LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR TEACHERS (LET)

GENERAL EDUCATION

Area: SOCIAL SCIENCE

Focus: World Geography

Prepared by: Serafin A. Arviola Jr.

CONTENT UPDATE
WORLD GEOGRAPHY

 Meaning of Geography - The term Geography is derived from the Greek words Ge or Gaea, both
meaning "Earth", and graphein meaning "to describe" or "to write" or "to map." Geography is the
study of the Earth's characteristics and distribution of life and habitat on it.
 The lines on a map - You can't see them, but they're there. Points and lines on a map define not only
where you are, but also when you're there. Navigators still rely on these imaginary lines to get where
they are going. You can use them, too.
 The Antarctic Circle - The Antarctic Circle lies three-quarters of the way between the equator and
the South Pole.
 The Arctic Circle - Three-quarters of the way between the equator and the North Pole lies the Arctic
Circle. Above this line is the Arctic region, where nights last for 24 hours in the middle of winter. It is
known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because in summer the sun never sets.
 DEW Line - The DEW (distant early warning) line is a 3,000-mile line of radar stations north of the
Arctic Circle. It should notify the U.S. and Canada of the approach of enemy planes or missiles.
 The Equator - This imaginary circle goes around the middle of the earth for 24,902 miles. It divides
the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere and is exactly half way between the North
and South Poles.
 The International Date Line - An imaginary line where the date changes one day when passed. It is
one day earlier east of the line than it is on the west.
 Meridians - Imaginary lines that run north and south on a map from pole to pole. Meridians express
degrees of longitude, or how far a place is away from the prime meridian. The prime meridian runs
through Greenwich, England. Longitude is used together with latitude to form a grid on which it is
possible to locate any place on the earth.
 Parallels - Imaginary lines that run east and west on a map. Parallels represent degrees of latitude,
or how far a place is away from the equator. The equator's latitude is 0° and the poles are 90° south
and north. One degree of latitude equals about 69 miles.
 The Tropic of Cancer - A parallel line of latitude that is a quarter of the way from the equator to the
North Pole. During the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead.
 The Tropic of Capricorn - This line of latitude is a quarter of the way from the equator to the South
Pole. During the winter solstice, the sun is directly overhead.
 The Hemispheres - The equator divides the earth into two halves, or hemispheres. The Northern
Hemisphere is the half of the earth between the North Pole and the equator. The Southern
Hemisphere is the half of the earth between the South Pole and the equator. The earth can also be
broken up another way: into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. The Western
Hemisphere includes North and South America, their islands, and the surrounding waters. The
Eastern Hemisphere includes Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe.

Geography Hall of Fame

Largest Continent: Asia, 17,212,000 square miles

Smallest Continent: Australia, 3,132,000 square miles
Highest Mountain: Mount Everest, Himalayan Mountains, Nepal-Tibet, 29,035 feet above
sea level
Lowest Point on Land: The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan, water surface 1,349 feet below sea level
Deepest Underwater Trench: Mariana Trench, 200 miles southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean,
36,198 feet below the ocean surface
Largest Sea: The Mediterranean Sea, 1,144,800 square miles
Highest Lake: The highest navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in Peru, 12,500 feet above
sea level
Lowest Lake: The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan, surface of water 1,349 feet below sea
level
Largest Lake: Caspian Sea, 152,239 square miles
Largest Freshwater Lake: Lake Superior, U.S.-Canada, 31,820 square miles
Deepest Ocean: Pacific Ocean, average depth 13,215 feet
Largest Ocean: Pacific Ocean, 60,060,700 square miles
Smallest Ocean: Arctic Ocean, 5,427,000 square miles
Largest Gulf: Gulf of Mexico, 615,000 square miles
Largest Bay: The Bay of Bengal, 1,300,000 square miles
Largest Island: Greenland, 839,999 square miles
Largest Peninsula: Arabia, 1,250,000 square miles
Largest Archipelago: Indonesia, 3,500-mile stretch of 17,000 islands
Largest Gorge: Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Arizona, U.S., 217 miles long, 4–18
miles wide, 1 mile deep
Deepest Gorge: Hells Canyon, Snake River, Idaho, 7,900 feet deep
Longest Mountain Range: The Andes of South America, 5,000 miles
Longest River: The Nile, Africa, 4,180 miles
Shortest River: The Roe, Montana, U.S., 200 feet long
Largest River: The Amazon, South America, basin of 2,500,000 square miles
Longest Estuary: Ob River, Russia, 550 miles long, up to 50 miles wide
Largest Lagoon: Lagoa dos Patos, Brazil, 150 miles long, 4,500 square miles
Largest Waterfall: Angel Falls, Venezuela, 3,212 feet high

The Continents and Their Areas and Elevations

A continent is defined as a large unbroken land mass completely surrounded by water, although
in some cases continents are (or were in part) connected by land bridges. The seven continents
are North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. The island
groups in the Pacific are often called Oceania but this name does not imply that scientists
consider them the remains of a continent.
Approximate Approximate Percentage Elevation, feet and meters
land area land area of total
Area sq. km sq. mi. land area Highest Lowest
WORLD 148,647,000 57,393,000 100.0% Mt. Everest, Tibet- Dead Sea, Israel-
Nepal, 29,035 ft. Jordan, 1,349 ft. below
(8,850 m)1 sea level (–411 m)
AFRICA 30,065,000 11,608,000 20.2 Mt. Kilimanjaro, Lake Assal, Djibouti,
Tanzania, 19,340 512 ft. below sea level
ft. (5,895 m) (–156 m)
ANTARCTICA 13,209,000 5,100,000 8.9 Vinson Massif, Lowest land point
Ellsworth Mts., hidden within Bentley
16,066 ft. Subglacial Trench2
(4,897 m)
ASIA (includes the 44,579,000 17,212,000 30.0 Mt. Everest, Tibet- Dead Sea, Israel-
Middle East) Nepal, 29,035 ft. Jordan, 1,349 ft. below
(8,850 m) sea level (–411 m)
AUSTRALIA 8,112,000 3,132,000 5.3 Mt. Kosciusko, Lake Eyre, Australia,
(includes Oceania) Australia, 7,310 ft. 52 ft. below sea level
(2,228 m) (–12 m)
EUROPE (the Ural 9,938,000 3,837,000 6.7 Mt. Elbrus, Caspian Sea,
Mountains in Russia Russia/Georgia, Russia/Kazakhstan 92
form the boundary 18,510 ft. (5,642 ft. below sea level (–28
between Europe m) m)
and Asia)
NORTH AMERICA 24,474,000 9,449,000 16.5 Mt. McKinley, Death Valley, Calif.,
(includes Central Alaska, 20,320 ft. 282 ft. below sea level

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America and the (6,194 m) (–86 m)
Caribbean)
SOUTH AMERICA 17,819,000 6,879,000 12.0 Mt. Aconcagua, Valdes Peninsula,
Argentina, Argentina 131 ft. below
22,834 ft. sea level (–40 m)
(6,960 m)

Where in the World ...

…is Count Dracula's castle? In the Transylvania region of Romania. The castle where the historical
Dracula was born still stands in the town of Sighisoara.

…is a whole country a desert? There is a saying that Djibouti, in Africa, is “too hot for the devil.” It's a
hot, dry, desert country where less than 1 square mile is farmland.

…would you go for a safari? To Nairobi, Kenya,, in Africa, the world's center for tourist safaris.

…can you find the Temple of the Tooth? In Kandy, Sri Lanka, where Buddhists built a temple to honor
Buddha's tooth. Every year great festivals are held here.

…does a country's government know who owns which trees? In Oman, in the Mideast. Its date
palms are so valuable, the country keeps a list of who owns which trees.

…can you ride with gauchos? In South America, cowboys are known as gauchos. Argentina is one of
the countries where gauchos herd sheep and cattle.

…was pizza first made? Naples, Italy, is the home of the pizza. Neapolitan women first created pizza
pies about 200 years ago.

…are there baby palaces? In North Korea, nursery schools run by the government are called palaces.

…are the streets “paved” with water? In Venice, Italy, the streets are canals, and the people move
about on boats called gondolas.

…can you lead a double life? Andorra, a country sandwiched between Spain and France, is ruled by
co-princes, one Spanish, one French. There are two post offices, school systems, and courts.

…are the streets of the board game Monopoly? You'll find Boardwalk, Park Place, Baltic Avenue, and
all the rest in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

…would you go for a Nobel Prize? Stockholm, Sweden, is the home of the Nobel Prize, which is
awarded yearly to people who have made extraordinary contributions to world peace, the sciences,
literature, and medicine. The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Olso, Norway.

…is London Bridge? The old granite bridge that was always falling down was taken apart in London,
shipped to the U.S., and rebuilt in Arizona. A new concrete bridge was built in London.

…would you find the queen of Sheba's kingdom? Yemen, in the Middle East, was once the kingdom
of the queen of Sheba.

…is a shaky country? New Zealanders call their country “shaky country” because about 400
earthquakes rock it yearly.

…can you throw snowballs across the equator? In Ecuador, South America, a country named after the
equator. It is the only country where both the temperature and the latitude reach zero. There are glaciers
in the high mountains of this equatorial country.

…is King Arthur buried? An ancient monastery in Glastonbury, England, is said to be the burial place of
King Arthur and the sword Excalibur.

…is Sherwood Forest? In Nottinghamshire, England. At one time it was the royal hunting grounds for
the king of England; now it is under the protection of the British Forestry Commission.
…is the home of the yodel? In the Swiss Alps, where cow herders first yodeled to call from the

SOCIAL SCIENCE: World Geography Practice Test

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1. This continent is the largest and it covers almost 33% of the earth’s surface. It is consider as the most
diverse continent and home for earliest civilization and major religions of the world
A. Africa D. Europe
B. Asia E. North America
C. Austria and Oceania

2. Which area of the world has been described as the “symbol of worldwide demographic, environmental
and societal stress/problems”?
A. Africa D. North America
B. Asia E. South America
C. Austria/Oceania

3. The world’s largest island is:

A. Australia D. Greenland
B. China E. Madagascar
C. Iceland

4. It is the longest mountain chain in the world

A. Andes D. Kunlun
B. Himalayas E. Pamir
C. Karakoram

5. What religious group suffered heavily in Europe during the Nazi Holocaust?
A. Atheist D. Jewish
B. Buddhist E. Muslim
C. Christian

6. It is considered as one of the worst eruption of the century that almost affects the earth’s atmosphere
due to its ash falls
A. Mt. Hibuk-Hibok D. Mt. Pinatubo
B. Mt. Kanlaon E. Taal Volcano
C. Mt. Mayon

7. In what part of the world can you find the longest and largest coral reef which is also known s the
“Great Barrier Reef”?
A. Africa D. North America
B. Australia E. South America
C. Europe

8. Which of the following countries is not part of the Association of the South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN)?
A. Malaysia D. Taiwan
B. Philippines E. Thailand
C. Singapore

9. Among the South American nations, this country is the only Portuguese speaking country
A. Argentina D. Mexico
B. Brazil E. Peru
C. Chile

10. The opening of the Suez Canal connects the trading route between these two bodies of water
A. Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean D. Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea
B. Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico E. South China Sea and Philippine Sea
C. Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal

11. This is the known Peninsula in Europe that occupied by Norway, Sweden, Denmark also included is
Iceland and Finland
A. Apennines D. Jutland
B. Balkan E. Scandinavian
C. Iberian
12. Chernobyl will be remembered as
A. Commonwealth of Independent States
B. Economic bloc of former USSR to European Community

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 C. Place of the nuclear reactor explosion
D. Site of the 1992 Olympics
E. Space launcher of Russian Cosmonauts that blasted

13. The following are general characteristics of an industrialized country except for one.
A. Economic and political stability D. Low infant mortality
B. High literacy rate E. One child policy per family
C. Longer life expectancy

14. The security council consists of 15 seats, of which five are permanent. Which of these countries does
not have a permanent seat?
A. India D. China
B. United States E. France
C. Russia

15. The United Nations has its headquarters in New York City. It also has two offices in two other cities in
the world. Can you name one?
A. Vienna D. Bangkok
B. Hongkong E. Sydney
C. Manila

16. The biggest and most populated island in the Philippine Archipelago
A. Cebu D. Mindanao
B. Leyte E. Negros
C. Luzon

17. Which of the following is not included in the main geographical and political-cultural subdivisions of
Asia?
A. North Asia D. Southeast Asia
B. Northwest Asia E. Southwest Asia
C. South Asia

18. If the Caribbean Islands may be combined with Mexico and Central America, it could be collectively
and properly described as:
A. Latin America D. South America
B. Middle America E. The Americas
C. North America

19. What country is considered as largest producer of Diamond, although few of its diamonds are of gem
quality?
A. Australia D. New Zealand
B. Canada E. South Africa
C. Mexico

20. What sea is often included in the physical definition of North America?
A. Baltic Sea D. Read Sea
B. Caribbean Sea E. South China Sea
C. Mediterranean Sea

21. In what part of the world can you approximately find the International Date Line (IDL)?
A. Atlantic Ocean D. Pacific Ocean
B. Greenwich, England E. South Pole
C. North Pole

22. It is a common knowledge that all bodies of water are interconnected with one another but this ocean
covers 1/3 of the world from Arctic to Antartica
A. Arctic Ocean D. Pacific Ocean
B. Indian Ocean E. South Atlantic Ocean
C. North Atlantic Ocean

23. It is known to the ancient and modern world that this is the home of rich and key cities of the world. It
is also of the major tourist destination and it provides a well designed airports and railways across the
continent
A. Africa D. Europe
B. Asia E. South America
C. Australia

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24. When these imaginary lines are used in combination, it gives you a unique destination to every point
on Earth?
A. International Date Line (IDL) D. North Pole and South Pole
B. Lines of Longitude and Latitude E. Prime Meridian & Equator
C. North, East, West and South Hemisphere

25. Manila has a good medical facilities but there is a great need for medical people specially in the rural
areas, the main factor for this situation is:
A. Great exodus of medial practitioners like Nurses, Medical Technician and Medical
Doctors going abroad
B. Low quality of graduates that cannot passed both local and international standards for
medical practices
C. Political unrest and security of rural hospital across the nation due to terrorism and local
conflicts
D. Small number of medical graduates like medical doctors and nurses to support the needs
of the country
E. Traditional medicine is a strong competitor for the scientific advancement of our Medicinal
Science in rural areas

26. In the 19th century, most Europeans considered Africa as “The Dark Continent” because:
A. Most African nations had been subjected to European domination
B. Most inhabitants are literally black or dark people of this continent
C. Most of its economic and political activities were dependent to industrialized nations
D. Most of the African land area is covered by vast desert and rugged mountains
E. Most of the African interior was unexplored and not colonized by European and other
neighboring nations

27. The following statement refers to the general characteristics of African people in terms of their cultural
traits except for:
A. Few nations have developed a strong sense of national unity among its people
B. Imposition of colonial boundaries among African people further divide the continent
C. Indigenous churches brought common traditions and practices among African people
D. Traditional values prevailed over the African Tribes
E. Various languages further perpetual tribal identities over and above national identity

28. One of the major issues between US and Mexico which led US government to take action against the
growing population of Mexico.
A. Assist rapid economic growth of Mexico to eliminate poverty
B. Control the great demand of farmers for the south flowing Colorado River for dry region
C. Control the increase of illegal crossing of Mexicans to the US border in search of
employment
D. Manifest a virtual veto power of US towards Mexico’s economic policy
E. Support peasant rebels stage war against the state

29. Which of the following is not a human activity that threats the incredible biological diversity of the
Amazon Wildlife?
A. El Niño Phenomenon D. Massive deforestation
B. Development of rural settlement E. Road construction
C. Increased in demand for lumber

30. The word “Narcotraficantes” is associated with:

A. Annual occurrences of El Niño Phenomenon
B. Colombia’s illegal drug trade
C. Destruction of the Amazon Forest
D. Trading of Black slaves from Africa
E. Volcanic and earthquake activities in the Andes mountains

31. Which of the following reasons why people cannot establish a permanent settlement in Antartica?
A. Danger of nuclear weapons testing over the territory
B. Environmental problems like oil spills
C. It is the coldest place on earth and experiencing the strongest wind
D. Ozone concentration in the area above the continent
E. The growing controversy over the claims of different nations over the territory

32. The three leading financial centers of the world included the following key cities of:
A. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Seoul D. Hong Kong, Paris, Rome

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 B. Beijing, Sydney, Washington DCE. London, New York, Tokyo
C. Berlin, Mexico City, Singapore

33. Below are listed 5 continents

i. Africa 4 North America
ii. Antartica 5 South America
iii. Europe

Arrange the continents from biggest to smallest in terms of land area.

A. 3 1 2 5 4 D. 4 3 2 5 1
B. 2 3 4 1 5 E. 5 2 4 1 3
C. 1 4 5 2 3

34. Based on the early historical accounts of Europe these two nations had strong ties with the European
culture and the Asian nations.
A. Australia and New Zealand D. North Korea and South Korea
B. India and Sri Lanka E. Turkey and Russia
C. Iran and Iraq

35. The following statements refer to the African condition that hinders its potential towards economic
growth except for one:
A. Diverse natural resources
B. Insufficient capital technology
C. Political instability
D. Poorly trained workforce
E. Small purchasing power

36. Which of the following Asian countries has historical ties with European city and it was considered as
the heart of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire?
A. Iraq (Mesopotamia) D. Saudi Arabia
B. Israel E. Turkey
C. Russia

37. The following occurrences are all natural hazards that the world is experiencing across the time
except for one:
A. Deforestation D. Tsunami
B. Diastrophism E. Volcanic Eruption
C. El Niño and La Niña

38. China has over one fifth of the world’s population and its leaders believe that its large population
hinders the economic progress of the country and to address this problem they want to achieve equal
death rate and birth rate in population. This government action to limit the population is known as the
A. Baby Boom C. Population pyramid
B. Population distribution D. Zero population growth

39. Most scientists believe that El Niño phenomenon which was greatly experiences in 1982, 1983
occurred when trade winds that normally blow from east to west slow down and actually change direction.
The winds blow warm water toward South America where the normal weather patterns are changed for a
time. Given this global change, which among the following conditions is not considered as direct effect of
the El Niño phenomenon?
A. Occurrences of hurricanes and heavy rainfall in the mid-Pacific region in a normal condition
B. Some species of fish like cold-water loving salmon disappeared along the west coast of the
United States but tuna and shrimp were attracted to the warm waters
C. The gradual warming of the earth is known as the Greenhouse effect could dramatically
change climates worldwide
D. Water temperature in some parts of the Pacific Ocean rose to as much as 14 degrees higher
than to normal condition

40. The following statements refer to the characteristics of the Philippines as one of the important
territories of Asia, except for one
A. It is a tropical country and geographically located in the northeastern part of the world.
B. Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia with existing policy of free and
compulsory six years in elementary.
C. The establishment of the first Philippine Republic gave birth to the first constitutional
democracy in Asia
D. The free port of Manila is one of the world’s busiest ports, compared with other Southeast
Asian nations

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