctica continent is supported by the sea, because the
continent itself is barren. The life consists primarily of a few species of lichens
and mosses. A fairly large number of fish species are found in the Antarctica,
but they are small in size or few in number. The birds of the Antarctica
ecosystem include penguins, albatroses, and petrels. Seven species of
penguins are confined to the pack ice region; they constitute more than 89% of
the birds in the Antarctica region, while Antarctica marine mammals include
the seal and the whale.

The vast area of snow and ice reflects about three-fourths of the
incoming radiation. Most precipitation falls as snow. The bulk of the
precipitation comes from the cyclonic storms that diverge into the interior from
the ocean. The continent also has the strongest sustained westerly winds on
Earth. In the mid-1980s atmospheric studies showed that an ozone “hole”, a
dramatic drop in ozone concentration in an area of the ozone layer above the
continent was appearing and then disappearing each Antarctica spring.
Studies of past records revealed that this had been occurring for several years.

Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only, supports freedom of

scientific investigation, and froze all territorial claims.

EUROPE

Europe is the second to the smallest continent, its geographical units is

not clearly defined. It is physically attached to Asia and forms the western end
of the immense Eurasian land mass. For historical reasons it has been treated
as a separate continent.

The traditional physical boundary of the eastern edge of Europe is a line

following the Ural Mountains and the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, westward
through the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea, and through the channel
often called the Turkish straits that includes the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara
and the Dardanelles. This boundary splits Russia between Europe and Asia.
It also means that most of Turkey is outside Europe. This last contains
Istanbul (Constantinople), which historically was an important European city;
it was the heart of the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Turkey,
like Russia, has historic ties to both Europe and Asia.

Although it includes the western part of the vast country of Russia,

Europe is still a relatively small continent; only Australia is smaller. Europe
contains just 7% of the world’s land area and about 10% of its population.
More than half of Europe’s 43 countries have a population of less than 10
million. Only six European countries have populations of more than 50
million.

The highest elevations in Europe are in the Caucasus Mountains (Mount

Elbrus, 5,633m/18,481 feet) and the Alps (Mont Blanc, 4,807 m/15,771 ft).
The coastline of Europe is very irregular due to numerous peninsulas, bays
and islands. Consequently this small continent has a very long coastline
(estimated at 80,500 km/50,000 m), longer than that of Africa.
 Europe has three dominant zones; Mediterranean in the south,
continental in the east, and maritime in the west. Europe does not have any
land areas where the weather is regularly violent. Of the entire world’s
continents Europe probably has least of its original forest and vegetation
remaining. Most major rivers of Western Europe originate in the Alps or
mountains of central Europe.

Most modern Europeans are descendants from the Germanic peoples,

Slavs, Celts, Romans and Greeks. Christianity is the traditional religion of
most Europeans but Judaism is also a traditional religion in many parts of
Europe. The Jewish population is much smaller now than it was before World
War II, largely because of the millions of Jews who perished in the Nazi
Holocaust while Islam is practiced in areas of the Balkans. It is also noted that,
at the end of the 20th century significant numbers of people had no religious
affiliation.

The population of Europe (including the European part of Russia) is

approximately 730 million (2005) or about 11% of the world’s population.
Vatican City with around 1,000 people is the world’s smallest sovereign state.
By world standards literacy rates are very high throughout Europe. It was the
cradle of the Industrial Revolution in cities such as London, Paris, and Berlin.
In the late 20th century it experienced a gradual shift toward a service-based
economy. Tourism emerged in the second half of the 20 th century as one of the
fastest growing industries in Europe. It has a dense network of rail, road, and
air transportation facilities, especially in lowland areas. There are not over 100
major airports, mostly international and serving London, Paris, Amsterdam,
Frankfurt, and Rome, which are the key international air hubs.

An increasing amount of trade is in the form of “invisible” products

connected with the rapid growth of international financial activity. This is
especially true of London, which, along with New York and Tokyo, is now of
three leading financial centers in the world. At present the European Union
(EU) member countries adopted a common currency, the Euro.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is the world’s smallest continent, its sixth-largest country, one

of the world’s oldest landmasses, the flattest continent, and (after Antarctica)
the driest one. Nearly one-third of the continent is in the tropics, and the rest
is in the temperate zone. The population density is low; Australia’s geographic
isolation has produced a unique flora and fauna.

A self-governing member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Australia

celebrated its bicentennial in 1988. It is a federation of five mainland states
(New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia),
and one island state (Tasmania), with three territories (Australian Capital
Theory, Jervis Bay Territory, and Northern Territory). Australia ranks as one of
the world’s most economically developed countries.
 The climate of Australia varies with latitude. The northern part of the
continent is tropical and influenced by the trade winds. The southern parts lie
in the belt of westerly winds and have a more temperature climate.

Australia possesses enormous mineral resources. It is the sixth-largest

producer and biggest exporter of black coal in the world, fourth-largest
producer of iron ore, largest producer of bauxite and alumina, largest producer
of lead, the second of zinc, and the sixth of silver in the Western world.
Australia is also the largest producer of diamonds (although few of its
diamonds are of gem quality).

In 1996, Australia’s population was more than double that of 1945.

Immigration continues to play an important role in population increase. Prior
to permanent European settlement in Australia, the continent was populated
by a number of diverse groups of hunter-gatherer peoples, who as usually
referred to as “Aborigines”. Australia’s population is highly urbanized and it
has a mature, well-diversified economy. It is also considered as one of the
world’s most industrialized nations. Food processing is the leading industry in
terms of both value and employment.

OCEANIA a name used to refer to the widely scattered islands of the

central and southern Pacific Ocean; Australia and New Zealand are frequently
included. Virtually all of the islands are volcanic peaks or tiny coralline atolls
built upon submerged volcanic bases. The islands of Oceania are usually
divided into three major groups: Melanesia (“black islands”) includes the large
quasi-continental islands immediately north and east of Australia, from New
Guinea to New Caledonia. Micronesia (little islands) is almost exclusively
composed of tiny atolls dotting the western Pacific. Polynesia (many islands) is
an immense region in the central Pacific, those islands farthest removed from
Asia. It includes both large volcanic islands and coral atolls within a triangle
connecting Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand.

Agriculture is the basis of the economy for most of Oceania, products like
coffee, and cocoa.
PART II: ANALYZING TEST ITEMS

Direction: Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. The following statements refer to the characteristics of the Philippines as

one of the important territories of Asia, except for one
A. It is a tropical country and geographically located in the
northeastern part of the world.
B. Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia with
existing policy of free and compulsory six years in elementary.
C. The establishment of the first Philippine Republic gave birth to the
first constitutional democracy in Asia
D. The free port of Manila is one of the world’s busiest ports,
compared with other Southeast Asian nations

Answer: D

Option A is definitely correct since the geographical coordinates of the

Philippines is 4º23’ - 21º30’ North Latitude and 116º 00’ -127º 00’East Longitude.
Option B is also correct with a literacy rate of 93.5% is high compared with
other Asian countries.
Option C is already an established fact among our history books and
historically recognized.
Option D is the incorrect statement since Singapore is the true busiest free
port in Southeast Asia and Manila people has to work even harder to gain its
reputation considering that it has one of the best natural harbors in the world.

2. Globes are essentially important tool in the study of Geography. A map

is more convenient to use but all map
presentation of distance and shapes.
among the known mapping projections
and shape of the earth’s land masses?
A. Azimuthal Mapping
B. Conformal Mapping
projections have some errors in
Given these conditions, which
will we use to give the true size
C. Equal Area Mapping
D. Equidistant Mapping

Answer: C

Option A is a map projection that preserves true directions from a control

point to other points on the maps. This type of map is very popular for navigation but
it shows only half of the world either North Pole or the South Pole as the center.
Option B is map projection that preserves angles around individual points and
shapes of small areas. These projections are often identified by the interaction of
meridians and parallels at right angles.
Option D is map projection that preserves the distance of Great Circles
Routes. Great Circles Routes refers to meridians and their bisection of the earth into
two equal halves. It is very important because they represent the shortest distance
between two points in earth but this mapping projection has a limited ability to hold
true distance on a global scale.
Option C is the right answer since this kind of projection recognizes the
interaction of parallels and meridians. It does not indicate shape distortion and
generally preserve the most important property required in maps, which is AREA.
Equal area Map is often needed for analytical test and comparing area and its impact
on the entire projection of the map. For example, Asia represents the 15% of the
earth’s surface, Equal Area projection will also shows 15% on the map. It is important
to determine the intended use of the map that will best suit our needs.
3. Most scientists believe that El Niño phenomenon which was greatly
experiences in 1982, 1983 occurred when trade winds that normally
blow from east to west slow down and actually change direction. The
winds blow warm water toward South America where the normal weather
patterns are changed for a time. Given this global change, which among
the following conditions is not considered as direct effect of the El Niño
phenomenon?
A. Occurrences of hurricanes and heavy rainfall in the mid-Pacific
region in a normal condition
B. Some species of fish like cold-water loving salmon disappeared
along the west coast of the United States but tuna and shrimp
were attracted to the warm waters
C. The gradual warming of the earth is known as the Greenhouse
effect could dramatically change climates worldwide
D. Water temperature in some parts of the Pacific Ocean rose to as
much as 14 degrees higher than to normal condition
Answer: C
Option C is not considered as direct effect of El Niño phenomenon because
Greenhouse effect is caused by the pollution generally coming from industries burning
fuels and use of chemicals like Chlorofluorocarbons or CFC’s.
Option A, B and D are all conditions experienced by territories within the
Pacific basin, where most hurricanes, similar to typhoons are formed. Due to changes
in the normal weather pattern, temperatures of water in some parts of the world were
drastically changed from cold to warm and vice versa.

4. China has over one fifth of the world’s population and its leaders believe
that its large population hinders the economic progress of the country
and to address this problem they want to achieve equal death rate and
birth rate in population. This government action to limit the population
is known as the
A. Baby Boom C. Population pyramid
B. Population distribution D. Zero population growth

Answer: D
Option D is incorrect since this term refers to a period of extremely high birth
rates.
Option B is known as the population pattern of the world that shows the
continent or countries with large or small population.
Option C is also incorrect because population pyramids are use by
demographers (people who study human population of an area at a glance whether the
population of an area is mostly old or young male or female). It also tells the life
expectancy and growth rate in a particular area.
Option D is the correct answer because this policy seeks a condition wherein
death rate and birthrate are equal and therefore population does not increase year after
year.

5. Given the current condition of Africa, it is still considered as the most

rural and least urbanized continent in the world. With these
characteristics, which among the following sentences is the least
contributory factor to the current socio-political and economic problems
of Africa?
 A. Few states are ethnically homogenous and infancy of a strong
sense of national unity among tribal leaders
B. Insufficient capital technology, political instability and poorly
trained workforce to push development among the African nations
C. The increasing percentage of school-age children who did not
attend school low literacy rate and a grate number of world’s AIDS
deaths
D. The replacement of Christianity among the Islamized society in
Africa along with the continuous practice of animism among few
villages

Answer: D
Recent condition of Africa is still considered as the most rural and least
developed continent in the world due to traditional values like tribalism and
multilinguistic society that hindered the development of national unity among
Africans, so Option A is definitely a contributory factor to the current socio-political
and economic problems of Africa.
Option B is also a major economic problem among African nations but South
Africa is trying to industrialized its country.
Option C is the worst condition in terms of education due to increasing
number of students not attending classes that resulted to a very low literacy among
African natives and the alarming 90% of the world’s accounted AIDS victims.
Option D is the least contributory factor to the current socio-political and
economic problems of Africa because various religious practices are being tolerated in
most parts of Africa.

6. The biggest and most populated island in the Philippine Archipelago

A. Cebu D. Mindanao
B. Leyte E. Negros
C. Luzon

7. As of 1996, what sector of Philippine economy shows an increase near to

50%?
A. Agricultural Sector D. Service Sector
B. Energy Sector E. Tourism Sector
C. Mining Sector

8. Which of the following is not included in the main geographical and

political-cultural subdivisions of Asia?
A. North Asia D. Southeast Asia
B. Northwest Asia E. Southwest Asia
C. South Asia

9. This continent is the largest and it covers almost 33% of the earth’s
surface. It is consider as the most diverse continent and home for
earliest civilization and major religions of the world
A. Africa D. Europe
B. Asia E. North America
C. Austria and Oceania

10. Which area of the world has been described as the “symbol of worldwide
demographic, environmental and societal stress/problems”?
A. Africa D. North America
B. Asia E. South America
C. Austria/Oceania
11. Which of the following continent is considered as the world’s most
productive in agriculture?
A. Africa D. North America
B. Australia and Oceania E. South America
C. Europe

12. If the Caribbean Islands may be combined with Mexico and Central
America, it could be collectively and properly described as:
A. Latin America D. South America
B. Middle America E. The Americas
C. North America

13. The name “Oceania” is widely used to refer to the scattered group of
islands
A. Central and Southern Pacific Ocean D. Micronesia (Little islands)
B. Central and Western Pacific Ocean E. Polynesia (Many islands)
C. Melanesia (Black Islands)

14. What country is considered as largest producer of Diamond, although

few of its diamonds are of gem quality?
A. Australia D. New Zealand
B. Canada E. South Africa
C. Mexico

15. The world’s largest island is:

A. Australia D. Greenland
B. China E. Madagascar
C. Iceland

16. What sea is often included in the physical definition of North America?
A. Baltic Sea D. Read Sea
B. Caribbean Sea E. South China Sea
C. Mediterranean Sea

17. It is the longest mountain chain in the world

A. Andes D. Kunlun
B. Himalayas E. Pamir
C. Karakoram

18. What religious group suffered heavily in Europe during the Nazi
Holocaust?
A. Atheist D. Jewish
B. Buddhist E. Muslim
C. Christian

19. Most of the people in Latin America during the colonial period came from
what known place in the world?
A. Amazon Rainforest D. Oceania
B. Andes Mountain E. Scandinavian
C. Iberian Peninsula

20. It is considered as one of the worst eruption of the century that almost
affects the earth’s atmosphere due to its ash falls
A. Mt. Hibuk-Hibok D. Mt. Pinatubo
B. Mt. Kanlaon E. Taal Volcano
 C. Mt. Mayon

21. Which part of the earth where we can experience six (6) months of
continuous daylight and six (6) months continuous darkness each year?
A. Greenland D. North Pole
B. Greenwich, England E. Pacific Ocean
C. Iceland

22. In what part of the world can you approximately find the International
Date Line (IDL)?
A. Atlantic Ocean D. Pacific Ocean
B. Greenwich, England E. South Pole
C. North Pole

23. In what part of the world can you find the longest and largest coral reef
which is also known s the “Great Barrier Reef”?
A. Africa D. North America
B. Australia E. South America
C. Europe

24. It is a common knowledge that all bodies of water are interconnected

with one another but this ocean covers 1/3 of the world from Arctic to
Antartica
A. Arctic Ocean D. Pacific Ocean
B. Indian Ocean E. South Atlantic Ocean
C. North Atlantic Ocean

25. Which of the following countries is not part of the Association of the
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)?
A. Malaysia D. Taiwan
B. Philippines E. Thailand
C. Singapore

26. Among the South American nations, this country is the only Portuguese
speaking country
A. Argentina D. Mexico
B. Brazil E. Peru
C. Chile

27. The first African nation that tried to establish industrialization to lessen
the worsening unemployment rate of the country
A. Bostwana D. South Africa
B. Egypt E. Zaire
C. Kenya

28. It is known to the ancient and modern world that this is the home of rich
and key cities of the world. It is also of the major tourist destination and
it provides a well designed airports and railways across the continent
A. Africa D. Europe
B. Asia E. South America
C. Australia
29. The opening of the Suez Canal connects the trading route between these
two bodies of water
A. Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean D. Mediterranean Sea and
Red Sea
B. Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico E. South China Sea and
Philippine Sea
C. Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal

30. This is the known Peninsula in Europe that occupied by Norway,

Sweden, Denmark also included is Iceland and Finland
A. Apennines D. Jutland
B. Balkan E. Scandinavian
C. Iberian

PART III: ENHANCING TEST TAKING SKILLS

Direction: Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. Map projections have particular purposes; specifically what do we call

projections that show all areas on Earth’s surface in proper proportion to
visualize patterns of distribution with spatial area?
A. Albers conic projection D. Lamber azimuthal projection
B. Equal area projection E. Mercator projection
C. Gnomonic projection

2. When these imaginary lines are used in combination, it gives you a

unique destination to every point on Earth?
A. International Date Line (IDL) D. North Pole and South Pole
B. Lines of Longitude and Latitude E. Prime Meridian & Equator
C. North, East, West and South Hemisphere

3. Earthquakes and volcanic activities were frequently experienced by the

Philippines due to:
A. Climatic change in Asia for a long period of time
 B. Erosion caused by heavy winds and typhoons all year round
C. High and low humidity brought by Northeasterly and
Southeasterly wind
D. Short, sharp and shift flowing rivers from Luzon to Mindanao
E. Unstable Pacific floor under the Philippine territory

4. Manila has a good medical facilities but there is a great need for medical
people specially in the rural areas, the main factor for this situation is:
A. Great exodus of medial practitioners like Nurses, Medical
Technician and Medical Doctors going abroad
B. Low quality of graduates that cannot passed both local and
international standards for medical practices
C. Political unrest and security of rural hospital across the nation due
to terrorism and local conflicts
D. Small number of medical graduates like medical doctors and
nurses to support the needs of the country
E. Traditional medicine is a strong competitor for the scientific
advancement of our Medicinal Science in rural areas

5. The “Rood of the World” may be associated to:

A. Diverse ethnic group of Asia
B. Frequent occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
C. Numerous islands, arranged in a series of arcs
D. Series of high mountains and plateaus
E. Super continent Pangaea and its cultural heritage

6. In the 19th century, most Europeans considered Africa as “The Dark

Continent” because:
A. Most African nations had been subjected to European domination
B. Most inhabitants are literally black or dark people of this continent
C. Most of its economic and political activities were dependent to
industrialized nations
D. Most of the African land area is covered by vast desert and rugged
mountains
E. Most of the African interior was unexplored and not colonized by
European and other neighboring nations

7. The following statement refers to the general characteristics of African

people in terms of their cultural traits except for:
A. Few nations have developed a strong sense of national unity
among its people
B. Imposition of colonial boundaries among African people further
divide the continent
C. Indigenous churches brought common traditions and practices
among African people
D. Traditional values prevailed over the African Tribes
E. Various languages further perpetual tribal identities over and
above national identity

8. The population statistics as of 2004 shows evidences that population

explosion will bring:
A. A 100% increase by 2050 in terms of population
B. Africa to its greatest annual increase among the other continents
 C. Declined life expectancy in developing countries due to famine and
diseases
D. One child policy to Asian nations
E. Stability in terms of population growth rate

9. One of the major issues between US and Mexico which led US

government to take action against the growing population of Mexico.
A. Assist rapid economic growth of Mexico to eliminate poverty
B. Control the great demand of farmers for the south flowing Colorado
River for dry region
C. Control the increase of illegal crossing of Mexicans to the US
border in search of employment
D. Manifest a virtual veto power of US towards Mexico’s economic
policy
E. Support peasant rebels stage war against the state

10. What do you call the new racial type created due to intermarriages of
most Caucasian and African slaves brought to Brazil and Colombia?
A. Aborigine D. Mulatto
B. Indian E. Native American
C. Mestizo

11. Which of the following is not a human activity that threats the incredible
biological diversity of the Amazon Wildlife?
A. El Niño Phenomenon D. Massive deforestation
B. Development of rural settlement E. Road construction
C. Increased in demand for lumber

12. The word “Narcotraficantes” is associated with:

A. Annual occurrences of El Niño Phenomenon
B. Colombia’s illegal drug trade
C. Destruction of the Amazon Forest
D. Trading of Black slaves from Africa
E. Volcanic and earthquake activities in the Andes mountains

13. Which of the following reasons why people cannot establish a permanent
settlement in Antarctica?
A. Danger of nuclear weapons testing over the territory
B. Environmental problems like oil spills
C. It is the coldest place on earth and experiencing the strongest wind
D. Ozone concentration in the area above the continent
E. The growing controversy over the claims of different nations over
the territory

14. The three leading financial centers of the world included the following
key cities of:
A. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Seoul D. Hong Kong, Paris, Rome
B. Beijing, Sydney, Washington DC E. London, New York, Tokyo
C. Berlin, Mexico City, Singapore

15. The leading industry both for value and employment of many people in
Australia.
A. Electronics & information technology
B. Food processing
 C. Forestry and fishing
D. Production of machinery for transportation
E. Tourism

16. Chernobyl will be remembered as

A. Commonwealth of Independent States
B. Economic bloc of former USSR to European Community
C. Place of the nuclear reactor explosion
D. Site of the 1992 Olympics
E. Space launcher of Russian Cosmonauts that blasted

17. The following are general characteristics of an industrialized country

except for one.
A. Economic and political stability
B. High literacy rate
C. Longer life expectancy
D. Low infant mortality
E. One child policy per family

18. Below are listed 5 continents

1 Africa 4 North America
2 Antarctica 5 South America
3 Europe

Arrange the continents from biggest to smallest in terms of land area.

A. 3 12 54 D. 4 3 2 5 1
B. 2 34 15 E. 5 2 4 1 3
C. 1 45 23

19. Based on the early historical accounts of
strong ties with the European culture and
A. Australia and New Zealand
Korea
B. India and Sri Lanka
C. Iran and Iraq
Europe these two nations had
the Asian nations.
D. North Korea and South
E. Turkey and Russia

20. Among the 5 continents below

1 Africa 4 Australia/Oceania
2 Antarctica 5 Europe
3 Asia

Arrange the continents from smallest to biggest in terms of its population

based on the estimated 2004 data
A. 5 3 1 2 4 D. 1 3 4 2 5
B. 3 1 4 5 2 E. 4 5 1 3 2
C. 2 4 5 1 3

21. The following statements refer to the African condition that hinders its
potential towards economic growth except for one:
A. Diverse natural resources
B. Insufficient capital technology
C. Political instability
 D. Poorly trained workforce
E. Small purchasing power

22. Which of the following Asian countries has historical ties with European
city and it was considered as the heart of the Byzantine and Ottoman
Empire?
A. Iraq (Mesopotamia) D. Saudi Arabia
B. Israel E. Turkey
C. Russia

23. The following occurrences are all natural hazards that the world is
experiencing across the time except for one:
A. Deforestation D. Tsunami
B. Diastrophism E. Volcanic Eruption
C. El Niño and La Niña

24. This is known super continent that broke up million and million years
ago.
A. Atlantis D. Pangaea
B. Gondwanaland E. Tethys
C. Laurasia

25. Among the developing Asian nations, it is widely promoted to be one of

the better solution to poverty and unemployment problems
A. Cooperation D. Privatization
B. Importation E. Urbanization
C. Industrialization