| A | B |
|---|
| Atmospheric pressure | the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on any point of the surface of Earth. Air sinks in high pressure areas, and few clouds form. Air rises in low-pressure areas to form clouds that produce rain |
| monsoon | a seasonal wind. Summer monsoon winds in South Asia usually bring rain to that region |
| orographic effect | the precipitation that occurs when moist air rises up the side of a mountain. As the air rises, it cools down and releases most of its moisture as rain or snow |
| rain shadow | a dry area on the downwind side of a mountain |
| upwind | against monsoon winds |
| downwind | same direction the wind is blowing |
| tropical cyclone | hurricane |
| semiarid | dry, with little rainfall. |
| slum | overcrowded dirty area of a city where the housing is usually in very poor condition |
| cloud seeding | scattering chemicals into clouds to bring about rain |
| comparative advantage | the ability of one country to produce a good or provide a service at a lower cost or more effectively than another country |
| information technology | the use of technology to move, record, and process information. Includes computers, communication satellites, cell phones, and the internet |
| outsource | to hire someone outside a copany to do work that was once done inside the company. Info technology has made it possible to put jobs in other countries |
| time zone | an area that uses the same clock time. Earth is divided into 24 standard zones. |
| workforce | all the people who are available for work |
| standard of living | the overall level of comfort and well-being of a group or country |
| cost of living | the average cost of basic necessities, such as food, clothing, and shelter in a particular place or country |
| linguistic group | a group of people who share a common language |
| dialect | a version of a language that is spoken in a specific area |
| illiterate | cannot read or write |
| brain drain | the loss of well educated people such as doctors or engineers to another country |
| foreign investment | investment by a person or company based in another country |
