| A | B |
|---|
| geography | the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth |
| absolute location | the exact place on earth where a geographic feature is found |
| relative location | a place in comparison to other places around it |
| hemisphere | each half of the globe |
| equator | the imaginary line that divides the north and south halves |
| prime meridian | the imaginary line dividing the earth east and the west |
| latitude | set of imaginary lines that run parallel to the equatorl |
| longitude | set of imaginary lines that go around the earth over the poles |
| globe | three dimensional representation of the earth |
| maps | two dimensional graphic representations of selected parts of the earth's surface |
| Culture | the total knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by members of a specific group. |
| society | a group that shares a geographic region, a sense of identity, and a culture. |
| migration | movement of people within the country |
| Columbian Exchange | movement of good between the "New" and "Old" worlds. |
| Louisiana Purchase | U.S. bought the plains region between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, from the French |
| suburbs | communities outside of the city |
| exports | goods sold to another country |
| Midwest | subregion that contains 12 states of the north-central United States |
| metropolitan areas | made up of large cities and nearby suburbs and towns |
| provinces | political units in Canada |
| parliamentary government | a system in which legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature called a parliament |
| prime minister | head of government in a parliamentary system; the majority party's leader |
| reserves | public land set aside for native peoples of Canada |
| terraced farming | an ancient technique for growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes |
| infrastructure | the basic support systems needed to keep an economy going |
| slash-and-burn | a way of clearing fields for planting by cutting trees, brush, and grasses and burning them |
| push factor | a factor that causes people to leave their homelands and migrate to another region |
| pull factor | a factor that draws or attracts people to another locaton |
| NAFTA | an important trade agreement creating a huge zone of cooperation on trade and economic issues in North America |
| Treaty of Tordesillas | a treaty between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that gave Portugal control over the land of present day Brazil |
| Tenochitlan | the ancient Aztec ccapital, site of Mexico City today |
| Panama Canal | a ship canal cut through Panama connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean |
| Inca | early civilization in the Andes Mountains |
| Carnival | the most colorful feast day in Brazil |
| reggae | a style of music that developed in Jamaica rooted in African, Caribbean, and American music |
| calypso | a style of music that began in Trinidad and combines musical elements from Africa, Spain, & the Caribbean |
| biodiversity | the variety of organisms within an ecosystem |
| junta | government run by generals after a military takeover |
| land reform | the process of breaking up large landholdings to attain a more balanced land distribution among farmers |
| global warming | rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns due to buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere |
| deforestation | the cutting down and clearing away of trees and forests |
| peninsula | an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland |
| North Atlantic Drift | a current of warm water from the tropics |
| acid rain | formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions combine with water vapor |
| city-state | a political unit in Ancient Greece made up of a city and its surrounding lands |
| republic | a government in which citizens elect representatives to rule in their name |
| Crusades | a series of wars to take Palestine from the Muslims |
| Renaissance | a time of renewed interest in learning and the arts from the 14th - 16th centuries |
| feudalism | political system in medieval Europe in which powerful lords owned most of the land and gave some to nobles in exchange for military service |
| Holocaust | a program of mass murder of European Jews by the Nazis during World War II |
| ethnic cleansing | the policy of trying to eliminate an ethnic group |
| smog | a brown haze that occurs when gases released by burning fossil fuels react with sunlight |
| ozone | a chemical created when burning fossil fuels react with sunlight; a form of oxygen |
| European Union | an economic and political alliance of 15 European nations |
| Trans-Siberian Railroad | a railroad that would eventually link Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok |
| USSR | the Soviet Union formed in 1922 by the Communists and officially dissolved in 1991 |
| Silk Road | the 4,000 mile route between China and the Mediterranean Sea, named for the costly silk acquired in China |
| location | the theme of geography that asks "Where is it?" |
| place | the theme of geography that asks "What is it like?" |
| region | the theme of geography that asks "How are places similar or different?" |
| movement | the theme of geography that asks "How do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another?" |
| human-environment interaction | the theme of geography that asks "How do people relate to the physical world?" |
| developed country | the industrialized nations of the world |
| developing country | the nations of the 3rd world seeking to develop industry |
| market economy | the production of goods and services is determined by the demand from consumers |
| command economy | the production of goods and services is determined by a central government , which usually owns the means ofproduction |
| mixed economy | a market economy with some governmental control |
| traditional economy | economic decisions are based upon the way things were done in the past |
| physical geography | focuses upon the structure, location, climate, plants, animals and topography of the Earth |
| human geography | focuses upon human populations & cultures |
| mestizo | people of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage |
| Hinduism | the dominant religion of India |
| Islam | religion based on the teachings of Muhammad |
| Judaism | the oldest monotheistic religion; basic laws and teachings found in the Torah |
| Buddhism | religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama; prevalent in India, China, Japan & Korea |
