Annex
Join or merge territory into an existing political unit such as a country or state
Cede
To give up or transfer, especially by treaty or formal agreement
Civil war
A war between people of the same country
Colony
a group of people
Continental divide
An imaginary line that runs north and south along with the highest points of the Rocky Mountains. Rivers flow west or east from this line.
Drainage basin
The area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water
Industrial Revolution
A period of rapid growth in the use of machines in manufacturing and production that began in the mid-1700s
Literacy
the ability to read and write
Per capita
Per person
Rainshadow
A drier area on the leeward side of a mountain range
Standard of living
A measurement based on available education, housing, health care, and nutrition
Striation
Long parallel scars in rocks carved by rock fragments being dragged across them by a glacier (erosional)
Suburb
A residential district located on the outskirts of a city
Tributary
A stream or river that flows into a larger river