| A | B |
|---|
| Absolute location | the precise point where a place is located on Earth. Uses addresses, longitude/latitude or GPS |
| Arid | dry or lacking rainfall; also a climate or climate zone that is hot and dry all year with very little rain |
| Basin | a bowl-shaped depression, or hollow, in the Earth's surface |
| Biodiversity | the variety of plants and animals living in one area, or on Earth |
| Biome | a very large ecosystem such as a desert, forest, wetlands, or grassland; home to a community of plans and animals |
| Birth rate | the number of births in a year for every 1000 people in a population |
| Broadleaf evergreen forest | a vegetation zone of mainly tall trees that remain green all year; also refers to the type of vegetation in this zone |
| Capital city | a city that is the governmental center of a country or region |
| Carbon-oxygen cycle | the process by which carbon and oxygen cycle among plants, people and animals, and the environment |
| Cash crop | a crop that is grown to be sold rather than to be consumed by the farmers and their families |
| Civil war | a war between groups living in the same country |
| Clear-cut | to cut down all of the trees in an area |
| Climagraph | a graph that shows the average temperature and precipitation in pace over a year |
| Climate | the pattern of weather over a long period of time |
| Colonialism | a system in which one country rules another country as a colony. The ruling country controls trade with its colony for its own benefit |
| Common market | a group of countries that acts as a single market, without trade barriers between member countries |
| Coniferous forest | a vegetation zone of mainly evergreen trees with needles and cones; also refers to the type of vegetation in this zone |
| Conservationist | someone who works to protect the beauty and natural resources of the environment from destruction or pollution |
| Consumption | the using up of goods and services; also the purchase and use of goods and services by consumers |
| Cost of living | the average cost of basic necessities, such as food, clothing, and shelter, in a particular place or country |
| Crude oil | petroleum as it comes out of the ground and before it has been refined or processed into useful products |
| Cultural identity | a feeling of belonging to a group that shares the same culture, or way or life |
| Cultural region | an area that is set apart from other places by the way of life of the people who live there |
| Currency | the bills and coins used as money in a particular country or group of countries |
| Death rate | the number of deaths in a year for every 1000 people in a population |
| Deciduous forest | a vegetation zone of mainly trees that shed their leaves before winter; also refers to the type of vegetation in this zone |
| Deforestation | removing or clearing away the trees from a forest. Deforestation is often done to clear land for farming or ranching. |
| Delta | the triangle-shaped deposit of sand and sediment that occurs where a river flows into an ocean |
| Demography | the study of human populations, including how they change due to births, deaths, again, and migration |
| Desertification | the process by which land becomes more and more dry until it turns into desert; may be caused by climate change, human activities, or both |
| Desert scrub | a vegetation zone of mainly small trees, bushes, and other plants adapted to a dry climate; also refers to the type of vegetation in this zone |
| Developed country | a wealthy country with an advanced economy. Developed countries have many industries and provide a comfortable way of life for most of their people |
| Developing country | a poorer country with less advanced economy. In general, developing countries are trying to increase their industries and improve life for their people. |
| Dialect | a version of a language that is spoken in a specific area |
| Dictator | a leader who governs by force, without the consent of the people |
| Discrimination | treating people poorly because of their race, gender, or sexual preference |
| Distribution | the way people or things are spread out over an area or space; also the way resources, power, or goods are divided among people or groups |
| Diversity | a variety or wide range of differences |
| Doubling time | the time it takes a population to double |
| Drought | any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and services |
| Economic activity | any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and services |
| Economic interdependence | a condition in which countries have strong economic ties and depend on each other for resource, technology, trade, and investment |
| Ecosystem | a community of all the living things in an area and the environment in which they live |
| Ecotourism | a form of tourism that brings people to unique ecosystems while trying to avoid damage to these special places |
| Emigrate | to move from a country. People who leave a country are called emigrants. |
| Empire | a group of territories, people, or nations ruled by a single authority |
| Endangered species | animals or plans that are in danger of dying out the immediate future |
| Environmentalist | a person who works to protect the natural world |
| Erosion | the gradual wearing away of Earth's surface by the action of wind, water, ice, and gravity |
| Ethnic diversity | a variety of people from different ethnic groups |
| Ethnic group | a group of people in a country who share a unique culture and identity |
| Euro | the unit of currency used in many countries of the European Union |
| European Union | a supranational organization through which a number of European countries work together on shared issues |
| Extinct | having completely died out. An --- species has no living members |
| Failed state | a state that no longer exists or one in which the government is so weak that it has little control over its territory |
| Famine | a severe shortage of food that results in wide-spread hunger |
| Floodplain | the flat area around a river that is covered with sediment as a result of frequent flooding |
| Foreign investment | investment by a person or company based in another country |
| Forestry | the planting growing, and harvesting of trees |
| Fossil fuel | any fuel, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas, that is made from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals |
| Free trade | the flow of goods and services across national borders, with little or no government control |
| Freshwater | made up of water that is fresh, not salty, also describes creatures that live in ---, such as --- fish |
| General pollution | the release of harmful substances into the environment as a result of everyday activities, such as burning coal to make electricity |
| Geography | the study of features on Earth's surface including landforms, water bodies, climate, plants, animals, and peoples |
| Geothermal energy | energy produced by steam or hot water from deep inside the Earth |
| Glacier | a large mass of ice found near Earth's poles |
| Global warming | the gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth's surface over time. This warming way be the result of natural causes. It may also be caused by human activities. |
| Globalization | the development of a global society in which people, money, information, and goods flow fairly across national borders |
| Greenhouse effect | the process by which gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun and keep it close to the Earth's surface |
| Gross domestic product | the total value of the goods and services produced in country in a year |
| Gulf | a large inlet of the sea that cuts deeply into land |
| Habitable | satiable for humans to live in |
| Hemisphere | one half of a sphere. Earth can be divided into eastern and western --- or into northern or southern --- |
| Highlands | a mountainous part of a country; a climate zone where temperature and precipitation vary with latitude and elevation; a vegetation zone where the mix of plants varies with latitude and elevation; also refers to the type of vegetation |
| Human geography | the study of how people have spread across Earth |
| Humid continental | a climate or climate zone with warm, rainy summers and cool, snowy, winters |
| Humid subtropical | a climate or climate zone with hot and wet summer, mild and damp winter |
| Hydroelectric power | the electrical power that can be generated from flowing water |
| Ice cap | a climate or climate zone that is very cold all year with permanent ice and snow |
| Illiterate | unable to read or write |
| Immigrate | to move to a country. |
| Indigenous peoples | natives of an area who have been conquered or dominated by others who came later |
| Infant mortality rate | the number of infants, out of every 1000 babies born in particular year, who die before reaching age 1 |
| Isthmus | a narrow strop of land that links two larger landmasses |
| Landform | any natural features of Earth's surface that has a distinct shape. |
| Landlocked | surrounded entirely by land |
| Landscape | a large area with a particular kind of scenery, such as a desert --- |
| Land use | the ways in which people use a particular area of the Earth's surface; for example, for farming, development, or preservation |
| Land use conflict | disagreement over how to use a particular area of land |
| Life expectancy | the average age that a person in a given population can expect to live to. |
| Linguistic group | a group of people who share a common language |
| Livestock raising | raising animals for food, milk, wool, or other products |
| Map key | another name for map legend; a box or other display on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used on the map |
| Marine climate | a type of climate that is influenced by the sea. This type of climate is marked by relatively mild winters, cool summers, and fairly regular precipitation |
| Mediterranean climate | a climate or climate zone with warm to hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters |
| Migrant worker | a person who moves regularly in order to find work, especially in harvesting crops |
| Migrate | to move from one region or country to another |
| Mixed forest | a type of vegetation zone that includes both coniferous and deciduous trees |
| Monsoon | a seasonal wind that brings rain to South Asia |
| Multinational Corporation | a large company that has operations in more than one country |
| Multiracial | made up of people from several ethnic groups |
| Nation | a large group of people who share a common history and culture. Not all --- have their own government or control of a territory, but the word -- often means a country of nation-state |
| Nationalism | feelings of loyalty and pride toward one's nation or ethnic group. Nationalism sometimes includes the belief that one's nation or group is better than all others |
| Nation-state | an independent state, or country, whose people mostly share a common identity |
| Natural resource | useful material that is found in nature, such as water, wood, coal, or oil |
| Nomadic herding | the raising of livestock for food by moving herds from place to place to find pasture and water |
| Nonrenewable resource | a resource that takes so long to form that it can't be replaced. Oil, which takes millions of years to form, is such a resource |
| Nutrient | a substance that provides nourishment, such as one of the elements in soil that make it fertile |
| Oil reserves | oil that has been discovered by remains unused in the ground |
| Parallel of latitude | an imaginary line around Earth that runs parallel to the equator |
| Pastoral nomads | groups of herders who move with their animals from place to place in search of pasture and water |
| Peninsula | a long, narrow stretch of land that is surrounded by water on three sides |
| Per capita | by or for each person. A per capita figure is calculated by dividing the total amount of something by the number of people in a place |
| Persecution | unfair treatment of others because of who they are or what they believe |
| Physical feature | any natural characteristic of Earth's surface, such as landforms and bodies of water |
| Physical geography | the study of natural features on the surface of the Earth |
| Plantation | a large farm, especially in a hot area |
| Plateau | raised flat land |
| Pollutant | something that pollutes, or damages air, soil, or water |
| Pollution | damage to the natural environment caused by harmful substances; also refers to harmful substances |
| Population density | the average number of people who live in a unit of an area, such as a square mile; it measures how crowded an area is. |
| Population distribution | where people live in a country, whether crowded together in cities or spread out across the countryside |
| Precipitation | moisture that falls from the sky as rain, snow, sleet or hail |
| Prime meridian | the meridian of longitude labeled 0 degrees, from which all other degrees of longitude are measured. The prime meridian passes through Greenwich, England. |
| Rainforest | a type of thick evergreen forest found in areas of heavy rainfall |
| Recycling | the process of collecting used materials that would otherwise be thrown away and turning them into raw materials for new uses |
| Refugee | someone who seeks safety by going to another country |
| Region | an area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas |
| Relative location | where a place is located in relation to another place |
| Renewable resource | a resource that can't be used up or can be replaced quickly. |
| Reserve | an area that has been set aside for a specific purpose |
| River basin | the area drained by a river and its tributaries |
| River system | a river and all the tributaries that flow into it |
| Rural | found in or living in areas that are not close to cities |
| Rural decline | worsening economic conditions in the countryside, including rising unemployment and growing poverty |
| Sanitation | the systems that keep an area free of filth and germs that can cause disease |
| Savanna | a type of tropical grassland |
| Sediment | bits of soil left in a place by moving water |
| Segregation | the separation of one group of people from another, such as by race |
| Semiarid | dry with little rainfall; also a climate or climate zone with hot, dry summers and cool, dry winters |
| silt | sand, mud, or clay made up of fine bits of soil and found at the bottom of a river or lake |
| Site | the specific place where something is located, including its physical setting |
| Slum | an overcrowded, dirty area of a city where the housing is usually in very poor condition |
| Smog | a haze in the air caused by pollution, especially the exhaust from cars and other vehicles |
| Solar energy | energy from the sun that can be converted into heat or electricity |
| Spatial inequality | the unequal distribution of wealth or resources in a geographic area, so that some places are richer than others |
| Standard of living | the overall level of comfort and well-being of a group or a country |
| State | a political unit that controls a particular territory |
| Steppe | a vast, grassy plain |
| Sub arctic | a climate or climate zone with cold, snowy winters and cool, rainy summers |
| Subsistence farming | farming carried out mainly to provide food for farm families, with little surplus for sale to others |
| Suburb | a developed are at the edge of a city that is mainly homes. |
| Superpower | an extremely powerful country with more political, economic, or military might than most other countries |
| Supranational cooperation | a form of international cooperation in which countries give up some control of their affairs as they work together to achieve shared goals |
| Sustainable development | finding ways to use resources without using them up; using resources in ways that meets the needs of people today without hurting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
| Tariff | a tax on goods that cross country borders |
| Technology | the creation and use of tools to meet practical needs; also refers to the tools themselves |
| Temperate | moderate or mild; without extremes of hot or cold |
| Temperate grasslands | vegetation or vegetation zone of mainly grasses and scattered trees adapted to a tropical wet and dry climate |
| Terracing/ Terraces | the creation of flat areas on mountain slopes for the purpose of farming |
| Thematic map | a map that shows a particular theme, or topic |
| Time zone | an area that uses the same clock time. Earth is divided into 24 standard time zones. In each zone, clocks are set to eh area's own hour and minute/ |
| Tourism | travel for pleasure rather than business or necessity; also, the business of organizing such travel |
| Toxic chemical | a chemical that is poisonous to humans or other living things |
| Trade bloc | a group of groups that work together to promote trade with each other |
| Traditional culture | customs and ways of life handed down from ancestors |
| Tributary | a stream of river that flows into a larger stream or river |
| Tropical grassland | vegetation or vegetation zone of mainly grasses and scattered trees adapted to a tropical wet and dry climate |
| Tropical rainforest | a broadleaf evergreen forest found in wet and hot regions near the equator |
| Tropical wet | a climate or climate zone that is hot and rainy all year |
| Tropical wet and dry | a climate or climate zone that is hot all year with rainy and dry seasons |
| Tropical zone | the area between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the climate is generally hot |
| Tundra | a climate zone with very cold winters, cold summer's and little rain or snow, a vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between ice cap and the treeline; also a vegetation zone |
| Unemployment | joblessness |
| Urban | found or living in a city |
| Urbanization | the movement of people from rural to urban areas |
| Urban sprawl | the rapid, often poorly planned spread of development from an urban area outward into rural areas |
| Vegetation | all the plants and trees in an area |
| Zero population growth | population of a country does not grow but remains stable |
