South Australian

Certificate of Education

The external assessment requirements of this subject are listed on page 18.

Geography
2018 Sample paper
Question booklet
• Section 1 (Questions 1 and 2) 33 marks
• Section 2 (Questions 3 and 4) 27 marks
• Answer all questions
• Write your answers in this question booklet
• You may write on page 17 if you need more space

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Examination information
Materials
• Question booklet
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• Sheet of additional material

• SACE registration number label

Reading time
• 10 minutes
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Writing time
• 2 hours
• Use black or blue pen
• Approved calculators may be used

Total marks 60

© SACE Board of South Australia 2018

For office use only

Supervisor Re-marked
check
Attach your SACE registration number label here
 SECTION 1 (Questions 1 and 2)
(33 marks)

1. Refer to the topographic map PITLOCHRY, scale 1: 25 000, on the separate sheet.

(a) Study the main roads through Pitlochry, from Ballinluig (grid reference 975 529) to The
Soldier’s Leap (grid reference 913 627).

(i) Using evidence from the map, analyse the problems that were encountered when
building the roads and describe how these problems were overcome.

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(ii) Using evidence from the map, suggest one reason why the main road splits in two at
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Pitlochry and suggest two outcomes of this split.

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 (b) A section of the Rob Roy Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails (a long-distance path), runs
between Pitlochry (grid reference 941 579) and Strathtay (grid reference 913 534).

(i) How long is this section of the Rob Roy Way?

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(ii) A family with two young children have decided to walk this section of the Rob Roy Way.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this route for the family. Use evidence
from the map to support your answer.

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 (c) Refer to the following information and to the map on the separate sheet:

PITLOCHRY
The landscape, heritage, and cultural aƩracƟons of Pitlochry and the
surrounding area make it a popular desƟnaƟon for tourists and day trippers.
An adventure tourism company plans to build an outdoor acƟvity centre to
cater for visitors seeking land-based and water-based acƟviƟes.
The site for the centre should have easy access to water and be within easy
reach, by minibus, of significant features of the landscape.
In addiƟon, the site for the centre must have space for the storage of
equipment, including kayaks; change rooms; a toilet block; a restaurant; and
parking faciliƟes for cars and tour buses.

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Source: Map data © 2017 Google

Choose an appropriate site for the outdoor activity centre. Your choice of site should optimise
the factors that you consider to be most important for the centre. The size of your site should
reflect the criteria described above.

(i) State the six-figure grid reference for your chosen site.

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 (ii) Discuss six aspects of the physical and human environment that influenced your choice
of site. Provide detailed evidence from the map that is on the separate sheet to support
your answer.

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(iii) Suggest two additional pieces of data that you could collect to help you choose the best
site for the outdoor activity centre.

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2. (a) Refer to the following information, which shows data collected and analysed by a group of
geography students:

Capacity and volume of 10 reservoirs

1980 1990 2000

Capacity
Reservoir Volume Percentage Volume Percentage Volume Percentage
(ML)
(ML) of capacity (ML) of capacity (ML) of capacity
1 27 000 24 000 89% 23 000 85% 21 000 78%
2 44 900 29 000 65% 27 500 61% 22 500 50%
3 11 800 11 200 95% 11 000 93% 10 100 86%
4 2 600 2 400 92% 2 300 88% 2 000 77%
5 19 400 14 500 75% 11 700 60% 2 500 13%
6 16 500 15 100 92% 14 900 90% 10 600 64%
7 21 100 16 600 79% 13 000 62% 9 800 46%
8 44 500 33 700 76% 29 500 66% 15 000 34%
9 4 900 3 300 67% 3 100 63% 1 300 26%

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10 4 400 4 200 95% 4 200 95% 3 900 87%

(i) How have the reservoir volumes changed over time?

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(ii) Suggest two ways that climate change may have influenced reservoir volumes over time.
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 (iii) Suggest two ways that population change may have influenced reservoir volumes
over time.

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(iv) Describe two distinctly different ways of presenting the data shown in the table.

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 (b) Consider any fieldwork you have undertaken either individually or as a class, and the
techniques you used to collect data.
State the focus of your fieldwork and discuss:
• the success of the techniques you used to collect data
• how the collection of data could have been improved.

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Discussion: __________________________________________________________________________________________

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 SECTION 2 (Questions 3 and 4)
(27 marks)

3. (a) Refer to the following map:

Ecological footprint (EF) per capita (2012)

Key

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EF <1
EF 1 – 8
EF >8
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Source: Based on data from Global Footprint Network, National Footprint Accounts, 2016 edn

Describe and explain the global pattern of ecological footprints shown on the map.

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 (b) Refer to an ecosystem that you have studied.

(i) Outline the characteristics of this ecosystem.

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(ii) Describe and explain the impact of people on this ecosystem.

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 (iii) Discuss the management strategies used to improve the sustainability of this ecosystem.

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4. Refer to the following relief map and population density map for Brazil, which is a developing
country in South America:

Relief map of Brazil, South America

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Source: © AridOcean  Shutterstock.com

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 Population density map of Brazil, 2010

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Source: IBGE, Censos Demogràficos 1872–2010. Made with Philcarto and Illustrator.
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Agglomerations larger than 10,000 are shown in the map © Cosmo Antonio Ignazzi, Gèographie Citès 2013

(a) Outline the factors that influence where people live in Brazil.
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 Refer to the following line graphs when answering Questions 4(b) and 4(c):

Total population, Brazil (1960–2015)

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Population (millions)

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1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
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Source: Based on population data from The World Bank, World Development Indicators
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Urban and rural populations in Brazil (1940–2010)

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urban
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Population (millions)

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Source: Based on data from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics)

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 (b) Suggest factors that may be influencing the population change in Brazil.

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 (c) Suggest why many people move from rural Brazil to the cities of Brazil.

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You may write on this page if you need more space to finish your answers. Make sure that you label
each answer carefully (e.g. 1(c)(ii) continued).

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 2018 SAMPLE GEOGRAPHY PAPER

The purpose of this sample paper is to show the structure of the Geography examination and the
style of questions that may be used. The following extract is from the 2018 subject outline for
Geography:

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Assessment Type 3: Examination (30%)

Students undertake one 2-hour written examination consisting of two sections.
Section 1 focuses on geographical skills and Section 2 focuses on application of skills developed
through the study of Topics 1 and 3.

Section 1 (approximately 50%)

In Section 1, students focus on solving problems and making decisions by applying a range
of geographical skills to interpret written and visual material, including maps, provided in the
examination. They draw on skills, understanding, and knowledge gained from individual and class
fieldwork activities and apply this in unfamiliar contexts.
The geographical skills assessed in Section 1 are selected from the following:

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• select or identify data appropriate to a geographical context or issue
• evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fieldwork techniques
• evaluate the limitations of data collected
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• identify appropriate visual representations of data
• interpret secondary sources of data and information
• use maps and spatial technologies (latitudes, longitudes, grid references, legends or keys,
directions, and contours)
• interpret images, including aerial, oblique, and ground photographs, and satellite images
• understand and apply scale (enlargement, reduction, area, and distance)
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• analyse and interpret statistics, fieldwork data, maps, profiles, cross-sections, and transects
• identify and analyse patterns and trends, infer relationships, and make predictions
• make recommendations, form conclusions, and solve problems
• use subject-specific terminology.
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Section 2 (approximately 50%)

In Section 2, students answer open-ended questions about:
• Topic 1: Ecosystems and People
• Topic 3: Population Change.
Students use examples of contemporary case studies from class activities and interpret and
analyse sources provided in the examination paper. They apply their understanding of geographical
information and of the complex interactions between physical and human environments.
All specific features of the assessment design criteria for this subject may be assessed in the
external examination.

Source: Geography 2018 Subject Outline Stage 2, p 15, on the SACE website, www.sace.sa.edu.au

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Question 4, page 13, Map: Population density map of Brazil, 2010

Ignazzi, CA 2015, ‘The Brazilian Urban System: the trajectories of Brazilian cities between general
dynamics and specific peculiarities’, Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography [Online], Systems,
Modelling, Geostatistics, article 754, online since 14 December 2015, cybergeo.revues.org/27349;
DOI 10.4000/cybergeo.27349; figure 2, sourced from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and
Statistics) Censos Demogràficos 1872–2010. © Cosmo Antonio Ignazzi, Gèographie Citès 2013.

Question 4, page 14, Graph: Total population, Brazil (1960–2015)

Based on total population data from The World Bank, World Development Indicators sourced
from (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) Census reports and
other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics,
(4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years),
(5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community:
Statistics and Demography Programme.

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Question 4, page 14, Graph: Urban and rural populations in Brazil (1940–2010)
Based on data from Ignazzi, CA 2015, ‘The Brazilian Urban System: the trajectories of Brazilian
cities between general dynamics and specific peculiarities’, Cybergeo: European Journal of
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Geography [Online], Systems, Modelling, Geostatistics, article 754, online since 14 December 2015,
cybergeo.revues.org/27349; DOI 10.4000/cybergeo.27349; figure 3, sourced from IBGE (Brazilian
Institute of Geography and Statistics).
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The SACE Board of South Australia has made every effort to trace copyright holders. If however,
any material has been incorrectly acknowledged, we apologise and invite the copyright holder to
contact us.
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page 19 of 19 — end of question booklet