Geography CH 1 World Regions in Global Context – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
geography
answer
the study of the physical features of Earth and its atmosphere, the spatial organization and distribution of human activities, and the complex interrelationships between people and the natural and human-made environments in which they live
question
regions
answer
a large territory that encompasses many places, all or most of which share similar attributes in comparison with the attributes of places elsewhere
question
systems
answer
a set of elements linked together so that changes in one element often result in changes in another
question
globalization
answer
the increasing interconnectedness of different parts of world through common processes of economic, environmental, political and cultural change
question
regionalization
answer
the process through which distinctive areas come into being
question
phisography
answer
a branch of geography dealing with natural features and processes
question
human geography
answer
deals with the spatial organization of human activity and with people's relationships with their environments
question
emerging region
answer
an area where loosely connected locations are developing greater internal coherence
question
environment and society
answer
how environments change and are changed by people
question
history, economy and territory
answer
how history, economics and politics evolve over time
question
culture and populations
answer
how peoples and cultures all around the world interact and change
question
future geographies
answer
how contemporary regional differences and new global forces are likely to impact important real world issues in coming years
question
weather
answer
the instantaneous or immediate state of the atmosphere
question
climate
answer
typical conditions of the weather that is expected at a location, often measured by long-term averages of temperature and precipitation
question
climate system
answer
interactions of air, water and the sun's energy circulating around the globe; weather and climate are the product of the climate system. A climate system consists of five major components: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere
question
anthropocene (human era)
answer
a term used to describe the current geological epoch in which human activity dominates the planet, beginning with the industrial revolution
question
atmospheric circulation
answer
a global movement of air that transports heat and moisture and explains the climates of different regions
question
intertropical convergence zone
answer
a region where air flows together and rises vertically as a result of intense solar heating at the equator, often with heavy rainfall, and shifting north and south with the seasons
question
orographic precipitation
answer
rain or snow that falls when moisture-laden air, which has blown over warm oceans, encounters a landmass, especially coastal mountains; results in the formation of a dry rain shadow region on the inland, or lee, side of the mountains, where sinking air that has lost its moisture becomes even drier
question
tropical
answer
Tropical climates nearest the equator are characterized by heavy rainfall and persistent warm temperatures; monsoonal climates
question
arid and semiarid
answer
high-pressure arid and semiarid climates typically occur between 28 and 30 degrees north and south of the equator. These dry lands include deep deserts and open dry grassland. Between arid zones and wet tropics come tropical savannas, complex transition zones with distinct wet and dry seasons that span the areas between the desert edges up to the wet forests
question
mediterranean
answer
farther north and south beyond the tropical zone, climates are greatly affected by the side of continent on which they lie. Mediterranean climates typically occur on the western sides of continents. These climates are warm due to their proximity to the equator, but they have more moderate temperatures because of their proximity to the sea
question
humid and suptropical
answer
these climates tend to fall on the southeast side of continents in a similar range of latitudes. Because of their place on the receiving side of predominant easterlies or trade winds, they are far more wet and humid throughout the year than Mediterranean climates
question
marine west coast
answer
farther north and south are more temperate climates. They tend to be persistently wet and somewhat colder. Due to westerly winds and oceanic currents, these are usually found on the west side of continents
question
continental
answer
On the temperate interiors of the North American and Eurasian continents are continental climates, which can be somewhat drier and often have long cold winters
question
polar and highlands
answer
in the extreme north and south are polar climates, which are dominated by the cold that results from their distance from the equator. In mountainous areas, the topography is complex. The climate tends to be far different than in nearby valleys. The term highland is used to designate these unpredictable zones
question
global warming
answer
the increase in the world temperatures and change in climate associated with increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other gases resulting from human activities, such as deforestation and fossil-fuel burning
question
greenhouse gases
answer
emissions such as methane and nitrous oxide produced by usage of fossil fuels that contribute to global climate change
question
plate tectonics
answer
the theory that earth's crust is divided into large solid plates that move relative to each other and cause mountain building and volcanic and earthquake activity when they separate or meet
question
geomorphology
answer
the study of landforms
question
divergent plate boundaries
answer
an area where tectonic plates of earth's crust are pulling apart
question
convergent plate boundaries
answer
an areas where tectonic plates of earth's crust meet and create subduction zones
question
subduction zones
answer
an area where one tectonic plate of earth's crust moves under another
question
transform plate boundaries
answer
an area where the tectonic plates of earth's crust are sliding past each other horizontally
question
ecosystems
answer
a complex of living organisms, their physical environment and all their relationships in a particular place
question
biodiversity
answer
the variety in the types and numbers of species in particular regions of the world
question
deforestation
answer
the clearing, thinning or elimination of tree cover in historically forested areas. Most typically referring to human caused tree cover loss
question
invasive species
answer
plants or animals from one place that hitchhike to new locations on human transport, through human-built canals, or are deliberately introduced and thrive at their destination, interacting with native species and habitats to create new ecological mixes, land covers and novel ecosystems
question
sustainability
answer
the ability to meet current and future human needs, while simultaneously preserving precious environmental resources
question
commodity chain
answer
a network of labor and production processes that originates in the extraction or production of raw materials and whose end results is the delivery and consumption of a finished commodity
question
colonialism
answer
the establishment of a settlement in a place or region
question
plantation economies
answer
an economic system typical of colonial trade made up of extensive, European-owned, operated and financed enterprises where single crops were produced by local or imported labor for a world market
question
imperialism
answer
the extension of the power of a nation through direct or indirect control of the economic and political life of other territories
question
capitalism
answer
a form of economic and social organization characterized by the profit motive and the control of the means of production, distribution and exchange of goods by private ownership
question
industrial revolution
answer
the rapid development of mechanized manufacturing that gathered momentum in the early 19th century
question
communism
answer
a form of economic and social organization characterized by the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange
question
cold war
answer
the period between WWII and 1990 in which the US and Soviet Union established their role as global powers struggles between these two powers took place through a variety of proxy conflicts
question
primary sectors
answer
refers to economic activity that is concerned directly with natural resources of any kind
question
secondary sectors
answer
economic activity involving the processing, transformation, fabrication or assembly of raw materials or the reassembly, refinishing, or packaging of manufactured goods
question
tertiary sectors
answer
activity involving the sale and exchange of goods and services
question
quaternary sectors
answer
refers to economic activity that deals with the handling and processing of knowledge and information
question
gross domestic product
answer
an estimate of the total value of all materials, foodstuffs, goods and services that are produced in a country in a particular year
question
gross national income
answer
an estimate similar to GDP but including the net value of income from abroad-flows of profits or losses from overseas investments
question
purchasing power parity per capita
answer
a measure of how much of a common "market basket" of goods and services that are not traded internationally; PPP makes it possible to compare levels of economic prosperity between countries where the price of goods might be relatively much higher or lower
question
global north
answer
those parts of the globe experiencing the highest levels of economic development, which are typically- through by no means exclusively- found in northern latitudes
question
global south
answer
those parts of the globe experiencing the lowest levels of economic development, which are typically- through by no means exclusively- found in southern latitudes
question
human development index
answer
a United Nations metric based on measures of life expectancy, educational attainment and personal income
question
gender-related development index
answer
a composite indicator of gender equality assessing the standard of living in a country that aims to show the inequalities between men and women in the following areas: long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living
question
development
answer
the improvement in the economic well-being and standard of living of people
question
neoliberalism
answer
an economic doctrine based on a belief in a minimalist role for the state, which assumes the desirability of free markets as the ideal condition not only for economic organization but also for social and political life
question
international monetary fund
answer
an international organization that monitors the international financial system and provides loans to governments throughout the world
question
sovereign state
answer
a political unit that exercises power over a territory and its people and is recognized by other states; a sovereign state's independent power is codified in international law
question
nation
answer
a group of people often sharing common elements of culture, such as religion, language, a history or political identity
question
nation-state
answer
the ideal form of a state, consisting of a homogeneous group of people living in the same territory
question
nationalism
answer
the feeling of belonging to a nation as well as the belief that a nation has a natural right to determine its own affairs
question
supernational organizations
answer
a collection of states with a common economic and/or political goal
question
united nations
answer
a supernatural organization f0unded in 1945 aimed at facilitating cooperation in international law, security, economic development, human rights and world peace; there are currently 193 member states in the UN
question
social movements
answer
organized political activism by groups or individuals
question
nongovernmental organizations
answer
a formally constituted organization that is not a part of the government and are not conventional for profit business
question
religion
answer
belief systems and practices that recognize the existence of powers higher than humankind
question
language
answer
a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. Language is a central aspet of cultural identity, reflecting the ways that different groups understand interpret the worled around them
question
dialects
answer
regional variations within a language
question
fundamentalism
answer
the belief in or strict adherence to a set of basic principles; often arises in reaction to perceived doctrinal compromises with modern social and political life
question
ethnicity
answer
state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition; socially-created system of rules about who belongs to a particular cultural group
question
race
answer
a problematic and illusory classification of human beings based on skin color and other physical characteristics; biologically speaking, no such thing as race exists within the human species
question
racialization
answer
the practice of creating unequal castes where whiteness is considered the norm, despite the biological reality that no such thing as race exists within the human species
question
gender
answer
social differences between men and women rather than the anatomical differences related to sex
question
sexuality
answer
a set of practices and identities related to sexual acts and desires
question
demographic transition
answer
the replacement of high birthrates and death rates by low birthrates and death rates
question
birthrates
answer
measure of the number of births in a population, usually expressed as births per 1,000 people per year or as a percentage
question
death rates
answer
the measure of deaths in a population expressed as either 1,000 deaths per population or as a percentage
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New