absolute location
the exact place on earth where a geographic feature is found
assimilation
a process whereby a minority group gradually gives up its own culture and adopts the culture of a majority group
atmosphere
the layers of gases immediately surrounding the earth
biosphere
all parts of the earth where plants and animals live, including the atmosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere
birthrate
the number of live births per total population, often expressed per thousand population
cartographer
a mapmaker
chemical weathering
a process that changes rock into a new substance through interactions among elements in the air or water and the minerals in the rock
continent
a landmass above water on earth
continental drift
the hypothesis or theory that all continents were once joined into a supercontinent (Pangaea) that split apart
core
the earth's center, made up of iron and nickel; the inner core is solid, and the outer core is liquid
crust
the thin rock layer making up the earth's surface
cultural hearth
the heartland or place of origin of a major culture; a site of innovation from which basic ideas, materials, and technology diffuse to other cultures
culture
the total of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by members of a group
diffusion
the spread of ideas, inventions, or patterns of behavior to different societies
earthquake
a sometimes violent movement of the earth, produced when tectonic plates grind or slip past each other at a fault
ecosystem
an interdependent community of plants and animals
equator
the imaginary line (0 degrees latitude) that encircles the globe, dividing the earth into northern and southern halves (Northern hemisphere and Southern hemisphere)
erosion
the result of weathering on matter, created by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity
export
a product or good that is sold from one economy or country to another
fault
a fracture in the earth's crust
geography
the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth
hemisphere
each half of the globe
hydrologic cycle
the continuous circulation of water between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth
hydrosphere
the waters comprising the earth's surface, including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and vapor in the atmosphere
infrastructure
the basic support systems needed to keep an economy going, including power, communications, transportation, water, sanitation, and education systems
innovation
taking existing elements of society and creating something new to meet a need
landform
a naturally formed feature on the surface of the earth
latitude
a set of imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator, and that are used in locating places north or south; the equator is labeled the 0 degree line for latitude. there are 90 degrees of north latitude and 90 degrees of south latitude
lock
a section of waterway with closed gates where water levels are raised or lowered, through which ships can pass
longitude
a set of imaginary lines that go around the earth over the poles, dividing it east and west; the prime meridian is labeled the 0 degree line of longitude; the International Date Line runs roughly along the 180 degree line of longitude; there are 180 degre
magma
the molten rock material formed when solid rock in the earth's mantel or crust melts
map projection
a way of mapping the earth's surface that reduces distortion caused by converting three dimensions (a globe) into two dimensions (a flat map)
mantle
a rock layer about 1,800 miles thick that is between the earth's crust and the earth's core
mortality rate
the number of deaths per thousand
natural resource
a material on or in the earth, such as a tree, fish, or coal, that has economic value
population density
the average number of people who live in a measurable area, reached by dividing the number of inhabitants in an area by the amount of land they occupy
prime meridian
the imaginary line at zero meridian (longitude) used to measure longitude east and west, and dividing the earth's east and west halves; also called the Greenwich Meridian because it passes through Greenwich, England where time on the earth begins
push-pull factors
push factor is a factor that causes people to leave their homelands and migrate to another region; pull factor is a factor that draws or attracts people to another location
rate of natural increase
also called population growth rate-the rate at which population is growing; found by subtracting the mortality rate from the birthrate
relief
the difference in elevation of a landform from the lowest point to the highest point
relative location
describes a place in relation to other places around it
Ring of Fire
the chain of volcanoes that lines the Pacific Rim
tectonic plate
an enormous moving shelf that forms the earth's crust
urbanization
the dramatic rise in the number of cities and the changes in lifestyle that result
urban sprawl
poorly planned development that spreads a city's population over a wider and wider geographic area
volcano
a natural event, formed when magma, gases, and water from the lower part of the earth's crust or mantle collect in underground chambers and eventually erupt and pour out of cracks in the earth's surface
weathering
physical and chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock on or near the earth's surface; occurring slowly over many years