| A | B |
|---|
| geography | The study of where people, places, and things are located and how they relate to each other. |
| Ring of Fire | The circle of volcanos surrounding the Pacific Ocean. |
| absolute location | The position on the earth in which a place can be found. |
| plate tectonics | The theory that the earth's outer shell is composed of a number of large, unanchored plates, or slabs of rock, whose constant movement explains earthquakes and volcanic activity. |
| continental drift theory | The idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride. |
| GIS | A geographic information system, which uses computer technology to collect and analyze data about the surface in order to solve geographic problems. |
| hemisphere | A half of the earth; the Equator divides the Northern and Southern hemispheres; the prime meridian divides the Eastern and Western hemispheres. |
| continent | Any of the seven large landmasses of the earth's surface; Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. |
| relative location | The position of a place in relation to another place. |
| character of a place | The physical and human characteristics that help to distinguish a place from other places. |
| perception | A viewpoint that is influenced by one's own culture and experiences. |
| formal region | A group of places that have similar attributes, for example, a political region. |
| functional region | A group of places connected by movement, for example, the region drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. |
| perceptual region | A group of places that is defined by people's feelings and attitudes. |
| relief | The differences in elevation, or height, of the landforms in any particular area. |
| biosphere | The world of plants, animals, and other living things in the earth's land and waters. |
| hydrosphere | The water contained in oceans, lakes, rivers, and under the ground. |
| atmosphere | The layer of gases, water, and other substances above the earth. |
| lithosphere | The surface features of the earth, including soil, rocks, and landforms. |
| crust | The solid, rocky, surface layer of the earth. |
| mantle | A thick layer of mostly solid rock beneath the Earth's crust that surrounds the earth's core. |
| core | The earth's center, consisting of very hot metal that is dense and solid in the inner core and molten, or liquid, in the outer core. |
