AP World Cultures Vocab
Terms
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- acculturation
- modification in a culture by the adaptation of outside cultural traits
- archipelago
- a chain or set of islands grouped together
- bay or gulf
- a body of sheltered water found in a crescent shaped configuration of land. Large bays are called gulfs.
- birth rate
- the number of live births per 1000 individuals annually within a population
- channel
- a wide strait dividing two close land masses and connecting two larger bodies of water. a strait is a narrow channel.
- climate
- the long term trends in weather conditions for an area
- clan
- a group of people who believe they have a common ancestor
- Communism
- an econmic system in which the means of production and distribution of all goods and services are owned and operated for the public by the government. achieved by revolutionary means, it promises to provide for everyone's needs in a classless society. according to Marx, it is the final developmental stage and government would eventually not be necessary.
- imperialism
- a more powerful country controlling the politics and economy of a less powerful country.
- death rate
- the number of deaths per 1000 individuals annually within a population
- deforestation
- removal of trees from a habitat dominated by forest.
- desertification
- conversion of marginal rangeland or cropland to desert. desertification can be caused by overgrazing, soil erosion, prolonged drought, or climate change.
- delta
- a fan shaped fertile area at the mouth of a river.
- diffusion (cultural diffusion)
- the spread of ideas, disease, technology, etc. among places
- ecosystem
- an ecosystem is a system where populations of species group together into communities and interact with each other and the environment
- ethnocentric
- belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group
- fjord
- a coastal valley which was sculpted by glacial action
- Gross Nation Product (GNP)
- the value of all the goods produced in a given country during a year
- Heterogeneous society
- people of many different ethnic and racial groups living together.
- Homogeneous society
- people of the same ethnic and racial groups living together.
- humus
- dark colored organic substance formed from decomposition of soil organic matter
- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
- the number of deaths per 1000 live births
- Less Developed Country (LDC)
- country characterized by minimal industrialization, low technological development, low per capita income, and high population growth rates. Many of these countries are found in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.
- monsoon
- a wind system in Southeast Asia which changes direction seasonally, creating wet and dry seasons. Monsoon winds blow from land to sea in the winter, and from sea to land in the summer. Summer monsoons are often accompanied with precipitation.
- More Developed Country (MDC)
- a highly industrialized country characterized by significant technological development, high per capita income, and low population growth rates. Examples of such countries include the United States, Canda, Japan, and many countries in Europe.
- nation
- a culturally homogeneous group of people which share a common language, institutions, religion, and historical experience
- Pan--
- Unification of a group of people of similar ethnic background (ie Pan-Africanism, Pan-Arabism)
- State
- an independent political entity, also known as a country. a "state" (lower-case s) is a division of a Sate (ie the 50 states of the USA)
- permafrost
- permanently frozen water in soil
- physical geography
- the branch of geography dealing with the natural features of the earth
- population density
- the number of people per unit such as square miles
- rift
- zone between two diverging tectonic plates. break in the earth's surface. rift valleys and lakes are formed
- Ring of Fire
- a zone of volcanoes circling the edge of the Pacific Ocean
- Savanna
- a tropical or sub-tropical plant community characterized by trees and shrubs scattered among a cover of grasses. the climate of a savanna is tropical with a dry season.
- slash-and-burn
- felling and burning trees to make land arable for a temporary purpose.
- Socialism
- an economic system in which the people (government) own and operate the principle means of production. This means things such as communications, railroads, steel, oil, and so on. The government still exists as does private industry.
- steppe
- mid-latitude grasslands
- Sustainable Development
- using the Earth's resources such as forests, water, minerals, gems, wildlife, etc. to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- Taiga
- Boreal forest-high to mid-latitude biome dominated by coniferous forest. Predominant vegetation of this biome is various species of spruce, fir, pine, and cedars.
- third world
- an outdated term that refers to the less developed or developing countries of the world
- tribalism
- living as a separate group of people with common customs, beliefs, loyalties, and ancestor
- tropical rainforest
- forested near the equator and dominated by evergreen vegatation
- tsunami
- large ocean wave created from an earthquake or volcanic eruption. Land configuration can amplify waves to heights of over 15 meters.
- Tundra
- high latitude, cold area dominated by a few species of dwarf shrubs, grasses, and mosses. productivity is low because of the extremes of climate.
- urban
- the built-up, non-rural area in a region
- rural
- of or relating to people who live in the country: rural households.
- urbanization
- an increase of people moving to the city area