Grade 8 Upcoming Geography Test: Settlements, the Environment, and Factors that Attract
People /30 marks

Part A: You need to understand the following terms. /10 marks

10 The Environmental Factors that Affect Settlements

climate- the average weather of an area over a long period of time
physical process- any naturally occurring change on or in Earth, such as an Earthquake
climate change- changes in long-term weather patterns caused by natural events and human activity
volcanic activity- the Ring of Fire outlines where the Pacific plate meets with plates from Asia to Australia
and from North to South America
desertification- the unplanned process of turning arable land into a desert because of factors
such as reduced rainfall and poorly-thought-out agricultural policies; lands become deserts
dry lands- are areas with a long growing season with very light precipitation levels, such as semi-desert scrub
and grasslands
landslides - caused by heavy rains, melting snow, clear cutting and earthquakes.
coastal erosion -occurs when there is a gradual or rapid wearing away of the coastline from wind, water and time.
pandemic- a disease spreads quickly in a community
flooding- long periods of rain or the thawing of rivers can not only create ice jams
but rivers can swell and cause flooding i.e. the Grand River in the 1970's affected Brantford, Ontario

Part B: You must be able to answer the following questions or how these factors affect settlements and what
can be done about these factors.

10 marks

1. Provide an example when drought has affected an area and what were the effects?

Severe drought occurred in the Amazon basin in the year 2005.  This happened again 5 years
later. The loss of tree canopy and trees led to trees not growing back in some areas.  The effects include the following:
stranded boats, failed crops, extended pipelines to irrigate crops, and a migration away from farmlands. 
These factors affect settlements.

2. Why do people settle near volcanoes? 

There are mineral deposits such as gold, silver, and copper in these areas. Therefore, mining communities
exist.  The volcanic ash too is ideal for farming. Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines has ideal soil for
growing crops such as papaya.  Most importantly, these areas are known for geothermal energy.
Countries, such as Iceland, can harness this energy. Above all, active volcanic areas become tourist
destinations such Ecuador.

3. Which is more catastrophic, an earthquake or a tsunami?

In 2011, a tsunami hit northeastern Japan and cased the evacuation of 1/3 of a million people and the deaths
of nearly 20 000 people.  An earthquake in Haiti the year before led to the deaths of approximately 300 000
people. The seismic waves released from the epicenter of an earthquake, where two plates meet and release
great levels of energy.  The energy is transmitted through the water and the wave is amplified once it hits the
continental shelf and spills deep into the interior of the mainland. Earthquakes send shock waves that lift,
shake or liquefy soil.  After shocks, falling debris, and survival in a modern society that has seized to exist
usually results in a tremendous loss of life. For both, the level of population density determines the number
of causalities. Nations that can afford to rebuild attempt to build more flexible structures while other nations
rely on assistance.  In many cases, segments of the population are permanently displaced.

4. How do droughts or dry areas affect settlements?

Nearly 2/5th of the Earth surface is too dry to grow substantial crops. Poor soil, short growing seasons, and drought
affect your ability to grow food and to feed your people. Otherwise, you are dependent on other places for food.

China has attempted to build a ‘Great Green Wall’ by planting shrubs, grasses and trees along the Taklmakan
and Gobi deserts to attempt to curtail desertification.  Dust storms or seasons when dust storms are common
reduce visibility and damage equipment and buildings. Mineral deposits or fine nutrients can be carried by winds
from the Sahara Desert in North Africa to the rainforests of Central America.  This is perhaps the only benefit.

5. How is deforestation or logging a threat to the safety of communities?

 Deforestation or logging too many trees can kill roots and leave the barren mountainside vulnerable to erosion
and future landslides.  Mining operations too can trigger landslides as well as earthquakes. Ideally, settlements
should be built far from possible landslides and planting trees, shrubs and grasses can help reduce soil erosion
and even mudslides.  In 2014, over 150 deaths were attributed to a landslide in Nepal.

6. Are there pros and cons to warming temperatures?

There are pros and cons to the Earth’s temperature rising:

There are some pros: there will likely be extended growing seasons in areas that are 30 to 60 degrees’
latitude; new settlements may occur farther north in Canada, Europe and Russia; transportation may increase
once ice melts; and new employment opportunities may develop.

There are definitely cons: invasive species may migrate; desertification will increase; jobs may disappear if
new job opportunities move elsewhere; coastal regions become submerged underwater; animals will have
difficulty adapting and the number of species will continue to decrease if the change is not gradual. Even
industries, such as skiing, may have to diversify to other recreational activities or simply go out-of-business.

7.  Are there advantages and disadvantages to changing precipitation patterns?

This too is double-edged sword.  Less precipitation leads to drought and crop devastation.  More precipitation
may help other regions, but too much may result in floods, increased soil erosion, and crop failure.  Too much
rain increases the water content of fruits, such as grapes. Therefore, wine regions could be affected in terms
of quality of wines and job opportunities may diminish.

8. How have extreme storms affected cities or settlements?

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans was destroyed in many parts. Its flood plain is located beneath
sea level; many homes had to rebuilt once the levees broke.  The strongest hurricane, Typhoon Haiyan hit
the Philippines in 2013 with winds over 300 km/h. Hurricane prevention such as increasing the size of mangrove
forests to act as buffer zones is one option. Rather than claiming more land for  settlements, homes must be
relocated or built on stilts to prevent future loss of properties. Early warning systems must be improved.
Extreme storms may simply make certain coastal region uninhabitable or sustainable in the future.

9.  What about rising sea levels and how can they affect settlements?

Global sea levels have continued to rise since 1994 at over 3 mm each year.  Ocean ice
and glaciers continue
to melt, including the ice cap in Antarctica.  This leads to increased flooding of port lands,
business districts and
residential areas.  Nearly 1 billion people live along coastlines at that are merely 10 meters
above sea level.
  Islands in the South Pacific will eventually disappear if rising levels continue. 

Land reclamation efforts create new land in coastal areas.  Nearly ¼ of Hong Kong’s population lives on
reclaimed land. An airport off the coast, which is continually sinking as it settles since the land was not
compacted, was built by shaving the tops of a mountain range.  These areas, especially the Netherlands,
are at high risk. Property will become worthless and massive tides of population will need to be relocated.
These people will become the environmental refugees of the 21st century.

10. How do urban planners and engineers reduce coastal erosion?

 Engineers have created sea walls to slow down the process of erosion but the cost is quite
great. Ideally, it is best
to leave estuaries that contain wetlands so the wetlands act as a natural filter or liver for
the river and dense
vegetation can be untouched or vegetation can be planted to act as a buffer zone against coastal erosion. Building

codes must restrict the construction of homes along areas of erosion so homes do
not topple into the sea, lake or
river.

11. How does coast flooding harm communities?

Coastal flooding often deposit pollutants, such as salt, which make the soil infertile. 
Flooding from rivers
deposit natural nutrients found in silt along the river banks, but the levees prevent this natural
process in order
to protect settlements.  The soil is not replenished and artificial fertilizers are used t
o add more nitrogen to the soil.
The soil depletes in its depth and eventually it becomes infertile.  Coastal flooding
may encourage the planting
of salt-resistant strains of rice. Fields may be flooded again to replenish sediments.
Some farmers have begun to
farm catfish, shrimp, and crabs.   In efforts to adapt, areas such have Bangladesh,
have introduced floating
homes, hospitals, and libraries. These efforts are ingenious but temporary adaptations
to a changing
environment.

12. How could a city or nation prepare for a pandemic?

Part C: Here are ten factors that influence people to settle in a new city or country

/ 10 marks

10 Pull Factors for your City or Country

1. Countries are tolerant to refugees based on a criteria.
2. Immigration laws rank applicants according to education, skills, languages spoken and wealth or investment opportunities.
3. Educational opportunities attract people.
4. Job and career factors are a big reason.
5. A stable, sustainable, and diverse economy with a strong currency attracts investors and people.
6. Adequate health care and infrastructure are extremely important.
7. Political stability, democracy, inclusion and respect for people acts as a magnet for people.
8. There needs to be a practice of and a history for respecting human rights where minorities are not persecuted or excluded.
9. There could be an established ethnic community where  there are  family members. Diversity is respected.

10. There are few natural disasters and the weather or climate is not too extreme.  (This may be beyond your
control, but countries that limit carbon emissions will reduce the effects of global warming.  This is a man made
disaster.)