| A | B |
|---|
| geography | study of the Earth and its people |
| absolute location | exact spot on Earth where a place is located |
| relative location | description of where a place is in relation to the features around it |
| global positioning system | group of satellites that uses radio signals to determine the exact location of places on Earth |
| revolution | one complete circuit around the sun; sweeping change |
| leap year | with 366 days, which happens every fourth year to make calendars match Earth's movement |
| equinox | either of the days in spring and fall in which the noon sun is overhead at the Equator and day and night are of equal length in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres |
| plate tectonics | scientific theory that explains how processes within the Earth's crust that shakes the land, and can cause great damage |
| earthquake | sudden and violent movement of the Earth's crust that shakes the land, and can cause great damage |
| fault | crack in the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates meet; prone to earthquakes |
| continental shelf | plateau off a continent that lies under the ocean and stretches for several miles |
| groundwater | water that filters through the soil and into the ground |
| aquifer | underground layer of rock through which water flows |
| evaporation | part of the water cycle; process by which water changes from a liquid to gas |
| condensation | part of the water cycle; process by which water changes from gas to liquid |
| precipitation | part of the water cycle; process by which water falls to the Earth as, for example, rain or snow |
| collection | part of the water cycle; process by which streams and rivers carry water that has fallen to the earth back to the oceans |
| weather | changes in temperature, wind speed and direction, and air moisture that take place over a short period of time |
| climate | pattern of weather that takes place in an area over many years |
| rain shadow | effect of mountains that blocks rain from reaching interior regions |
| greenhouse effect | buildup of certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that, like a greenhouse, retain the sun’s warmth |
| deforestation | cutting down of forests without planting new trees |
| conservation | careful use of resources to avoid wasting them |
| population density | – average number of people living in a square mile or square kilometer |
| urbanization | growth of cities |
| emigrate | to leave a country and move to another |
| culture | way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs |
| democracy | form of limited government in which power rests with the people, and all citizens share in running the government |
| dictatorship | form of government in which a leader rules by force and typically limits citizens’ freedoms |
| monarchy | government led by king or queen who inherited power by being born into ruling family |
| civilization | highly developed culture |
| cultural diffusion | process of spreading ideas, languages, and customs from one culture to another |
| globalization | development of a worldwide culture with an interdependent economy |
| natural resource | material from the Earth that people use to meet their needs |
| renewable resource | natural resource that can be replaced naturally or grown again |
| nonrenewable resource | natural resource such as a mineral that cannot be replaced |
