Sample CRQs

1. Sample CRQs

2. 2011 - #1Part A • Primate city: cities that are more than 2x the size of the next largest city AND exert social, political, and economic dominance • Rank-size rule: Sizes of cities are in proportion to one another. If x is the largest city, then the second largest will be ½ x and the third largest will be 1/3 x. • According to the statistics for the populations of Mexican cities, Mexico has a primate city since Mexico City is more than twice as large as the next largest city of Guadalajara. Mexico does not follow a rank-size rule in the population distribution of its cities.

3. 2011 - #1Part B • Large market for goods and services • Can benefit from the advantages of agglomeration • Can offer high end goods and services because of larger threshold population • Creates global trade networks (primate cities can compete on global scale and attract foreign investment plus gravity model shows high degree of interaction among cities with high populations)

4. 2011 - #1Part B • Unequal distribution of wealth and/or power • Brain drain – migration of educated people to primate city • Unequal distribution of education, entrepreneurship, opportunities • Disproportionate effect of disaster in the primate city on the entire country • Hard for people who are not in the primate city to access essential services such as hospitals.

5. 2010 - #2Part A • Using contemporary examples, explain how each of the following has contributed to the development of national identity and the strengthening of a state. • Economic development • Relocation of a state’s capital

9. 493 languages • 3 main languages • Hausa (15%) • Yoruba (15%) • Igbo (15%) • 55% speak one of the other 490 languages Nigeria: A Case Study for Language Conflicts

10. 2010 - #2Part B • Using contemporary examples, explain how each of the following may detract from the development of national identity and weaken a state. • Ethnicity • Transportation/infrastructure

16. 2003 - #1Part B • Discuss THREE ways in which the concept of core-periphery relations helps explain the development of the urban systems shown above. Be sure to use evidence from both maps to support your conclusions.

17. 2003 - #1Part B • Primate city in Argentina vs. Rank-Size Rule in Germany • Argentina is a semi-peripheral country and city populations are not evenly distributed. The map shows that Buenos Aires is a primate city and population is therefore centered there. This can sometimes be an indicator of lower development since it often leads to unequal distribution of goods and services with Buenos Aires being dominant. In addition, Buenos Aires is in a coastal position because it was set up by Europeans looking to exploit the resources of Argentina. This demonstrates a peripheral position in the world. • Germany on the other hand follows more of a rank-size distribution of population. City populations are more evenly distributed which shows more even development throughout the country thereby demonstrating their position as a core country.

18. Roads systems also help demonstrate core-periphery relations • In Argentina there are less roads and they are all focused toward getting goods to their primate city of Buenos Aires. This again demonstrates that Argentina was set up to be more export oriented which shows their dependence on other countries buying their goods. Lack of infrastructure in general shows a lack of development. • In Germany, roads are more evenly distributed throughout the country showing its higher levels of development and status as a core country. Germany can afford to pay for the building and maintaining of transportation systems. They are not focused on just one city because they have a more mature and integrated economy.