| A | B |
|---|
| escarpment | steep, jagged cliffs |
| rift valley | a large break in the Earth's surface formed by shifting tectonic plates |
| gorge | steep sided valley formed when rivers cut through the land |
| industrial diamond | used to make drills, saws, and grinding tools |
| plateau | large, raised area of mostly level land |
| tributary | a small river or stream that flows into a larger body of water |
| drought | periods of time when there is no rain at all |
| rain forest | dense stand of trees and other plants that receive high amounts of precipitation each year |
| canopy | the tops of the highest trees that form an umbrella-like covering in a rain forest |
| deforestation | the widespread clearing of forestland |
| ecotourism | touring a place without causing harm to the environment |
| savanna | grasslands with scattered woods |
| desertification | the expansion of the desert into the surrounding area |
| succulent | plant such as cacti with thick, fleshy leaves that conserve moisture |
| irrigation | artificially watering crops |
| hunter-gatherer | people who moved from place to place to hunt and gather food |
| plantation | large farms |
| nationalism | people's desire to rule themselves and have their own independent country |
| discrimination | unfair and unequal treatment of a group |
| refugee | people who flee to another country to escape mistreatment or disaster |
| apartheid | the separation of Black South Africans and White South Africans |
| malnutrition | poor health due to not eating the right foods or enough food |
| sanitation | removal of waste products |
| life expectancy | the average number of years a group of people can expect to live |
| social status | position in the community |
| rite of passage | special cerimonies that mark particular stages of life |
| griot | West African storytellers |
| compound | a group of houses surrounded by walls |
| extended family | households made up of several generations |
| nuclear family | includes a husband, wife, and their children |
| clan | a large group of people who are united by a common ancestor in the far past |
| lineage | a larger family group with close blood ties |
| ethnic group | a group of people who share the same ancestry, language, religion, or cultural tradition |
| nomad | a person who moves from place to place to make a living |
| subsistance farm | small plots where farmers grow only enough food to feed their families |
| cacao | a tropical tree whose seeds are used to make chocolate and cocoa |
| landlocked | countries that do not have a sea or an ocean border |
| overgraze | when animals strip areas of land so bare that winds can blow away the soil |
| sisal | a plant fiber used to make rope and twine |
| habitat | the type of environment in which a particular animal species lives |
| cassava | a plant whose roots are ground to make porridge |
| genocide | the removal or annihilation of a group of people |
| constitution | a document describing a government's structure and powers as well as the rights of citizens |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| migrant worker | spend most of their time working in mines or factories away from home |
| enclave | small territories located inside a larger country |
