Definition: the precise point where a place is located on Earth
The absolute location of Paris is 48.8567 degrees N, 2.3508 degrees E.
distortion
Definition: a change in the shape, size, or position of a pl
Maps of the world are often distorted to show the entire thing.
map projection
Definition: map projection is a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface.
Geographers do map projections in different ways
relative location
Definition: where a place is located in relation to another place.
California is in the U.S.
CHAPTER 2
climate
Definition: the pattern of weather over a long period of time.
The climate is typically quite warm in Santa Cruz.
economic activity
Definition: any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and services.
America doesn't contribute to economic activity because it gets most of its merchandise from China.
landforms
Definition: any natural feature of Earth's surface that has a distinct shape. Landforms include major features such as continents, plains, plateaus, and mountain ranges. They also include minor features such as hills, valley, canyons, and dunes.
North America is a landforms.
physical feature
Definition: any natural characteristic of Earth,s surface, such as landforms and bodies of water.
The Pacific Ocean is a physical feature of Earth's surface.
population density
Definition: the average number of people who live in a unit of area, such as a square mile. Population density measures how crowded an area is.
The population density of Santa Cruz is 3,787.2 people per square mile.
region
Definition: and area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas.
California is part of the western region.
thematic map
Definition: a map that shows a particular theme, or topic.
a thematic map might be a map of unemployment rates in the U.S. States.
vegetation
Definition: all the plants and trees in an area.
There's not a lot of vegetation in Africa.
CHAPTER 3
ecumene
Definition: a geographic region that is well suited for permanent settlement by people. Areas not included in the ecumene are generally too dry, too cold, or too rugged for permanent human settlement.
Santa Cruz is a ecumene.
plural society
Definition: a society in which different cultural groups keep their own identity, beliefs, and traditions.
I don't know if i live in a plural society but i think i do.
rural
Definition: found in or living in areas that are not close to cities.
People who live in the mountains often live in rural areas.
urban
Definition: found in or living in a city.
New York is and urban city.
CHAPTER 4
ecosystem
Definition: a community of all the living things in an area and the environment in which they live.
A swamp is an ecosystem.
food chain
Definition: a series of plants and animals, each of which depends on the one below it for food. A food chain usually forms part of a much larger food web.
Humans are at the top of the food chain.
food web
Definition: all of the feeding relationships within an ecosystem. Each living thing in a food web provides food energy to other living things within that ecosystem.
Food chains can be part of a food web.
freshwater
Definition: made up of water that is fresh, not salty. This term also describes creatures that live in freshwater, such as freshwater fish.
Tuna are fresh water and saltwater fish.
watershed
Definition: a geographic area that includes all of the land and waterways that drain into a body of water.
Watersheds are also called drainage basins.
CHAPTER 5
metropolitan area
Definition: a major population center made up of a large city and the smaller suburbs and towns that surround it.
Tokyo, Japan is a metropolitan are.
rural fringe
Definition: the small towns, farms and open spaces that lie just beyond a city's suburbs.
Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia is a rural fringe.
suburb
Definition: a developed area at the edge of a city that is mainly homes. Many suburbs also have stores and businesses.
Places surrounding London or New York within 20-30 miles are called the suburbs of London or New York.
urban core
Definition: the older part of a big city. Often the urban core serves as the downtown or central business district of a city.
The city was turned into an urban core because it was old.
urban fringe
Definition: the ring of small towns and suburbs that surround a big city.
Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia is an urban fringe as well.
urban sprawl
Definition: the rapid, often poorly planned spread of development from an urban area outward into rural ares.
Orlando and Miami are examples of urban sprawl in Florida.
CHAPTER 10
adaptation
Definition: a change in a way of life to suit new meanings.
Animals have to make an adaptation to their new environment, when put in a zoo.
indigenous peoples
Definition: natives of an an area who have been conquered or dominated by others who came later. Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee and Navajo, are indigenous people.
The Mayans are indigenous peoples.
subsistence farming
Definition: farming carried out mainly to provide food for families, with little surplus for sale to others.
Families in low economy countries do subsistence farming.
traditional culture
Definition: customs and ways of life handed down from ancestors.
Native Americans have strong traditional culture.
CHAPTER 11
El Nino
Definition: a warm ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years. An El Nino event changes weather patterns around the world.
An El Nino may also cause extreme weather in some regions.
extreme weather
severe or unusual weather conditions.
Things like hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards, are extreme weather.
meteorology
Definition: the study of climate and weather patterns.
John Dalton studied meteorology.
natural disaster
Definition: great destruction or loss of life caused by natural forces rather than by human actions.
Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster.
tropical cyclone
Definition:A severe storm with high winds that spiral around a calm center.
Depending on where they form tropical cyclones are called hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones.
Chapter 13
altitudinal zonation
Definition: the division of land into zones based on elevation.
Altitudinal zonation helps determine climate and vegetation.
snow line
Definition: the lowest elevation on mountains where snow remains year-round.
The snow line is where the snow ends on the peek of a mountain.
terracing
Definition: the creation of flat areas on mountain slopes for the purpose of farming.
The Mayans used terracing.
tree line
Definition: the highest elevation where trees grow on a mountain.
The tree line on Mount Everest is at about 5500 meters.
vertical trade
Definition: the trading of crops between lowland and highland areas.
vertical trade might be used to acquire resources that can be found at different altitudes.