Comparing World Regions · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Comparing regions of the world

Geography · Places & Regions · ages 11-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Look at the chart. Which region gets more rain each year?

    Sahel400Scandinavia1200
    • Sahel
    • Scandinavia
    • They get the same amount

  2. Which pair of factors best explains why two world regions can look and feel very different?

    • Climate and resources
    • Favorite colors of the people
    • Size of the national flag

  3. A place's history can help explain why its towns and cities look the way they do.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Farmers in the Sahel often raise cattle and grow drought-resistant crops instead of crops that need lots of water. Why?

    • They prefer cattle to other animals
    • The region gets little rain, so farming has to fit the dry climate
    • The government requires those crops

  5. A mining company opens a large mine near a small town. What is the most likely result?

    • The town shrinks because no one wants jobs there
    • Workers move in for jobs and the town grows around the mine
    • Nothing about the town changes

  6. People who grow up on a small, remote island often say the ocean is part of who they are. This shows that...

    • A place can shape how people see themselves
    • Everyone on islands thinks exactly alike
    • Identity has nothing to do with geography

  7. A coastal town builds a large airport and rows of hotels after years of being a small fishing village. Ten years later, most residents work in hotels, restaurants, or tour boats instead of fishing. What most likely caused this shift?

    • The town's climate suddenly changed
    • A natural disaster destroyed the fishing boats
    • An economic decision to invest in tourism reshaped the town's land and jobs

  8. Ben says, "Two regions with the same climate must have the same culture." What is wrong with his claim?

    • Nothing, climate always decides culture
    • Climate is only one factor; history and human choices matter too
    • Culture never changes once it starts
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_cY5D2gWt0Y-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Comparing regions of the world W1-mt_cY5D2gWt0Y-s1

  1. Scandinavia · Scandinavia's bar is taller, showing more rainfall each year than the Sahel gets.
  2. Climate and resources · Differences between regions usually trace back to climate, resources, history, and the choices people make.
  3. True · Past decisions, like where a mine or a road was built, still shape a place today.
  4. The region gets little rain, so farming has to fit the dry climate · Farming choices usually follow the climate. Dry regions favor animals and crops that need less water.
  5. Workers move in for jobs and the town grows around the mine · Mining jobs draw workers and their families, so towns often grow up around a new mine.
  6. A place can shape how people see themselves · Being surrounded by ocean, or living in a crowded megacity, can shape how people see themselves and their community.
  7. An economic decision to invest in tourism reshaped the town's land and jobs · Investing in tourism infrastructure, like airports and hotels, can change both the look of a place and the work people do there.
  8. Climate is only one factor; history and human choices matter too · Climate shapes daily life, but history and the choices people make matter too, so regions with similar climates can still differ.
Worksheet · LightMySky