63 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. What is the approximate distance by road between Toab and Oboli?
Answer: B (5.0 kilometres)
Follow the road from Toab to Oboli with a strip of paper and lay it on the linear scale: about 5 km.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. The angular bearing of Shoe from Oboli is approximately
Answer: A (300°)
Shoe lies west-north-west of Oboli, so its bearing is a little more than 270°: about 300°.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. Which of the following settlements is not visible from Koma?
Answer: C (Shoe)
The hill with closed contours west of Koma stands between Koma and Shoe and blocks the view.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. The major activity of the people in Shoe is likely to be
Answer: C (lumbering)
Forest symbols surround Shoe and Boamos in the west, so lumbering is likely.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. Which of the following crops can be successfully cultivated around Y?
Answer: D (Rice)
Y is in the area liable to flooding, which suits rice.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. Tunpani is important for
Answer: B (mining)
A mineral working symbol is printed at Tunpani.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. There are few settlements to the east because of the
Answer: B (presence of a forest reserve)
The east is covered by a forest reserve, where settlement is not allowed.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. The feature marked X is a
Answer: A (spur)
At X the contours form a tongue pointing downhill from the hill near Toab: a spur.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. The area covered by the map is approximately
Answer: B (256 km²)
Measure the length and width of the map frame on the linear scale and multiply them.
Study the map of TARKWA DISTRICT to answer this question. The distance between Tunpani and Awow 'as the crow flies' is
Answer: D (8.25 km)
Measure the straight line from Tunpani (north-east) to Awow and compare it with the linear scale: about 8 km.
The farthest planet from the sun in the solar system is the
Answer: D (Pluto)
Pluto (then counted as a planet) orbits farthest from the sun.
Which of the following is not a proof to show that the earth is spherical in shape?
Answer: D (Twilight and dawn)
Twilight and dawn come from sunlight scattered by the atmosphere, not from the earth's round shape.
Latitude 66½°S marks the
Answer: A (Antarctic circle)
66½°S is the Antarctic Circle; 66½°N is the Arctic Circle.
What is the distance along a great circle between Latitudes 27°S and 23.5°N of the equator?
Answer: B (5,610.5 km)
The places are on opposite sides of the equator: 27 + 23.5 = 50.5°; 50.5 × 111.1 km ≈ 5,610.5 km.
The direction of wind is recorded by an instrument called
Answer: B (wind vane)
A wind vane points to the direction from which the wind blows.
Diurnal range of temperature is obtained by
Answer: C (subtracting the minimum temperature of the day from the maximum temperature of the same day)
Diurnal (daily) range = day's maximum − day's minimum.
Koppen's climatic classification was based on
Answer: C (both rainfall and temperature)
Koppen used mean temperature and rainfall values (linked to vegetation).
The dust particles over which moisture settles when condensation takes place is known as
Answer: A (atmospheric nuclei)
Water vapour condenses on tiny particles of dust, salt and smoke called condensation (atmospheric) nuclei.
An example of organically formed sedimentary rock is
Answer: D (limestone)
Limestone forms from shells and skeletons of sea creatures; rock salt is chemically formed, sandstone and grit mechanically.
A river transports its load through the following processes except
Answer: D (plucking)
Plucking is glacial erosion, not a way a river carries load.
The difference between high tide and low tide is referred to as
Answer: C (tidal range)
Tidal range is the height difference between high and low water.
All the following are found in the upper course of a river except
Answer: B (ox-bow lakes)
Ox-bow lakes form from meanders on flood plains in the lower course.
The typical red tropical soil is
Answer: A (deeply weathered in nature, with marked A horizon and little humus)
Tropical red (lateritic) soils are deeply weathered and heavily leached, so they contain little humus.
Plung pool is a feature of
Answer: C (waterfalls)
Falling water and boulders scour a deep plunge pool at the foot of a waterfall.
All the following are examples of intrusive volcanic features except
Answer: C (lava plateaux)
Lava plateaux form on the surface (extrusive); the others cool underground.
The formation of metamorphic rocks normally involves the change of other rocks through
Answer: B (heat)
Great heat (and pressure) changes existing rocks into metamorphic rocks.
Which of the following rocks is used for fuel?
Answer: A (Lignite)
Lignite is brown coal, burnt as fuel.
A basin where rock layers have been down folded and in which permeable rock which has trapped water is sandwiched between impermeable layers is referred to as
Answer: D (artesian basin)
This describes an artesian basin, where water is held under pressure.
Which of the following mountains is not a fold mountain?
Answer: C (The Vosges)
The Vosges are block mountains (a horst); the others are fold mountains.
All the following are features produced by wind erosion except
Answer: C (rift valleys)
Rift valleys are formed by faulting, not by wind.
The mediterranean type of climate is best favoured for
Answer: B (fruit growing)
Hot sunny dry summers suit citrus, grapes and olives.
Which of the following is a north-easterly wind from the Sahara blowing towards the Gulf of Guinea?
Answer: C (The Harmattan)
The harmattan is the dry dusty north-east trade wind from the Sahara.
Continental shelves are important for all the following except
Answer: B (sea piracy)
Sea piracy is a crime, not a use of the continental shelf.
Spits and bars are formed by
Answer: D (wave deposition)
Waves and longshore drift deposit sand to build spits and bars.
All the following constitute environmental hazards except
Answer: A (urbanization)
Urbanization is a process of town growth, not a hazard event in itself.
The Equatorial forests of the Amazon basin is generally referred to as the
Answer: B (Selvas)
The Amazon rain forest is called the selvas; campos and llanos are savannas, pampas are grasslands.
Xerophytic plants are usually associated with
Answer: C (areas of low rainfall)
Xerophytes are plants adapted to drought.
"Houses are far apart from one another. They are commonly connected by foot path". This description refers to
Answer: B (dispersed settlement)
Scattered houses linked by footpaths form a dispersed settlement.
Ports that specialize in receiving and redistributing goods to neighbouring countries are called
Answer: B (entrepots:)
An entrepôt port re-exports goods to other countries (e.g. Singapore, Rotterdam).
An area is said to be over-populated if
Answer: C (it has more people than its developed physical and human resources can support)
Over-population means too many people for the developed resources, so living standards fall.
The greatest problem associated with cattle rearing in West Africa is
Answer: D (the presence of tse-tse fly)
Tsetse flies spread sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis), keeping cattle out of the wetter south.
Which of the following is a major benefit of international trade?
Answer: B (Revenue generation)
Governments earn revenue (duties, foreign exchange) from international trade.
Perishable goods; items of high unit value (gold, diamond) are best transported by
Answer: C (air)
Air is fastest and safest, so it suits perishable and valuable goods.
One of the functions performed by rural settlements for urban settlements is the provision of
Answer: B (agricultural products)
Villages supply food and raw materials to towns.
Which of the following is not a contribution of land transport to the economic development of any country?
Answer: C (Depopulation of urban centres)
Transport does not empty towns; it usually helps them grow.
Which of these African countries is noted for lumbering?
Answer: C (Zaire (Now Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC))
The DR Congo has vast equatorial forests.
The major causes of change in population size are
Answer: A (births, deaths and migration)
Population grows by births and immigration and falls by deaths and emigration.
(a) What is Transportation? (b) Highlight four advantages of air transportation (c) Describe five contributions of transportation to economic development
(a) Transportation is the movement of people, goods and services from one place to another.
(b) Fastest mode; comfortable; uses direct routes not blocked by mountains, seas or forests; reaches remote areas with airstrips; carries perishable and valuable goods; useful in emergencies (relief, medical supplies); no route construction needed apart from airports.
(c) Moves goods and raw materials to factories and markets; carries people to work and places; creates employment; opens up new areas for development; promotes trade (internal and international); earns revenue and foreign exchange; promotes tourism; national integration and spread of ideas.
Each contribution should name what moves and why it helps the economy.
(a) Give five reasons why your country has more trading partners outside Africa. (b) Outline any five ways by which the trade between your country and other African countries could be improved
(a) African countries produce similar primary goods; Nigeria needs manufactured goods and machinery from industrial countries; poor transport links within Africa; colonial ties with Britain and Europe; different currencies and trade barriers in Africa; foreign countries have strong currencies and buying power; preference for foreign goods; political instability in some African countries.
(b) Diversify and specialise production; remove tariffs and trade barriers (ECOWAS, African Union); build trans-African roads and railways; adopt a common currency; promote common languages; protect and patronise African goods; improve technology and add value to exports; political stability.
Link reasons to the type of goods produced in Africa.
(a) Outline any four advantages of concentration of industries in urban areas. (b) Highlight any three disadvantages of concentration of industries in urban areas. (c) Describe three factors responsible for the dominance of light industries in the developing countries
(a) Available skilled and unskilled labour; large market nearby; good transport and communication; power, water and other infrastructure; linkage between industries (sharing inputs and services); banks and insurance; job creation for town dwellers.
(b) Pollution of air, water and land; congestion and overcrowding; slums and housing problems; high cost of land and rent; rural-urban migration; unemployment and crime; strain on social amenities.
(c) Low capital requirement; simple technology and little skill needed; large local market for consumer goods; use of local agricultural raw materials; quick returns on investment; limited power supply suits light industries; government incentives for small industries.
Separate the benefits of clustering from its problems.
For candidates in Nigeria: (a) Draw an outline map of Nigeria. On the map, show and name: (i) one area important for oil palm production; (ii) one area important for cattle rearing; (iii) one town in the oil palm producing area; (iv) two towns in the cattle rearing area (b) Outline any three factors that favour cattle rearing in the area shown in 4(a)(ii) above. (c) Highlight any three ways in which cattle rearing is of importance to Nigeria
(a) Oil palm: south-east and mid-west (Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Delta), town e.g. Umuahia, Owerri, Calabar, Benin; cattle: northern savanna (Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi), towns e.g. Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri, Potiskum.
(b) Absence of tsetse fly in the drier north; extensive grassland pasture; long dry season keeps disease low; nomadic Fulani with herding skill; large market in the south; water from rivers, Lake Chad and boreholes; availability of land.
(c) Meat and milk (protein); hides and skins for leather industries; income for farmers; government revenue (jangali/cattle tax); employment for herders, butchers and traders; manure for farms; draught animals; trade within Nigeria.
Name two towns inside the cattle area as asked.
For candidates in Nigeria: (a) Draw an outline map of Nigeria. On the map, show and name: (i) Lake Kainji; (ii) one area with extinct volcano; (iii) the Udi hills; (iv) the River Hadeija (b) Highlight any four problems of development in the Eastern Borderland (c) Outline two solutions to any of the problems highlighted in 5(b) above
(a) Lake Kainji on the Niger in Niger State (north-west of Jebba); extinct volcanoes on the Jos Plateau (around Jos/Vom) or the Biu Plateau; Udi Hills near Enugu; River Hadejia in Kano/Jigawa flowing east to join the Yobe.
(b) Rugged relief and steep slopes; poor transport and remoteness; soil erosion; no major mineral resources; poor pasture; scanty rainfall in the north; few industries and lack of capital; insecurity along the border; low population in some parts.
(c) Build roads and bridges; soil conservation and afforestation; develop tourism (Obudu ranch, Mambilla); improve pastures and ranching (Mambilla, Obudu); irrigation; provide social amenities to attract investment.
Place the Eastern Borderland along the Cameroon border.
For candidates in Nigeria: (a) Draw an outline map of Nigeria. On the map, show and name; (i) one area of sparse population; (ii) one area of moderate population; (iii) one area of dense population; (iv) one town in 6(a)(i) above (b) Outline three factors responsible for the dense population in the area shown in 6(a)(iii) above. (c) Highlight three problems of dense population in 6(a)(iii) above.
(a) Sparse: Middle Belt (Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Taraba) or north-east desert edge, town e.g. Bida, Ilorin, Jalingo; moderate: parts of the south-west or north-central (Oyo, Plateau, Kaduna); dense: Lagos area, south-east (Onitsha-Owerri-Aba) or Kano close-settled zone.
(b) Fertile soils and long farming season; commercial and industrial activities providing jobs; ports and administrative centres; good transport and social amenities; historical factors (old kingdoms, security); absence of tsetse fly (Kano).
(c) Pressure on land and soil exhaustion; housing shortage and slums; unemployment and crime; traffic congestion; pollution and poor sanitation; pressure on social amenities; spread of diseases.
Use a key with three density classes.
(a) Draw a sketch map of Africa. On the map, show and name the (i) River Nile; (ii) River Niger; (iii) River Orange (iv) River Zambezi (b) Describe four characteristics of African rivers (c) Highlight three uses of African rivers
(a) Nile from Lake Victoria (and Ethiopian highlands) north to the Mediterranean; Niger from the Fouta Djallon, curving north-east through Mali then south-east through Niger and Nigeria to the Gulf of Guinea; Orange from Lesotho west to the Atlantic between South Africa and Namibia; Zambezi from Zambia/Angola east through Victoria Falls and Kariba to the Indian Ocean in Mozambique.
(b) Many have rapids, cataracts and waterfalls because they cross plateau edges; seasonal flow (high water in the rainy season, low in the dry season); some flow through deserts (Nile, Niger) and lose water by evaporation; many have deltas or sandbars at their mouths; some have inland drainage (into Lake Chad); long courses with large basins.
(c) Water for irrigation and domestic use; hydro-electric power (Kainji, Kariba, Aswan, Akosombo); fishing; transport; tourism; boundaries between countries.
Show source and mouth of each river correctly.
(a) Draw an outline map of Africa. On the map, show and name (i) one area that receives rainfall in winter; (ii) the dominant air masses over Africa in July; (iii) the position of the ITCZ in July (b) Explain the effects of altitude on the climate of Africa.
(a) Winter rainfall: north-west Africa (Mediterranean coast of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) or the south-west Cape; July air masses: tropical maritime (south-west monsoon) over West Africa from the Atlantic, tropical continental over the Sahara, south-east trades over southern Africa; ITCZ in July at about 20°N across the Sahara/Sahel.
(b) Temperature falls with height (about 6°C per 1,000 m), so highlands like the East African plateau, Jos Plateau and Ethiopia are cooler than lowlands at the same latitude; highlands receive more orographic rain on windward slopes, with rain shadows on leeward sides; mountain tops (Kilimanjaro, Kenya) have snow; lower pressure and thinner air; highland climates support temperate crops and European settlement.
Show the ITCZ well north of the equator in July.
(a) Draw a sketch map of West Africa. On the map, locate and name; (i) one English speaking country; (ii) one French speaking country; (iii) one Portuguese speaking country; (iv) the capital cities of any two in (a)(i) – (iii). (b) Highlight three achievements of ECOWAS since inception. (c) Outline two problems working against the achievement of the objectives of ECOWAS
(a) English: Nigeria (Abuja), Ghana (Accra), Sierra Leone (Freetown), Liberia (Monrovia), The Gambia (Banjul); French: Senegal (Dakar), Mali (Bamako), Niger (Niamey), Côte d'Ivoire, Togo (Lomé), Benin (Porto-Novo), Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou), Guinea (Conakry); Portuguese: Guinea-Bissau (Bissau), Cape Verde (Praia).
(b) Free movement of people (ECOWAS passport, visa-free travel); peace-keeping through ECOMOG (Liberia, Sierra Leone); trade liberalisation scheme; regional road projects (Trans-West African highway); ECOWAS Bank; cultural and sports exchanges; West African gas pipeline.
(c) Different currencies; language differences; political instability and coups; similar products; poor transport links; members' ties to other unions and former colonial powers; non-payment of dues.
Use a key to separate the three language groups.
Use TABLE II below and the attached map A for Nigeria to answer the questions that follow.
TABLE II: Volume of Rail Passenger Traffic Generated by Five Nigerian cities, 1973
Ibadan: 5,000,000
Enugu: 3,000,000
Maiduguri: 2,500,000
Port Harcourt: 1,500,000
Minna: 1,000,000
(a) Represent the statistics with proportional circles. (b) Outline two advantages of representing data with proportional symbols.
(a) Radius proportional to the square root of each value: √5,000,000 ≈ 2,236; √3,000,000 ≈ 1,732; √2,500,000 ≈ 1,581; √1,500,000 ≈ 1,225; √1,000,000 = 1,000. Choose a scale, e.g. 1 cm = 1,000 units of square root: radii Ibadan 2.2 cm, Enugu 1.7 cm, Maiduguri 1.6 cm, Port Harcourt 1.2 cm, Minna 1.0 cm; draw each circle centred on its city on the map of Nigeria, with title, key and scale.
(b) Gives a clear visual impression and easy comparison of quantities; shows the location (distribution) of the data on a map at the same time; a wide range of values can be shown in a small space; attractive and easy to understand.
Use square roots of the values so that circle areas, not radii, match the data.
(a) Describe the solar system. (b) Outline four characteristics each of the following planets: (i) Pluto; (ii) Mercury
(a) The solar system is the sun and all the bodies that revolve round it: the planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto as counted then) in elliptical orbits, their moons, asteroids (mostly between Mars and Jupiter), comets and meteors; the sun at the centre provides light and heat; planets shine by reflected light; all held by the sun's gravity.
(b)(i) Pluto: farthest from the sun (about 5,900 million km); smallest (about 2,300 km diameter); very cold (about −230°C); longest revolution (about 248 years); has a moon (Charon); highly elliptical orbit; now classed as a dwarf planet.
(ii) Mercury: nearest the sun (about 58 million km); small (about 4,880 km diameter); shortest revolution (88 days); rotates slowly (about 59 days); very hot on the sunlit side and very cold on the dark side; no moon; almost no atmosphere.
Give distance, size, period and temperature for each planet.
(a) Describe the formation of (i) Erosional plains; (ii) Dissected plateaux (b) Highlight two advantages and two disadvantages of plains.
(a)(i) Erosional plains (peneplains/pediplains): agents of denudation (rivers, wind, weathering) wear down highlands over a very long time; hills are lowered and slopes retreat; the surface becomes almost flat, with a few resistant remnants such as inselbergs or monadnocks.
(ii) Dissected plateaux: a high, fairly level plateau is cut into by rivers and glaciers through vertical erosion; deep valleys and gorges separate flat-topped remnants (mesas, buttes), giving a rugged surface, e.g. Jos Plateau edges, Fouta Djallon.
(b) Advantages: easy to farm and mechanise; fertile alluvial soils on flood plains; cheap to build roads, railways and towns; support dense population. Disadvantages: liable to flooding; may be waterlogged; poor natural defence; some plains are barren (outwash plains, sandy plains).
Explain the agents of erosion that produce each landform.
Write notes on flooding under the following: (a) definition; (b) causes; (c) effects; (d) solution.
(a) Flooding is the overflow of water onto land that is normally dry.
(b) Heavy and prolonged rainfall; overflow of rivers and lakes; blocked drains and poor drainage systems; building on flood plains and waterways; deforestation increasing runoff; dam failure or release of water; storm surges and high tides on coasts; melting snow.
(c) Loss of lives and property; destruction of farms and crops; damage to roads, bridges and buildings; displacement of people; spread of water-borne diseases; soil erosion; disruption of economic activities.
(d) Build and clear drainage channels; avoid building on flood plains; dredging of rivers; construct dams, levees and embankments; afforestation; early warning systems; enforcement of town planning laws; proper refuse disposal.
Write a few short points under each heading.
(a) Define soil. (b) Outline three characteristics of the following soil types: (i) Sandy soil; (ii) Clay (c) Highlight four ways in which soil is important
(a) Soil is the thin layer of loose material on the earth's surface made of weathered rock particles, humus, water, air and living organisms, in which plants grow.
(b)(i) Sandy soil: large, coarse particles; very porous and drains quickly; holds little water and few nutrients (leached); light and easy to cultivate; warms quickly.
(ii) Clay soil: very fine particles; holds water and becomes waterlogged; sticky when wet and cracks when dry; poorly aerated; rich in nutrients; heavy and hard to till.
(c) Medium for plant growth and farming; supplies nutrients and water to plants; raw material for bricks, pottery and building; habitat for organisms; supports grazing and forests; foundation for buildings and roads; filters and stores water.
Compare the two soils by particle size, drainage and fertility.
Write a geographical account of Tropical Grasslands under the following headings: (a) Location; (b) Climatic factors affecting the distribution; (c) Vegetation characteristics
(a) Between the equatorial forests and the hot deserts, roughly 5°-20° N and S: savanna of West Africa (Sudan, Guinea belts), East and Central Africa, the llanos of Venezuela, campos of Brazil, northern Australia.
(b) Seasonal rainfall with a long dry season; total rainfall 500-1,500 mm decreasing away from the equator; high temperatures all year with a moderate range; dry continental winds (harmattan) in the dry season; low humidity and high evaporation; bush fires in the dry season.
(c) Tall grasses (1-3 m, elephant grass) becoming shorter towards the desert; scattered deciduous trees (baobab, acacia, shea) that shed leaves in the dry season; trees with long roots, thick bark and small leaves; grasses dry up and turn brown in the dry season and grow quickly with rain; gallery forests along rivers; umbrella-shaped trees.
Cover location with latitudes and named regions.
(a) What is Environmental Intervention? (b) List two types each of (i) natural intervention; (ii) human intervention (c) Highlight any five effects of natural and human interventions on the environment
(a) Environmental intervention is any natural event or human activity that alters the environment and its balance.
(b)(i) Natural: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, drought, landslides, storms.
(ii) Human: deforestation, mining, farming, building of dams, urbanisation, industrialisation, bush burning.
(c) Soil erosion and land degradation; destruction of vegetation and wildlife habitats; pollution of air, water and land; desertification; flooding; climate change and global warming; loss of lives and property; formation of new landforms or fertile soils.
Give named examples of each type.