Geography 9 Weeks Test Definitions and Words (chapters 1-4)
i added the chapter 4 vocab words to this unit
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- latitude
- the distance north or south of Earth's equator
- culture trait
- an activity or behavior in which people often take part, ex:playing football
- nonrenewable resources
- resources that can't be replaced, like coal
- meteorology
- the study of weather an what causes it
- ocean currents
- large streams of surface sea water; they move heat around Earth
- population
- the total number of people in a given area
- earthquakes
- sudden, violent movements of Earth's crust
- landscape
- all the human and physical features that make a place unique
- climate
- a region's average weather conditions over a long period
- water vapor
- water occurring in the air as an invisible gas
- monsoons
- seasonal winds that bring either dry or moist air
- reforestation
- planting trees to replace lost forest land
- fossil fuels
- nonrenewable resources that formed when the remains of ancient plants and animals
- steppes
- a semidry grassland or prairie, they often border deserts
- savannas
- areas of tall grasses, scattered trees, and shrubs
- extinct
- to die out
- lava
- magma that reaches the Earth's surface
- erosion
- the movement of sediment from one location to another
- culture
- the set of beliefs, values, and practices a group of people have in common
- front
- the place where two air masses of different temperatures or moisture content meet
- cultural diversity
- having a variety of cultures in the same area
- weather
- the short term changes in the air for a given place and time
- enviornment
- the land, water, climate, plants, and animals of an area; surroundings
- population density
- average number of people living in an area (average population divided by total area which equals persons per square mile or kilometer)
- plate tectonics
- a theory suggesting that the Earth's surface is divided into a dozen or so slow-moving plates, or pieces of the Earth's crust
- United Nations
- an organization of the world's countries that promotes peace and security around the globe
- globalization
- the process in which countries are increasingly linked to each other through culture and trade
- humanitarian aid
- assistance to people in distress
- hydroelectric power
- the production of electricity form waterpower
- humus
- decayed plant or animal matter
- weathering
- the process by which rock is broken down into smaller pieces
- social science
- a field that studies people and the relationships among them
- ethnic group
- a group of people who share a common culture
- communism
- a political system in which the government owns all property and dominates all aspects of life in the country
- groundwater
- water found below the Earth's surface
- natural resource
- any material in nature that people use and value
- cartography
- the science of making maps
- deforestation
- the clearing of trees
- revolution
- a 365 1/4 day trip Earth takes around the sun each year
- gross domestic product
- the value of all goods and services produced within a country in a single year
- absolute location
- a specific description of where a place is located; it is often expressed using latitude and longitude
- developing countries
- countries with less productive economies and a lower quality of life
- command economy
- a system in which the central government makes all economic decisions
- interdependence
- the reliance of one country on the resources, goods, or services of another country
- globe
- a spherical, or ball shaped model of the entire planet
- habitat
- the place where a plant or animal lives
- renewable resources
- resources Earth replaces naturally, like water, soil, or a tree
- rotation
- one complete spin of the Earth on its axis, each takes about 24 hours
- physical geography
- the study of the world;s physical features- its landforms, bodies of water, climates, soils, and plants
- democracy
- a form of government in which the people elect leaders and rule by majority
- geography
- the study of the world, its people, and the landscapes they create
- drought
- a long period of lower than normal precipitation
- precipitation
- water that falls to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- human geography
- the study of the world's people, communities, and landscapes
- glaciers
- large areas of slow-moving ice
- tropics
- regions close to the equator
- surface water
- water that is found in Earth's streams, rivers, and lakes
- market economy
- a system based on private ownership, free trade, and competition
- culture region
- an area in which people have many shared culture traits
- birthrate
- the annual number of births per 1,000 people
- popular culture
- culture traits that are well known and widely accepted
- water cycle
- the movement of water from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
- solar energy
- energy from the sun
- cultural diffusion
- the spread of culture traits from one region to another
- continents
- a large landmass that is part of the Earth's crust; geographers identify seven continents
- permafrost
- permanently frozen layers of soil which often create ponds and marshes in the summer
- desertification
- the spread of desert like conditions
- developed countries
- countries with strong economics and a high quality of life
- region
- a part of the world that has one or more common features that distinguish it from surrounding areas
- freshwater
- water without salt, it makes up about 3 percent of our water suppky
- population distribution
- where people really live (around water and urban areas)
- migration
- the process of moving from one place to live in another
- relative location
- a general where a place is located; a place's relative location is often expressed in relation to something else
- ecosystem
- a group of plants and animals that depend on each other for survival and the environment in which they live
- prevailing winds
- winds that blow in the same direction over large areas of Earth
- map
- a flat drawing that shows all or part of the Earth's surface
- landforms
- shapes on Earth's surface, like hills or mountains