62 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Use the map of MAKINDA DISTRICT to answer the question. What is the approximate bearing of Finn from Tolu?
Answer: A (315°)
Finn lies to the north-west of Tolu, and north-west is a bearing of 315°.
Use the map of MAKINDA DISTRICT to answer the question. Which of the following drainage types can be recognised on the map?
Answer: D (Dendritic)
The streams join the main rivers at acute angles in a branching, tree-like pattern: dendritic drainage.
Use the map of MAKINDA DISTRICT to answer the question. Finn has developed because it is
Answer: D (a mining town)
Mineral workings are shown beside Finn, so it grew as a mining town.
Use the map of MAKINDA DISTRICT to answer the question. Which activity is not likely to be important in Jaku?
Answer: A (Mining)
There are no mineral workings near Jaku; it lies on a river and the railway among farmland and trees.
Which of the following planets has no satellite?
Answer: B (Venus)
Venus (like Mercury) has no moon.
During a football match, the referee observed that the local time was noon while the Greenwich Mean Time was 16.16 hours. What is the longitude of the place where the match was being played?
Answer: E (64°W)
Local time is 4 h 16 min behind GMT: 256 min ÷ 4 = 64°, and behind means west.
The distance of Leningrad (lat 60°N long 30°E) from the equator is approximately
Answer: B (6660km)
1° of latitude ≈ 111 km, so 60 × 111 = 6,660 km.
An eclipse of the moon occurs when the earth
Answer: B (comes between the moon and the sun)
When the earth is between the sun and the moon, its shadow falls on the moon.
Basalt differs from granite because it
Answer: C (is richer in iron and magnesium oxides)
Both are igneous and crystalline, but basalt is a basic rock rich in iron and magnesium; granite is acidic (silica-rich).
Which of the following features is not normally found in the upper course of a river?
Answer: B (Meander)
Meanders form in the middle and lower courses where the river erodes sideways.
A rock pedestal is a feature of
Answer: D (wind erosion)
Wind-blown sand wears away the base of rocks in deserts, leaving pedestals.
A catchment area is the
Answer: B (area where a river takes its source from)
A catchment is the area that collects the water feeding a river, where it and its headstreams rise.
Which of the following ocean currents has different temperature characteristics?
Answer: C (Benguela current)
The Benguela current is cold; all the others are warm.
In tropical deserts, large diurnal ranges of temperature occur because of the
Answer: E (absence of cloud cover)
Clear skies let the ground heat strongly by day and lose heat quickly at night.
If the temperature at the foot of a mountain is 25°C, what will be the temperature at its summit if the mountain is 4000m high?
Answer: D (-1°C)
Fall of 6.5°C per 1,000 m: 4 × 6.5 = 26°C; 25 − 26 = −1°C.
Winds in anticyclones differ from winds in cylones mainly because they
Answer: B (blow outwards)
Anticyclones are high-pressure centres from which winds blow outwards; in cyclones winds blow inwards.
In Koppen's classification the first member of the system represents the
Answer: C (tropical rainy climate)
Group A, the first group, is the tropical rainy climates.
A soil particle whose diameter is between 0.05mm and 2.00mm is classified as
Answer: C (sand)
Sand grains measure 0.05-2 mm; silt and clay are finer, gravel coarser.
The most predominant action in the first horizon of a soil profile is
Answer: B (eluviation)
In the A horizon water washes minerals and clay downward (eluviation).
Which of the following is the most important use of the natural vegetation in savanna regions?
Answer: B (Grazing)
Savanna grasses are used mainly as pasture for cattle and other livestock.
Plants which manufacture food from simple inorganic substances are called
Answer: B (autotrophs)
Autotrophs (green plants) make their own food by photosynthesis.
Which of the following resources is renewable?
Answer: D (Hydro-electricity)
Hydro-electricity uses flowing water, which is replaced by rainfall.
A high population density means a large number of
Answer: B (persons per unit area)
Population density is the number of people per unit area (e.g. per km²).
Which of the following arrangement represents an increasing size of settlements?
Answer: C (Hamlet, village, town, conurbation)
From smallest to largest: hamlet, village, town, conurbation.
The least important factor for the location of settlements is the availability of
Answer: E (communication networks)
Water, building land and fertile land are basic needs; roads usually come after a settlement exists.
A port that is auxiliary to another port further inland which cannot be reached by very large ships is described as
Answer: B (an outport)
An outport (e.g. Bonny for Port Harcourt) handles the large ships for a port further inland.
Which of the following are primary industries?
Answer: B (Fishing and mining)
Primary industries take resources directly from nature: fishing, mining, farming, forestry.
The busiest shipping route in the world is the
Answer: A (North Atlantic)
The North Atlantic route links the great industrial regions of Western Europe and North America.
Which of the following does not contribute to the high cost of building and maintaining roads in West Africa?
Answer: D (Infertility of some lands)
Poor soil fertility affects farming, not road costs.
The standard railway gauge is
Answer: B (143cm)
Standard gauge is 1.435 m (about 143 cm).
Port Harcourt is a typical example of a
Answer: D (terminal town)
Port Harcourt grew at the terminus of the eastern railway, where coal from Enugu was exported.
One consequence of Nigeria's over dependence on petroleum is
Answer: B (increased importation of food items)
With oil money, farming was neglected and Nigeria began importing much of its food.
The roots of trees in the mangrove forest in Nigeria are aerial because
Answer: C (they need more air than water)
Waterlogged mud lacks oxygen, so mangroves have roots above the surface to take in air.
Wheat can be grown in large quantities in all the following states except
Answer: D (Rivers)
Wheat needs a cool dry season; hot, wet Rivers State is unsuitable.
Most imports to Nigeria are
Answer: D (consumer goods)
Nigeria imports mainly manufactured consumer goods.
All the following are predominantly good fishemen except the
Answer: D (Nupe)
The Nupe are mainly farmers and craftsmen; the others are noted coastal fishing peoples.
The Shiroro H.E.P station is located on the River
Answer: D (Kaduna)
Shiroro dam is on the Kaduna river in Niger State.
The major effect of drought in Nigeria is
Answer: B (population migration)
Drought destroys crops and pasture, forcing people and herds to move.
Which of the following best explains the high rate of population growth in Africa?
Answer: A (High birth rate and low death rate)
Population grows fastest when many are born and few die.
All the following are forms of subsistence farming in West Africa except
Answer: D (plantation agriculture)
Plantations grow crops on a large scale for sale and export.
The greatest threat to the survival of ECOWAS is the
Answer: E (inability to implement agreed policies)
Member states often fail to carry out what they agree, weakening the community.
(a) Explain the term over-population
(b) Identify any four factors responsible for the high population density in either India or the North-east of U.S.A
(c) Outline four problems of population concentration in the region chosen in (b) above
(a) A situation where the population of an area is too large for its resources and technology to support at a reasonable standard of living
(b) India: fertile alluvial plains (Ganges, Indus) and deltas; monsoon rain and irrigation; intensive rice farming with 2-3 crops a year; long history of settlement and cultural preference for large families; industrial cities (Kolkata, Mumbai)
(NE USA: industries and jobs; coal and iron; ports and transport; commerce and finance)
(c) Food shortages; unemployment and poverty; slums and housing shortage; pressure on water, schools and health services; congestion and pollution; crime
Over-population is about people compared with resources, not just numbers.
(a) Name any four functions of towns giving a specific example of each
(b) In what four ways can the initial function of a town contribute to its growth?
(c) Highlight any three ways in which rural settlements are dependent on urban settlements.
(a) e.g. administrative – Abuja; commercial – Lagos/Onitsha; industrial – Aba/Kaduna; mining – Jos/Enugu; educational – Nsukka/Zaria; port – Port Harcourt; religious – Ile-Ife/Mecca; tourist – Obudu
(b) Attracts people seeking jobs, so population grows; draws other activities (services, trade, industries) that serve it; leads to better infrastructure – roads, water, power; brings government attention and investment; creates a market that encourages further businesses
(c) Rural areas depend on towns for manufactured goods; markets for farm produce; services – hospitals, secondary schools, banks; jobs and remittances; administration and security
Give a real town for each function.
In what ways can poor transportation limit the economic development of any one country?
For a named country (e.g. Nigeria): raw materials cannot reach factories cheaply; farm produce rots or cannot reach markets; high cost of goods; remote resources (minerals, forests) stay unexploited; limits trade and exports; discourages investors and industries; slows spread of social services, ideas and technology; unequal regional development and rural poverty; hinders national unity and security; accidents and delays waste time and money
Name the country and give examples.
(a) Account for the relative low level of industrial development in tropical Africa
(b) State five ways in which the industrial sector has contributed to the economic development of the region
(a) Shortage of capital; lack of skilled labour and technology; small markets and low incomes; poor infrastructure – power, roads, water; dependence on imported machinery and raw materials; competition from cheap imports; political instability and poor policies; colonial legacy of exporting raw materials
(b) Employment; adds value to local raw materials (cocoa, cotton, groundnut); saves foreign exchange through import substitution and earns it through exports; government revenue; growth of towns and infrastructure; transfer of skills and technology; linkages with agriculture
(a) is about obstacles, (b) about benefits.
(a)(i) Name any one sea route that links Nigeria with Europe (ii) Identify two countries in Europe that trade with Nigeria, using the route
(b) Indicate any four products that are carried along the route
(c) Describe five ways in which international trade is important to Nigeria
(a)(i) South Atlantic route (West Africa-Europe) (ii) e.g. Britain, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain
(b) Exports: crude oil, cocoa, rubber, palm kernel, timber, cotton; imports: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, textiles, food items
(c) Earns foreign exchange; supplies goods Nigeria does not produce; market for surplus products; government revenue from duties; employment in ports, shipping and trade; transfer of technology; good international relations
Mix exports and imports in (b).
(a) Discuss the relationship between rainfall and agricultural practices in the (i) tropical continental region of Nigeria: (ii) sub-equatorial region of Nigeria
(b) In what five ways does agriculture contribute to the economy of Nigeria?
(a)(i) Tropical continental (north): one short rainy season (4-5 months) so annual crops – millet, sorghum, groundnut, cotton, cowpea; drought-resistant crops; one harvest a year; irrigation/fadama farming in the dry season (onions, wheat, vegetables); cattle rearing as tsetse is fewer; planting starts with the first rains
(ii) Sub-equatorial (south): long rainy season with two peaks, so two crops of maize a year; tree crops – cocoa, oil palm, rubber, kola; root crops – yam, cassava; heavy rains cause leaching, erosion and weeds; humidity encourages pests and tsetse, so few cattle
(b) Food supply; employs most of the labour force; raw materials for industries; foreign exchange from exports; government revenue; market for industrial goods; capital for development
Show how the amount and season of rain decide what is farmed.
(a) On an outline map of Nigeria, locate and name (i) two international airports; (ii) two domestic airports (iii) two seaports (iv) two river ports
(b) Highlight four problems facing river transportation in Nigeria
(c) How are these problems being solved?
(a) International: Lagos (Murtala Muhammed), Kano (Aminu Kano), also Abuja, Port Harcourt; domestic: e.g. Ilorin, Benin, Jos, Yola, Sokoto; seaports: Lagos (Apapa), Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar; river ports: Onitsha, Lokoja, Baro, Makurdi, Yola
(b) Seasonal fall in water level; sandbars and silting; rapids and waterfalls; water hyacinth; few modern boats and port facilities; slow; competition from road transport
(c) Dredging of the Niger; building of dams with locks (Kainji, Jebba) to regulate flow; clearing of water hyacinth; building river ports (Onitsha, Lokoja, Baro); Inland Waterways authority (NIWA) supervision
Match each solution to a problem.
(a) On a sketch map of Nigeria, locate and name (i) two areas of low population density; (ii) two areas of high population density; (iii) one important town in each of the areas shown
(b) State three advantages of; (i) low population density to any one of the areas shown in (a)(i) above (ii) high population density to any one of the areas shown in (a)(ii) above.
(a) Low: e.g. middle belt (Niger/Kwara – Bida, Ilorin; Makurdi), Borno (Maiduguri), Bauchi; high: Lagos (Lagos), Igboland (Onitsha/Owerri), Kano close-settled zone (Kano), Ibadan area
(b)(i) Low density: plenty of land for farming, grazing and large projects; less pressure on resources and environment; land can be fallowed so soils recover; room for resettlement and expansion; little congestion
(ii) High density: large labour force; big market attracting industries and commerce; justifies provision of social amenities and infrastructure; intensive farming; government attention and revenue
Name a real town in each area.
(a) Name: (i) two local craft industries and one town important for each in Nigeria (ii) two manufacturing industries and one town important for each in Nigeria.
(b) Using specific examples, describe any four problems facing local crafts industries in Nigeria
(c) In what three ways are these problems being solved?
(a)(i) e.g. weaving/aso-oke – Iseyin; leather work – Kano/Sokoto; pottery – Abuja/Ilorin; brass work – Bida; wood carving – Awka/Benin; adire dyeing – Abeokuta
(ii) e.g. textiles – Kaduna; cement – Ewekoro/Sokoto; oil refining – Warri; vehicle assembly – Lagos; brewing – Aba
(b) Competition from cheap imported/factory goods; lack of capital and credit; old tools and low output; poor marketing and packaging; young people not learning the crafts; shortage of raw materials
(c) Government loans and small-scale industry schemes; trade fairs and exhibitions, tourism promotion; training centres and cooperatives; banning or taxing some imports; improved tools and designs
Name a real town for each craft and industry.
(a) On an outline map of Nigeria, locate and name (i) the Jos Plateau and Idanre hills; (ii) the Rivers Ogun, Cross and Hadeija; (iii) Lakes Chad and Kainji; (iv) the Niger Delta
(b) Describe four physical features of the (i) Niger Delta; (ii) North Central Plateau
(a) Map with all features correctly placed: Jos Plateau (centre-north), Idanre hills (Ondo), River Ogun (SW to Lagos lagoon), Cross River (SE), Hadejia (NE to Lake Chad), Lake Chad (NE corner), Kainji Lake (Niger in the NW), Niger Delta (south)
(b)(i) Niger Delta: low, flat land near sea level; many distributaries, creeks and lagoons; mangrove and fresh-water swamps; sand bars and beach ridges; heavy rainfall and flooding
(ii) North Central (Jos) Plateau: high plateau over 1,200 m with steep escarpments; basement complex rocks with younger granites; volcanic cones and lava flows; inselbergs; source of many rivers in radial pattern (Kaduna, Gongola, Hadejia); cool climate and grassland
Mark features with a key.
(a) On an outline map of West Africa, mark and name the (i) approximate position of the ITCZ in January; (ii) low pressure belt in January; (iii) high pressure belt in January; (iv) position and direction of the Tropical Continental Air Mass in January; (v) Guinea current; (vi) Canary current
(b) Discuss the relationship between the pressure belts and rainfall distribution in West Africa.
(a) ITCZ along about 5-7°N near the coast; low pressure over the Gulf of Guinea/south; high pressure over the Sahara; tropical continental air mass (NE trades/harmattan) blowing from NE to SW over most of West Africa; Guinea current flowing eastward along the coast; Canary current flowing southward off the NW coast
(b) Rainfall follows the movement of pressure belts and the ITCZ: when the sun moves north (March-September) the low pressure and ITCZ shift north and moist tropical maritime air from the south-west brings rain; the south, under maritime air longest, gets the most rain and two peaks; the north gets rain only for a few months; when the belts move south (November-February) the Saharan high pressure sends dry harmattan winds over the region, giving the dry season
Explain rainfall by the yearly shift of the ITCZ.
(a) On an outline map of West Africa, mark and name the; (i) Kossou dam; (ii) Kainji dam (iii) Akosombo dam, (iv) river on which each dam is located
(b) Highlight three ways in which climate affects dams in west Africa
(c) State three advantages and three disadvantages of dams to West Africa.
(a) Kossou on the Bandama (Côte d'Ivoire); Kainji on the Niger (Nigeria); Akosombo on the Volta (Ghana)
(b) Seasonal rainfall gives low water and reduced power in the dry season; droughts lower reservoir levels; high temperatures cause heavy evaporation; heavy storms cause floods and silting from eroded catchments; harmattan dust
(c) Advantages: hydro-electric power; irrigation; fishing in lakes; flood control; water supply; lake transport; tourism
Disadvantages: flooding of farmland and villages, resettlement of people; water-borne diseases (bilharzia, river blindness); silting; high cost; loss of fertile flood deposits downstream
Name the correct river for each dam.
(a) On an outline map of Africa, mark and name the: (i) Equator, (ii) Greenwich meridian (iii) Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (iv) Cape of Good Hope (v) Cape Blanco (vi) Quattara depression (vii) Zambezi river
(b) In what four ways can the relief of Africa pose problems to the construction of a trans-African highway from the Cape of Good Hope to Cairo?
(c) What can be done to minimize these problems?
(a) Map with all lines and features correctly placed: Equator (through Gabon, Congo, Kenya), Greenwich meridian (through Ghana, Algeria), Tropics at 23½°N and S, Cape of Good Hope (SW tip), Cape Blanco (Mauritania coast), Qattara Depression (NW Egypt), Zambezi (to the Mozambique Channel)
(b) Steep plateau edges and escarpments (e.g. Great Escarpment); high mountains (Ethiopian highlands, East African highlands); deep rift valleys; large rivers needing bridges; swamps (Sudd); deserts with shifting sand dunes
(c) Building bridges, tunnels and cuttings; zig-zag/hairpin roads on slopes; embankments across swamps; routes along valleys and gaps; sand-dune fixation and tree belts; modern engineering and international funding
Relate each relief problem to a solution.
Compare irrigation agriculture in the Nile Basin with that in the Niger Basin under the following headings: (a) The need for irrigation (b) Methods used (c) Areas covered (d) Crops cultivated
(a) Nile: desert climate, almost no rain in Egypt, so farming is impossible without irrigation; large population needs food. Niger: seasonal rainfall with a long dry season, so irrigation extends the growing season; to grow rice and cash crops
(b) Nile: perennial irrigation with dams (Aswan High Dam, Sennar), barrages and canals; basin irrigation; shaduf, sakia, pumps. Niger: dams and barrages (Markala in Mali, Kainji, Bakolori), canals, flood/fadama farming, shaduf and pumps; less developed
(c) Nile: whole valley and delta in Egypt, Gezira and other schemes in Sudan – very large area. Niger: Office du Niger (inland delta in Mali), Niger valley in Niger, Sokoto-Rima, Kano river project, South Chad – smaller scattered areas
(d) Nile: cotton, wheat, rice, sugar cane, maize, vegetables, fruits. Niger: rice, cotton, sugar cane, wheat, vegetables, onions
Make each point a direct comparison.
(a) On an outline map of Africa, locate and name; (i) two areas (outside Nigeria) important for each of copper, gold and iron ore (ii) one important town in each area (iii) one port of export for each mineral
(b) In what four ways is copper important to any one of the areas shown on your map?
(a) Copper: Zambian copperbelt (Kitwe/Ndola – Dar es Salaam/Beira), Shaba/Katanga in Zaire (Lubumbashi – Lobito/Matadi); gold: Witwatersrand, South Africa (Johannesburg – Durban), Ghana (Obuasi/Tarkwa – Takoradi); iron ore: Liberia (Bong/Nimba – Monrovia/Buchanan), Mauritania (Zouerate – Nouadhibou), also Guinea, Sierra Leone (Marampa – Pepel)
(b) Zambia: main source of foreign exchange; government revenue; employment; growth of copperbelt towns; development of railways (TAZARA) and power (Kariba); raw material for local industries (wire, cables); attracted investment and services
Keep the mineral, town and port in the same country.
(a) Write explanatory notes on the (i) Equinoxes (ii) Great circles
(b) Explain why the period of twilight is longer along the Arctic Circle than at the Equator
(a)(i) Equinoxes: 21 March and 23 September, when the midday sun is overhead at the equator; day and night are equal (12 hours) everywhere; mark the start of spring and autumn
(ii) Great circles: circles on the globe whose plane passes through the earth's centre, dividing it into two equal halves, e.g. the equator and any pair of opposite meridians; the shortest route between two points lies along a great circle (used by ships and aircraft)
(b) Twilight is the period when the sun is just below the horizon (up to 18°) and its light is scattered by the atmosphere; at the equator the sun rises and sets vertically, so it passes quickly through this zone (short twilight); at the Arctic Circle the sun's path is oblique/slanting to the horizon, so it stays just below the horizon for a long time – longer twilight
Twilight length depends on the angle at which the sun crosses the horizon.
(a) Distinguish between deflation and abrasion
(b) Using specific examples, describe one landform produced by each of the processes in (a) above
(c) Give any two reasons why wind erosion is more active in arid than in humid regions
(a) Deflation: wind lifting and blowing away loose dry sand and dust, lowering the land surface. Abrasion: wind-blown sand blasting, scratching and wearing away rock surfaces
(b) Deflation – deflation hollow/basin, e.g. Qattara Depression (Egypt); also reg/desert pavement. Abrasion – rock pedestal/mushroom rock, zeugen or yardang, e.g. in the Sahara
(c) Little or no vegetation to bind the soil or break the wind; dry, loose particles with no moisture to hold them together; strong winds over open flat land; mechanical weathering supplies plenty of loose sand
Deflation removes; abrasion scratches.
(a)(i) Name any three of Koppen's major climatic groups (ii) What is the basis of this type of classification?
(b) Name any two types of climate within Koppen's first group and show the unique features of each type.
(a)(i) Any three of: A – tropical rainy; B – dry; C – warm temperate (mesothermal); D – cold snow-forest (microthermal); E – polar
(ii) Based on mean monthly and annual temperature and precipitation (and seasonality of rain), with limits chosen to match natural vegetation
(b) Group A: Af – tropical rain forest/equatorial: every month above 18°C, rain in every month (driest month 60 mm or more), small annual range; Aw – savanna: above 18°C all year, distinct dry season in winter (low-sun period); Am – monsoon: short dry season but very heavy total rainfall
Group A climates all have every month above 18°C.
Choose any two of the following vegetation types (a) Equatorial (b) Tropical continental (c) Tropical desert and for each (i) describe the vegetation characteristics (ii) Explain how the vegetation has been influenced by climate
Any two:
Equatorial: (i) tall evergreen trees in three layers, dense canopy, many species, hardwoods, buttresses, drip tips, lianas and epiphytes (ii) heavy rain all year and constant high temperatures allow continuous growth, evergreen leaves and great height; competition for light gives layers
Tropical continental (savanna): (i) tall grasses with scattered, short, deciduous, fire-resistant trees (baobab, acacia), thick bark, long roots (ii) a long dry season makes grasses dry up and trees shed leaves; lower rainfall gives fewer trees northwards; fires in the dry season
Tropical desert: (i) sparse xerophytes – cacti, thorny shrubs, short grasses; long roots, thick waxy or no leaves, succulent stems; ephemerals after rain (ii) very low, unreliable rainfall and high temperatures/evaporation force plants to store and conserve water
Link each plant feature to a climate condition.
Select either urban flooding or water pollution and discuss its (a) causes (b) effects (c) control measures
Urban flooding:
(a) Heavy rainstorms; blocked or inadequate drains; building on flood plains and wetlands; paved surfaces increasing run-off; dumping of refuse in gutters and streams; dam failure/release; rising rivers or sea
(b) Loss of life; destruction of houses, roads and property; displacement of people; disruption of transport and business; water-borne diseases (cholera); pollution from refuse and sewage
(c) Build and maintain good drainage; ban refuse dumping in drains; town planning and no building on flood plains; channelisation and dredging; flood-control dams and embankments; afforestation of catchments; early warning
(Or water pollution: sewage, industrial effluent, oil spills, fertilisers; diseases, death of fish, bad taste; treatment plants, laws, proper waste disposal)
Treat only the hazard you choose.
(a) Explain the term environmental resource
(b) Using specific examples, describe the importance of water as an environmental resource
(c) Outline any three sources of water.
(a) Any part of the natural environment (land, water, air, vegetation, minerals, animals) that man can use to satisfy his needs
(b) Drinking and domestic use; irrigation for crops (e.g. Bakolori, Nile); hydro-electric power (Kainji, Akosombo); transport (Niger, Lagos lagoon); fishing; industrial uses (cooling, processing); recreation and tourism; habitat for wildlife
(c) Rainfall; surface water – rivers, lakes, streams, ponds; underground water – wells, boreholes, springs; sea water (desalination)
Give real Nigerian or African examples in (b).