| A | B |
|---|
| absolute location | exact spot |
| nonrenewable resources | gasoline, coal, etc. |
| equator | zero latitude |
| hydrosphere | water, oceans, lakes, rivers |
| biosphere | plants and animals of the Earth |
| solstice | longest and shortest days of year |
| climate | general weather pattern of region |
| herbivores | plant eating animals |
| coniferous | fur trees, pines, etc. |
| plate tectonics | shifting of Earth just below surface |
| permafrost | ice just beneath dirt in tundra |
| relative location | approximately here |
| zero longitude | Prime Meridian |
| topography | land's physical characteristics |
| global warming | trapped gases raising temps |
| carnivores | meat eaters |
| mantle | largest part of inner Earth |
| place | an areas physical/human characteristics |
| region | group of places sharing characteristic |
| pangaea | "original" continent |
| Ring of Fire | Volcanoes around Pacific Ocean |
| mechanical weathering | rock actually broken down |
| chemical weathering | changes minerals that form a rock |
| acid rain | precipitation w/chemicals pollutants in it |
| glaciers | slow-moving sheets of ice |
| weather | short-term condition in one area |
| revolution | 365 days for Earth to achieve |
| rotation | 24 hour spin |
| continental climates | not influenced by ocean currents |
| ecosystem | interaction of plants/animals |
| biome | major type of ecosystem |
| deciduous | trees that shed leaves yearly |
| savannas | huge tropical grasslands |
| prairies | temperate grasslands |
| tundra | always cool or cold-permafrost here |
| culture | beliefs and actions of a group |
| immigrant | move into a country |
| emigrants | move out of a country |
| urbanization | growth of city population |
| rural | countryside |
| cultural convergence | contact between cultures |
| cultural diffusion | transmission of culture |
| cultural divergence | restricting outside culture |
| sovereignty | right to choose for self |
| unitary system | central government has all power |
| dictatorship | power held by one man |
| democracy | people choose their leaders |
| federation | power shared states/national gov |
| confederation | states have all power |
| monarchy | power inherited by birth |
| command economy | gov. controls economic decisions |
| market economy | people have economic freedom |
| natural resources | things used from the Earth |
| renewable resources | wind, solar, water are examples |
| subsistence farming | farm enough for family |
| export | goods sent out of country |
| imports | goods brought into country |
| cottage industry | goods hand-made in home |
| province | Canadian political unit |
| gross national product | value of all goods & services |
| megalopolis | series of linked urban areas |
| secede | whenan area leaves a nation |
| canals | artificial waterways |
| telecommunications | communicating through electronics |
| metropolitan area | major city and its suburbs |
| sunbelt | states known for warm climate |
| lock | allows canals to climb up/down |
| customs | fees charges on incoming goods |
| tariff | tax on imports |
| conquistador | Spanish conqueror |
| Cortez | defeated Aztecs |
| tropical storm | storm with 39-74 mph winds |
| Hurricane | tropical storm above 74 mph |
| gauchos | cowboys |
| canopy | high dense tree covering |
| mestizo | Native and European ancestry |
| mulatto | African and European ancestry |
| plateau | high, flat land |
| peninsula | strip of land juts out into ocean |
| cash crops | crops grown & sold for profit |
| migrant workers | workers follow harvest season |
| maquiladoras | factories along Mexican border |
| isthmus | narrow land/water on both sides |
| earthquake | sudden movement in crust |
| crust | outer layer of the inner Earth |
| tsunami | earthquake under ocean causes this |
| archipelago | group of islands |
| windward | island side facing wind |
| leeward | island side away from wind |
| favelas | Brazilian slums |
| ecotourism | environment friendly tourism |
| timber line | above this no trees grow |
| pampas | grasslands of South America |
| estuary | river's mouth |
| piedmont | foothills of mountains |
| Niagara Falls | site found on Cannada/U.S. border |
| Grand Canyon | World's largest Canyon (in AZ) |
| Angel Falls | highest falls (in Venezuala) |
| Macchu Pichu | Incan mountain-top city (Peru) |
| Montezuma | Aztec's final leader |
| Panama canal | Links Caribbean Sea & Pacific |
| Rio Grande River | partially divides U.S./Mexico |
| Tropic zone | between Cancer & Capricorn |
