Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography Practice Exam

An ethnic enclave refers specifically to a geographic area where individuals of a particular ethnicity or religion cluster together. This phenomenon often arises from historical migration patterns, social networks, and the desire for safety or cultural preservation within a community. Ethnic enclaves can be seen in many urban settings, where specific neighborhoods or districts are predominantly occupied by people sharing similar cultural backgrounds, languages, or religious practices. This term captures the essence of segregation based on ethnic or religious lines, highlighting both the social and spatial dimensions of these communities.

The other terms mentioned do not specifically refer to segregation based on ethnicity or religion. An urban area is a broad classification of densely populated regions without a focus on ethnicity. A metropolitan region encompasses larger areas that can include several urban centers but remains agnostic to the ethnic composition of neighborhoods within it. Cultural neighborhood might suggest an area with a shared cultural identity, but it does not necessarily imply a segregated community based explicitly on ethnicity or religion.