Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

Agricultural Geography Unit Test (Version A)

1. In which form of commercial agriculture are crops produced primarily for feed animals?

a. Mediterranean b. grain farming c. mixed crop and livestock d. commercial gardening and fruit farming e. plantation

2. Commercial agriculture is distinguished from subsistence agriculture by all of the following EXCEPT:

a. number of farmers in the labor force b. size of farm in acres c. heavy use of machinery d. dependence upon the weather e. amount of products consumed on the farm

3. Mediterranean agriculture is typically practiced in which region?

a. Eastern Chile b. Southern Argentina c. Western Australia d. Northern Florida e. Central Mexico

4. Ranching is practiced in a climate region MOST similar to that of which other type of

agriculture? a. dairying b. grain c. pastoral nomadism d. shifting cultivation e. intensive subsistence agriculture

5. Which of the following is NOT a form of commercial farming?

a. grain farming b. fruit farming c. Mediterranean agriculture d. livestock ranching e. slash-and-burn farming

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

6. What is the primary use of corn grown today in the United States? a. human food b. source of fuel c. livestock feed d. exports to foreign countries e. raw material for various industries

7. What is the predominant form of agriculture in coastal California?

a. mixed crop and livestock b. dairy c. Mediterranean agriculture d. commercial gardening e. plantation farming

8. Which agricultural crop is displayed in the map above?

a. corn b. wheat c. rice d. tobacco e. cotton

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

9. The map above represents which of the following predominant forms of agriculture in

the United States? a. mixed crop and livestock b. dairy farming c. livestock ranching d. vegetable farming e. grain farming

10. If all of the orange crops in Florida, California and Arizona were to freeze, what would

happen to the price of orange juice in most of the United States? a. significantly increase b. significantly decrease c. not change d. slightly increase e. slightly decrease

11. Which of the following characteristics do Mediterranean agricultural regions have in

common? a. tropical rainforest b. extensive prairie c. coastal flat lands d. subsistence farms e. cattle ranching

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

12. What type of agriculture is practiced by MOST Asian farmers?

a. hunting and gathering b. intensive subsistence c. pastoral nomadism d. shifting cultivation e. plantation agriculture

13. Which of the following is an example of labor-intensive agriculture?

a. rice production in eastern China b. wheat production in the United States c. fish production in Nova Scotia d. hog production in France e. soybean production in South Africa

14. What is the term for farming done to grow just enough food for survival?

a. slash and burn agriculture b. commercial farming c. shifting cultivation d. nomadic farming e. subsistence agriculture

15. Which of the following includes the world’s earliest centers of plant domestication?

a. British Isles, Scandinavia, United States b. Northeast Asia, Eastern Europe, South Africa c. Australia, New Zealand, China d. Southeast Asia, Mesoamerica, Southwest Asia (the Middle East) e. Russia, China, Latin America

16. Norman Borlaug was a leader in which movement?

a. First Agricultural Revolution b. Second Agricultural Revolution c. Green Revolution d. Velvet Revolution e. Medical Revolution

17. Why did women play a crucial role in the domestication of plants?

a. they were interested in varying the diets of their families b. they were engaged in collecting plant resources c. they could easily climb the hillsides of the Fertile Crescent d. they had the knowledge to control their environment e. they enjoyed walking long distances from their homes

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

18. Green Revolution technologies have resulted in which of the following? a. the development of high yield grains and the expansion of cultivated areas b. the construction of new irrigation systems and a reduction in the use of

fertilizers c. the increase in money invested to help the poorest farmers d. the loss of prime agricultural land and smaller yields from grain crops e. the end of famine in the world

19. Which of the following is a primary characteristic of the Third Agricultural Revolution?

a. crop diversification b. global warming c. government subsidies d. biotechnology e. stabilization of the world’s population

20. Which is NOT a component of the Green Revolution?

a. use of chemicals b. hybrid seeds c. higher yields d. increased mechanization e. increase in family farms worldwide

21. What is the term for growing farm products with the intent to sell?

a. slash and burn agriculture b. commercial farming c. shifting cultivation d. nomadic farming e. subsistence agriculture

22. Which of the following is NOT a strategy for increasing food supplies?

a. expanding arable land area b. increasing land productivity c. increasing tariffs on grain exports d. increasing exports of surplus production e. identifying new food sources

23. Which country is the United States’ largest trading partner in terms of agricultural

commodities? a. Mexico b. Canada c. China d. Chile e. Ethiopia

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

24. The world currently produces enough food for every man, woman and child to be obese. What BEST explains why people are still malnourished today?

a. production levels and land values b. food distribution and ability to pay c. climate of the area and export taxes d. water supply and food preference e. carrying capacity and transport time

Table 1. Global and regional per capita food consumption (kcal per capita per day)

Region 1964 - 1966 1974 - 1976 1984 - 1986 1997 - 1999 2015 2030

World 2358 2435 2655 2803 2940 3050

Developing countries 2054 2152 2450 2681 2850 2980

Near East and North Africa 2290 2591 2953 3006 3090 3170

Sub-Saharan Africa* 2058 2079 2057 2195 2360 2540

Latin America and the Caribbean 2393 2546 2689 2824 2980 3140

East Asia 1957 2105 2559 2921 3060 3190

South Asia 2017 1986 2205 2403 2700 2900

Industrialized countries 2947 3065 3206 3380 3440 3500

Transition countries 3222 3385 3379 2906 3060 3180

*Excludes South Africa.

25. Based on the table above (Table 1. Global and regional per capita food consumption) how many food calories (kcal) per capita per day will the world consume in the year 2030?

a. 3180 b. 3500 c. 2980 d. 3050 e. 3170

26. Which of the following activities is MOST likely to be found in the outermost ring of the

von Thϋnen Model? a. dairy farming b. subsistence farming c. specialty farming d. market gardening e. extensive grain or livestock grazing

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

27. According to the von Thϋnen Model, the crops grown in an area are most directly related to their transportation costs. Which of the following would MOST likely be produced closest to a major market?

a. dried spices b. milk c. almonds d. wheat e. beef

28. According to the von Thϋnen Model, different types of farming are conducted at

different distances from a city. What principles determine whether a farmer will be successful?

a. weight of the product and cost of production b. distance to the market and demand for the product c. demand for the product and cost of production d. distance to the market and weight of the product e. demand for the product and value of the product

29. Which of the following factors does the von Thϋnen Model NOT consider?

a. transport cost b. distance to market c. land value d. human preference e. access to market

30. According to the von Thϋnen model, what would be the proper placement of the

products as they move away from the market? a. tomato, milk, wheat, cattle b. milk, tomato, sheep, wheat c. tomato, sheep, milk, wheat d. sheep, tomato, wheat, milk e. wheat, sheep, milk, tomato

31. Minnesota is the nation’s leading producer of which of the following products?

a. field corn b. hogs c. dairy d. sugar beets e. rice

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

32. According to the map above (Minnesota Native Vegetation), most crop production in

Minnesota occurs within which native vegetative region? a. conifers b. deciduous c. lakes d. prairie e. swamps and bogs

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

Note: Use the map below (The Six Geographic Regions of Minnesota) to answer questions 33 and 34.

The Six Geographic Regions of Minnesota 33. The Northeastern region of Minnesota is known for which major agricultural economic

industry? a. dairy b. corn c. soybeans d. timber e. turkeys

34. What is the major economic activity of the Southern region of Minnesota?

a. tourism b. services c. farming d. manufacturing e. mining

Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education ▪ Macalester College ▪ 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

Phone: 651.696.6731 Fax: 651.696.6116 Email: mage@macalester.edu

35. Use the map above (Ethanol Production in Minnesota) to help determine why ethanol

plants in Minnesota are located in the Southwest region. a. they are close to the ethanol gas station b. they are close to the railroads c. they are close to the market d. they are close to the corn fields e. they are close to the highway