BECE 2013 Social Studies Past Questions and Answers

Solution: The environment encompasses everything that surrounds human beings, including both living and non-living components. This includes people, animals, plants, air, water, soil, and all physical surroundings that interact with humans.

Solution: The social environment consists of human-created institutions and cultural practices. Festivals, political parties, and religious groups are all social institutions created by people, while rivers are part of the physical environment.

Solution: Social and physical environments influence each other continuously. Human activities (social environment) affect the physical environment through pollution, construction, etc., while the physical environment influences human behavior and social structures.

Solution: Waste management is the most pressing environmental challenge for Ghana's urban authorities, as rapid urbanization has led to inadequate waste collection and disposal systems in cities and towns.

Solution: Adolescent reproductive health programs primarily focus on sexuality education, teaching young people about reproductive health, safe practices, and responsible sexual behavior.

Solution: According to the World Health Organization, adolescence is defined as the period between 10 and 19 years of age, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Solution: Arbitration is a formal method of conflict resolution where a neutral third party makes decisions to resolve disputes. This is preferred over confrontation, which escalates conflicts.

Solution: Chastity (abstaining from sexual activity) helps prevent sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, which is a major health concern among young people.

Solution: Early sexual activity among adolescents often leads to teenage pregnancy, which frequently results in dropping out of school to care for children or due to social stigma.

Solution: Savings refers to the portion of income that is not consumed or spent but rather set aside for future use or investment.

Solution: Historical records indicate that the Akan people first established themselves at Bono Manso during their migration southward from the ancient Ghana Empire.

Solution: Ethnic conflicts disrupt economic activities, destroy infrastructure, and create instability that deters investment and development, thereby slowing economic progress.

Solution: Inter-ethnic marriages create family bonds across ethnic lines, fostering understanding and cooperation between different ethnic groups more effectively than other methods.

Solution: A map is a scaled representation of the earth's surface or a portion of it, showing geographical features, locations, and spatial relationships.

Solution: Based on the directional relationships shown in the sketch map, Kutu is positioned directly south of Miva.

Solution: A landmark is a prominent physical feature or structure that serves as a reference point for navigation and direction-finding in a locality.

Solution: Scale represents the mathematical relationship between distances on a map and corresponding distances in the real world, expressed as a ratio.

Solution: A linear scale is a graphical representation showing the relationship between map distances and ground distances using a line marked with distances.

Solution: Using the scale 1:10,000, 20cm on the map represents 20cm × 10,000 = 200,000cm = 2,000m = 2km on the ground.

Solution: Checks and balances ensure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful, thereby preventing the emergence of dictatorship and protecting democratic governance.

Solution: Appreciating and respecting the cultural practices of different ethnic groups promotes understanding, tolerance, and unity among diverse populations.

Solution: Many ethnic groups migrated to Ghana seeking security from conflicts, wars, or persecution in their original locations, making security a primary migration factor.

Solution: The National anthem is a unifying symbol that represents the nation and brings all citizens together regardless of their ethnic, religious, or regional differences.

Solution: Reporting saboteurs (those who deliberately undermine national interests) helps protect the nation's integrity by preventing activities that could harm national security.

Solution: Ghana is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, between approximately 5°N and 11°N latitude, north of the equator.

Solution: Patriotism involves love for and devotion to one's country, which naturally promotes national unity by encouraging citizens to work together for the common good.

Solution: The people of British Togoland voted in a UN-supervised plebiscite to join Ghana rather than French Togoland, making it a democratic decision.

Solution: Although Kwame Nkrumah was Prime Minister, Ghana remained a dominion of Britain at independence in 1957, making the Queen of Britain the ceremonial Head of State.

Solution: Colonization is the process where one country establishes control over another territory, taking over its political, economic, and administrative systems.

Solution: Diplomatic missions through ambassadors and high commissioners facilitate international cooperation, trade, and peaceful relations between Ghana and other nations.

Solution: The Bond of 1844 was the first formal agreement that gave the British colonial government judicial and administrative powers in the Gold Coast.

Solution: Using only foreign labor is not necessary for business survival and may actually be disadvantageous due to higher costs and lack of local knowledge.

Solution: The Earth's rotation on its axis causes day and night as different parts of the Earth face toward or away from the sun during the 24-hour cycle.

Solution: The 1992 Constitution grants citizenship by descent to individuals whose grandparents were Ghanaians, extending beyond just parental citizenship.

Solution: When warm and cold air masses meet, they create cyclonic or frontal rainfall as the warm air rises over the cold air, cools, and condenses.

Solution: Under Ghanaian law, a child found in Ghana whose parents cannot be traced is considered a Ghanaian citizen by adoption or foundling status.

Solution: Personal liberty is a fundamental human right guaranteed to all citizens, while voting and standing for elections have age and other requirements.

Solution: Child labor violates children's rights to education, play, and protection from exploitation, making it a form of human rights abuse.

Solution: The right to life is considered a natural or fundamental right that exists inherently in all human beings, not granted by law or government.

Solution: Acting honestly and justly represents fulfilling one's civic responsibility as a member of society, contributing to social order and good governance.