Study Guide (PDF) - Nystrom Desk Atlas

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NYSTROM DESK ATLAS.COM

Exploring NystromDeskAtlas.com The resources in NystromDeskAtlas.com will help you learn more about our world. The site’s maps, graphs, photos, and links offer a wealth of information about the continents and their countries.

• Find NystromDeskAtlas.com on the Internet at http://www.NystromDeskAtlas.com

• Type in your User Name and Password. (Your teacher will provide these.) • At the top of the Home page, click on World. • At the left side of the page, click on Maps.

MAPS 1. Click on Thematic Maps. Then click on the Land Mines. a. Which color represents little or no danger of land mines and unexploded ordinances? b. Are the citizens of India or Iran in more danger of land mines and unexploded ordinances? c. Words underlined in red link to descriptions. Click on the words “Land Mines” in the legend. How many countries have banned the use of land mines since 1997? 2. Now click on Reference Maps. Then click on Political World. a. What color is China on the map? b. Does the Equator pass through Brazil or Australia? c. According to the legend, what does a red dotted boundary symbol mean?

3. Now click on Outline Maps. Then click on World. a. Is the Tropic of Capricorn north or south of the Equator? b. Are there more countries in Africa or South America?

NYSTROM HERFF JONES EDUCATION DIVISION

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NYSTROM 2 DESK ATLAS.COM

4. Click on North America, then Maps, then Thematic Maps, and then U.S. Internet Users. a. Which state has a higher percentage of its population using the Internet, Alaska or Texas? b. Are there more states with under half their population using the Internet in the northern or southern United States?

5. Click on Reference Maps, then Land Cover North America. a. What land cover does the color pink, found in northern Canada, represent? b. What is the land cover for the Great Basin in the western United States?

6. Now click on Outline Maps, then Central America. a. How many countries are located in Central America? b. Through how many countries does the 85°W line of longitude cross? 7. Click on South America, then Maps, then Thematic Maps, and then Defense Spending. a. Does Bolivia or Paraguay spend more annually on its military? b. How many South American countries spend more than a billion dollars a year on their militaries each year? 8. Click on Reference Maps, then Elevation South America. a. What color represents an elevation of over 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters)? b. Is the elevation higher in the Amazon Basin or Patagonia? c. Are the areas of highest elevation located near the Atlantic coast or the Pacific coast of South America?


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GRAPHS 9. Most of the graphs on this site are bar graphs, of which there are several varieties. Click on World, then click on Graphs, then Human Geography, and finally Language. a. According to this bar graph, what is the world’s most widely spoken language? b. Are there more English or Spanish speakers in the world? c. On the vertical axis, click on “Speakers” underlined in red. Does this graph show people who can speak the language or people who speak it as their first language? 10. Now click on Understanding, then Graphs, and then Gross Domestic Product. a. According to this divided bar graph, does manufacturing and construction account for more or less than 20 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product? b. What is the largest sector of the gross domestic product in the United States? c. On the vertical axis, click on “Micronesia” underlined in red. What is a common problem for countries with a large government sector? 11. Click on Ethnic Composition. a. What percentage of the Nigerian population has a Hausan ethnicity? b. In the United States, which group makes up a larger percentage of the population—Germans or Mexicans? c. Click on “Monoethnic” underlined in red. What is another term for a monoethnic society? 12. Click on World, then click on Graphs, then Environment, and finally Global Warming. a. Does the blue line represent CO2 in the atmosphere or average global temperature?

b. When has the CO2 in the atmosphere been at its highest? c. Under the horizontal axis, click on the first red line after 50. When did Neanderthal humans become extinct?


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13. Click on Europe, then click on Graphs, then Human Geography, and finally Population Pyramid and Life Expectancy. a. Which of the five European countries shown has the longest female life expectancy? b. In which of the five countries can men expect to live the longest? c. In Ukraine, about how many children are five years old or younger? 14. Click on Economics, then Poverty. a. Of the three European countries shown, which has the most people living in poverty? b. Which of the three countries has the highest percentage of its population living in poverty? c. In the graph title, click on “Poverty” underlined in red. Absolute poverty is defined as a person surviving on the equivalent of less than how much a day? 15. Click on Political Science, then Types of Government. a. What color represents democracy in the circle graph? b. What percentage of the European population lives in a democracy or a limited democracy? c. In the legend, click on “Limited Democracy” underlined in red. In a limited democracy, what is compromised by either corruption, violence, or government interference? 16. Click on Africa, then click on Graphs, then Human Geography, and finally AIDS Pandemic. a. In what year were the most new cases of AIDS reported? b. Were more new cases of AIDS reported in 1995 or 1997?


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PHOTOS 17. Click on Australia and Oceania, then click on Photos. a. On the map of Australia and Oceania, click on the photo with the yellow border located on New Zealand (on the far right). A photo will open. What type of animals are pictured in the photo? b. Close the photo by clicking the small square with an X in the upper right corner. Then click open the photo with the green border in southwestern Australia (on the far left). What type of animals are kangaroos and koalas? 18. Click on Asia, then click on Photos. a. Click open the photo with the blue border in southwestern Asia. In what country is the Islamic city of Mecca located? b. Click open the photo with the yellow border in northern Asia. What percentage of Russians live in Siberia?

LINKS 19. Click on World, then click on Links, then click on Environment. a. What is the Web address for WWF: the Global Environmental Conservation Organization?

b. Which site would be useful for researching geographic topics, such as epidemics and natural hazards?

20. Click on Atlas Links. a. On what page of The Nystrom Desk Atlas are the world climographs located? b. What website element goes with the Geode on page 32 of the atlas?
