World geography (chapter 1-5 vocabulary)

Geography

Study of the human and nonhuman features of earth

Cardinal direction

North, east, south, and west

Intermediate direction

A compass direction that lies between the cardinal direction, such as northeast

Latitude

The position north or south of the equator measured in degrees

Longitude

The position in degrees east or west of the prime meridian

Scale

Relative side

Distortion

Loss of accuracy

Projection

Way to map earth on a flat surface

Interaction

Two or more things affecting each other

Pattern

The organized spread of features in a space

Equinox

Period during which hours of daylight and hours of darkness are of equal length everywhere on earth

Solstice

Period during which hours of daylight are longest in the hemisphere and shortest in the other hemisphere

Weathering

Process that breaks down rock into tiny pieces

Erosion

Process by which water, ice, or wind remove rock and soil

Deposition

Process of dropping or eroded material in a new place

Plate tectonics

A process involving huge blocks of earth's crust and upper mantle that are called tectonic plates

Fault

Crack in earth's crust

Magma

Molten rock found under Earth's surface

Portion

Share

Sustain

To support

Weather

Condition of the air and sky at a certain time and place

Climate

Average weather of a place over many years

Tropics

Area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; also know low latitudes

temperate zone

Area between the high and low latitudes; also known as middle latitudes

water cycle

The movement of water from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back again

Prevailing winds

The wind that most frequently blows across a particular region

Tropical cyclone

Intense rainstorm with strong winds that forms over tropical oceans

Biome

A region made up of similar ecosystems and communities of plants and animals

Ecosystem

Group of plants and animals that depends on each other and their environment for survival

Reverse

To turn in the opposite direction

Moderate

Not extreme

Natural resource

Useful material found in the environment

Fossil fuel

nonrenewable resource formed over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals

Industrialization

Growth of machine-powered production and manufacturing

deforestation

Lots of forest cover in a region that results from trees being destroyed faster than they can grow back

Biodiversity

Variety of different kinds of living things in a region or ecosystem

emigrate

To migrate out of a place

Push factor

cause of migration that pushes people to leave their home country

Pull factor

Cause of migration that pushes or attracts people to new countries

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural to urban areas

Impact

Effect

Lifestyle

Typical ways of living out daily life

Culture

The beliefs, customs, practices, and behaviors of a particular nation or group of people

Society

A group of humans with a shared culture who have organized themselves to meet their basic needs

Social structures

A pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society

Social class

A group of people living in similar economic conditions

cultural diffusion

The spread of cultural traits from one culture to another

Standard of living

The level of comfort enjoyed by a person or a society

Unify

To bring people or groups together

Negative

Unwanted, undesirable