DSST Human Culture Geography Practice Questions Answer Key

Use this answer key after completing the DSST Introduction to Geography practice questions. This exam was formerly titled Human/Cultural Geography, so you may still see the older name in study materials and on older Study Guide Zone pages.

Several questions in this older practice set use dated wording or cover material that is not strongly emphasized in the current Introduction to Geography blueprint. Explanations below identify those problems where necessary.

1. A — In the interior regions of large landmasses

Continental climates are most strongly associated with large land areas away from the moderating influence of oceans. These locations commonly experience substantial seasonal temperature differences, with relatively warm summers and cold winters.

2. B — Hydrogen and oxygen

B is the intended answer because approximately 96.5% of seawater by mass is water, and water molecules consist of hydrogen and oxygen.

The question would be more accurate if it asked what approximately 96.5% of seawater consists of and offered “water” as an answer choice. Seawater also contains dissolved salts and other substances.

3. C — Deforestation and overgrazing

Vegetation helps protect soil from wind and flowing water. Deforestation and overgrazing remove this protective cover, leaving exposed soil more susceptible to erosion and, in vulnerable environments, land degradation.

4. C — Use of chemical fertilizers

C is the best answer among the choices. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus entering waterways can promote large algal blooms. When the algae die and decompose, dissolved oxygen can fall to levels that cannot support many aquatic organisms. Agricultural fertilizer runoff is a major source of these nutrients, although wastewater and other sources can also contribute.

5. C — The New Kingdom

C is the intended answer if the question is referring specifically to the large royal pyramid tomb tradition. Old Kingdom rulers famously built pyramids, and Middle Kingdom kings also constructed royal pyramids. New Kingdom pharaohs generally shifted to concealed rock-cut tombs, particularly in the Valley of the Kings.

However, the wording is too broad. Pyramid-shaped elements still appeared in some New Kingdom private tombs, so saying that pyramids were simply “not built” during the entire New Kingdom is inaccurate.

Question 5 should eventually be replaced or rewritten to ask specifically about the end of the major royal pyramid-building tradition.

6. B — The large Jewish population of Algeria

B is the intended answer. During the final period of French rule and Algerian independence, most of Algeria’s Jewish population left the country, with the great majority moving to France.

The original explanation is misleading, however. The major exodus occurred primarily around 1961–1962, during the independence crisis, rather than simply “after the Second World War.” Many Algerian Jews also held French citizenship, making the historical situation more complicated than a simple settler-versus-indigenous distinction.

7. C — Thomas Malthus

Thomas Robert Malthus argued that population could increase more rapidly than the food supply, potentially creating pressure on resources. His ideas became highly influential in later discussions of population growth, resources, and economic development.

8. D — Regional metamorphism affects broad areas, while contact metamorphism occurs near a heat source such as an igneous intrusion

D is the best answer. Regional metamorphism generally occurs across large areas under elevated temperature and pressure, often during mountain-building processes. Contact metamorphism occurs when surrounding rock is heated by nearby magma or another intense local heat source.

9. D — Mid-ocean ridges

New oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges as magma rises, cools, and solidifies along divergent plate boundaries. As additional crust forms, older oceanic crust moves away from the ridge.

10. D — These are all geographical parts of Southeast Asia

Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines are all geographically part of Southeast Asia. Mainland Southeast Asia includes countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, while countries and territories such as Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and parts of Malaysia are associated with Maritime Southeast Asia.

• Mapping the Earth — 15%
  Grid systems, map elements, and map types
• Culture and Environment — 30%
  Cultural systems and processes, population, and natural resources and culture
• Spatial Patterns of Culture — 40%
  Religious systems, folk and popular culture, economic systems, settlement and land use, and political geography
• Regional Geography — 15%
  Defining regions, world culture regions, and globalization

The older practice set spends substantial space on physical-geography and geology topics such as seawater, metamorphism, and oceanic crust. Those topics do not reflect the emphasis of the current blueprint, which places 40% of the exam on Spatial Patterns of Culture.

Current DSST Exam List — Confirm the current Introduction to Geography exam title and available preparation resources.

Official Introduction to Geography Fact Sheet — Review the current exam format, content outline, references, and official sample questions.

Introduction to Geography Practice Questions — Return to the questions associated with this answer key.