| A | B |
|---|
| artesian water | water pressurized enough as to not require pumping to rise into wells |
| coral | tiny marine animals and the rocklike structures (islands, reefs) formed by the skeletons of coral colonies |
| atoll | ring-shaped island formed by coral building up along the rim of an underwater volcano |
| lagoon | shallow pool of water at the center of an atoll |
| continental island | island formed of rock that has risen from the continental shelf, such as Paupau New Guinea |
| krill | tiny shrimp-like sea animals that live in cold Antarctic oceans |
| wattle | name given to acacia trees by early Australian settlers who built houses of interwoven (wattled) acacia saplings |
| doldrums | a frequently windless area newa the Equator |
| typhoon | a hurricane (cyclone), or violent tropical storm, that forms in the Pacific Ocean, usually in the late summer |
| manuka | small shrubs that grow in plateau regions of New Zealand |
| crevass | huge, deep crack that forms in thick ice or snow |
| lichens | sturdy small plants that grow like a crust on rocks or tree trunks |
| primate city | city that dominates a country's economy, culture, & government & in which pop. is concentrated; usually the capital |
| nomadic | describing a way of life in which a group travels from place to place rather than establishing a permanent settlement |
| boomerang | curved throwing stick used for hunting by Aboriginies in Australia |
| trust territory | region, such as Micronesia, placed by UN under temp. political and economic control of another country after WWII |
| strine | colloquial, informal English spoken in Australia |
| pidgin English | a dialect mixing English and local languages |
| subsistence farming | traditional agriculture whose goal is to produce just enough to eat for a family or a village to survive |
| fale | traditional type of home in W. Samoa, with open sides and thatched roof |
| grazier | person who raises and herds sheep or cattle |
| station | Australian term for an outlying ranch or large farm |
| copra | dried meat of a coconut |
| rail gauge | the distance between the rails on a railroad track, which determines the position of wheels on a railroad car |
| marsupial | type of mammal (such as kangaroos or koalas) that gives birth to offspring that mature in a pouch on the mother's abdomen |
| global warming | gradual warming of the earth and its atmosphere that may be caused in part by pollution and increase in the greenhouse effect |
| ecosystem | the complex community of interdependent living things in a given environment |
