| A | B |
|---|
| solstice | exact moment at which summer and winter start (longest day of the year or the shortest day of the year) |
| equinox | sun's rays hit the quator directly, and day and night are the same length |
| tectonic plates | divided sections of Earth's crust |
| continental drift | slow movement of continents |
| plain | level area |
| plateau | sits high above sear level and usally has a cliff on all sides |
| continental shelf | edge of a continent that extends out under water |
| erosion | process by which rocks and soil slowly break apart and are swept away (air, wind, water, & ice) |
| earthquake | violent shaking of Earth's crust |
| tsunamis | large powerful ocean waves caused by underwater earthquake |
| volcano | mountain that erupts in an explosion of molten rock, gases, and ash |
| benefit | useful |
| essential | necessary |
| condensation | cooler temperatures in the atmosphere caused water vapor to change into droplets that form clouds |
| evaporation | sun heats the ocean, and water vapor rises up into the atmosphere |
| precipitation | water droplets grow heavier and fall back to earth in the form of rain or snow |
| climate | average condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time |
| weather | condition of the atmosphere at a particular time |
| vegetation | plant life |
| hurricane | strong storm with weirling winds and heavy rainfall |
| cyclone | storm with rotating winds |
| tornado | smaller storm that has powerful winds up to 300 miles per hour |
| raw material | materials used to make products |
| nonrenewable resources | resources that are limited and cannot be replaced |
| renewable resources | resources that never run out |
| habit | natural environment for plants and animals |
| ecosystems | community of plants and animals and their habitat |
| restored | brought back |
| marine life | plants and animals of the ocean |
| impact | effect |
| culture | how people in a region live, behave, and think |
| symbol | object that stands for something |
| civilization | society that has a highly developed culture and technology |
| culture regions | areas that are unified by common cultural traits or characteristics |
| kimonos | traditional Japanese clothing |
| monotheistic religions | belief in one deity |
| polytheistic religions | belief in many deities |
| economy | system in which people produce, sell, and buy things |
| capital | country's wealth and infrastructure |
| entrepreneurship | creativity and risk needed to develop new goods and services |
| free enterprise economy | privately owned businesses create goods that people buy in markets |
| gross domestic product (GDP) | total value of the goods and services that a country produces |
| government | organization that keeps order, sets rules, and provides services for a society |
| citizen | person who lives within the territory of a government and is granted certain rights |
| democracy | citizens elect representatives to govern them |
| human rights | political, economic, and cultural rights that all people should have |
