World Geography A & B – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
latitude
answer
Circles the earth parallel to the Equator and measures the distance north or south of the Equator in degrees. Also called parallels.
question
grid system
answer
Lines on globes and maps that cross one another, forming a pattern. Helps you find locations on a map.
question
longitude
answer
Circle the earth from Pole to Pole. Measure distances east or west of the Prime Meridian. Also called Meridians.
question
planar projection
answer
Shows the earth centered in such a way that a straight line coming from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance.
question
cylindrical projection
answer
Based on the projection of the globe onto a cylinder, most accurate near the Equator.
question
geographic information system
answer
Computer software used to create maps. The software is usually designed to accept data from many different sources.
question
prime meridian
answer
Starting line of longitude, lies at 0 degrees longitude.
question
conic projection
answer
Comes from placing a cone over part of a globe, best suited for showing limited east-west areas that are not too far from the Equator.
question
cartographer
answer
A mapmaker.
question
key
answer
A list that explains what symbols on a map stand for.
question
compass rose
answer
Marker that indicates directions on a map.
question
absolute location
answer
Found at the precise point where one line of latitude crosses a line of longitude.
question
relative location
answer
Location of one place in relation to another place.
question
political map
answer
Shows the boundaries between countries.
question
physical map
answer
Shows the location and the shape of Earth's physical features.
question
cardinal directions
answer
North, south, east, west.
question
special purpose maps
answer
Emphasize a single idea or a particular kind of information about an area.
question
Scale bar
answer
Shows the relationship between map measurements and actual distances
question
intermediate direction
answer
Northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast
question
Tropic of Cancer
answer
The line of latitude situated at 23 1/2 degrees N latitude
question
Tropics
answer
all the land and water on Earth situated between 23 1/2 degrees N latitude and 23 1/2 degrees S latitude
question
North Pole
answer
The most northern point on Earth
question
Right
answer
When you face north, east is to your
question
Eastern Hemisphere
answer
The part east of the prime meridian
question
Hydrosphere
answer
The watery areas of the earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water.
question
Lithosphere
answer
Surface land areas of the earth's crust, including continents and ocean basins.
question
Atmosphere
answer
A layer of gases that surrounds the earth.
question
Continental Shelf
answer
The part of a continent that extends underwater
question
Mantle
answer
Thick middle layer of the earth's interior structure, consisting of dense, hot rock.
question
Continental Drift
answer
The theory that the continents were once joined and then slowly drifted apart
question
Magma
answer
Molten rock that is pushed up from the earth's mantle.
question
Plate Tectonics
answer
The term scientists use to describe the activities of continental drift and magma flow which create many of Earth's physical features.
question
Subduction
answer
A process by which mountains can form as sea plates dive beneath continental plates
question
Fault
answer
A crack or break in the earth's crust
question
Weathering
answer
Chemical or physical processes, such as freezing, that break down rocks.
question
Erosion
answer
Wearing away of the earth's surface by wind, flowing water, or glaciers.
question
Glacier
answer
Large body of ice that moves across the surface of the earth
question
Evaporation
answer
Process of converting into vapor
question
Condensation
answer
The process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools.
question
Precipitation
answer
Moisture that falls to the earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow.
question
Desalination
answer
The removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming.
question
Climate
answer
Weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
question
Axis
answer
An imaginary line that runs through the center of the earth between the North and South Poles.
question
Temperature
answer
Degree of hotness or coldness measured on a set scale, such as Fahrenheit or Celsius.
question
Revolution
answer
In astronomy, the earth's yearly trip around the sun, taking 364 1/4 days.
question
Equinox
answer
One of two days (about March 21 and September 23) on which the sun is directly above the Equator, making day and night equal length
question
Solstice
answer
One of two days (about June 21 and December 22) on which the sun's rays directly on the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn, marking the beginning of summer or winter
question
Greenhouse Effect
answer
The capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warming the earth.
question
Global Warming
answer
Gradual warming of the earth and its atmosphere that may be caused in part by pollution and an increase in the greenhouse effect.
question
Coriolis Effect
answer
An effect that causes the prevailing winds to blow diagonally rather than along strict north-south or east-west lines.
question
Current
answer
cold or warm stream of seawater that flows in the oceans, generally in a circular pattern.
question
El Nino
answer
A periodic reversal of the pattern of ocean currents and water temperatures in the mid-Pacific region.
question
Rain Shadow
answer
Dry area found on the leeward side of mountain range.
question
Natural Vegetation
answer
Plant life that grows in a certain area if people have not changed the natural environment.
question
Coniferous
answer
Trees such as evergreens that have cones and needle shaped leaves, and keep their foliage throughout the winter.
question
Deciduous
answer
Trees, usually broad leaved such as oak and maple, that lose their leaves in autumn.
question
Mixed Forest
answer
Forest with both coniferous and deciduous trees.
question
Prairie
answer
An inland grassland area.
question
Water Cycle
answer
Regular movement of water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean
question
Groundwater
answer
Water within the earth that supplies wells and springs.
question
Aquifer
answer
Underground water bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel
question
Culture
answer
Way of life of a group of people who share beliefs and similar customs.
question
Doubling Time
answer
The number of years it takes a population to double in size.
question
Migration
answer
The movement of people from place to place
question
Death Rate
answer
The number of deaths per year for every 1,000 people
question
Birthrate
answer
The number of births per year for every 1,000 people.
question
Natural Increase
answer
The growth rate of a population; the difference between birthrate and death rate.
question
Traditional Economy
answer
A system in which tradition and custom control all economic activity; exists in only a few parts of the world today.
question
Population Distribution
answer
The pattern of population in a country, a continent, or the world.
question
Ethnic Group
answer
Group of people who share common ancestry, language, religion, customs, or combination of such characteristics
question
Language Family
answer
Group of related languages that have all developed from one earlier language
question
Culture Region
answer
Division of the earth based on a variety of factors, including government, social groups, economic systems, language, or religion.
question
Cultural Diffusion
answer
The spread of new knowledge and skills from one culture to another.
question
Culture Hearth
answer
A center where cultures developed and from which ideas and traditions spread outward
question
Population Density
answer
The average number of people in a square mile or square kilometer.
question
Unitary System
answer
A government in which all key powers are given to the national or central government.
question
Federal System
answer
Form of government in which powers are divided between the national government and the state or provincial government.
question
Autocracy
answer
Government in which a single individual possesses the power and authority to rule.
question
Oligarchy
answer
System of government in which a small group holds power.
question
Democracy
answer
Any system of government in which leaders rule with consent of the citizens.
question
Market Economy
answer
An economic system based on free enterprise, in which businesses are privately owned, and production and prices are determined by supply and demand.
question
Mixed Economy
answer
An economy in which the government supports and regulates enterprise through decisions that affect the marketplace.
question
Command Economy
answer
Economic system in which economic decisions about production and distribution are made by some central authority.
question
Natural Resource
answer
Substance from the earth that is not made by people but can be used by them
question
Developed Country
answer
Country that has a great deal of technology and manufacturing
question
Developing Country
answer
Country in the process of becoming industrialized.
question
Industrialization
answer
Transition from an agricultural society to one based on industry.
question
Pollution
answer
The existence of impure, unclean, or poisonous substances in the air, water, or land.
question
How long is the U.S. from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?
answer
3,000 miles
question
Who were the first people to live in the United States?
answer
Native Americans
question
What is the Southeast's principle city?
answer
Atlanta
question
What was the natural resource that brought over 100,000 people to California in the 1800's?
answer
Gold
question
The Pacific West region is the nation's gateway to?
answer
Asia
question
How many provinces is Canada divided into?
answer
10
question
What are the two official languages of Canada?
answer
English and French
question
What natural resource covers over 50 percent of Canada?
answer
Forest
question
What is the predominant influence of the culture in the Atlantic Provinces?
answer
Scottish, British, Irish
question
What Northern territory was added by the Canadian government in 1999?
answer
Nunavut
question
Divide
answer
A high point or ridge that determines the direction rivers flow.
question
Headwaters
answer
The sources of rivers waters.
question
Hurricane
answer
A large, powerful windstorm that forms over warm ocean waters.
question
Tributary
answer
Smaller river or stream that feeds into a larger river.
question
Blizzard
answer
A snowstorm with winds of more than 35 mph, temperatures below freezing, and visibility of lass than 500 feet for 3 hours or more.
question
Prairie
answer
An inland grassland area.
question
Natural Vegetation
answer
Plant life that grows in a certain area if people have not changed the natural environment.
question
Timberline
answer
Elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow.
question
Canadian Shield
answer
A giant core of rock centered on the Hudson and James Bays, that anchors the continent of North America.
question
In which ocean is the only island state located?
answer
Pacific Ocean
question
What ocean lies east of the United States?
answer
Atlantic Ocean
question
What is the large body of water west of Florida that is an extension of the Atlantic Ocean?
answer
Gulf of Mexico
question
What bay is located just east of our nation's capital?
answer
Chesapeake Bay
question
What is the river west of the Appalachians that forms a border between Indiana and Kentucky?
answer
Ohio River
question
What is the name of the river that forms a border between Mexico and the United States?
answer
Rio Grande
question
What river runs east from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean?
answer
St. Lawrence River
question
What is the name of the landform just north of 40' north latitude that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean like a giant fishhook?
answer
Cape Cod
question
What is the main mountain chain that runs through the eastern United States?
answer
Appalachian Mountains
question
What is the mountain range that runs through the western United States?
answer
Rocky Mountains
question
What is the tallest mountain in Alaska?
answer
Mt. McKinley
question
What is the tallest mountain in California?
answer
Mt. Whitney
question
What abundant resources are around Houston, Tx?
answer
Oil
question
What part of the United States is most densely populated?
answer
East Coast
question
What is the huge expanse of flatlands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River?
answer
Great Plains
question
What large body of water lies north of Canada?
answer
Arctic Ocean
question
What large bay lies north of Ontario?
answer
Hudson Bay
question
What mountain range in Canada lies east of the Yukon Territory?
answer
Mackenzie Mountains
question
What mountain range runs along the West Coast of Canada?
answer
Alaska Range Coast Mountains
question
What lake lies south of Ontario?
answer
Lake Superior
question
What lake lies between the Mackenzie River and the Northwest Territory?
answer
Great Bear Lake
question
What lake does the Mackenzie River empty into?
answer
Great Slave Lake
question
What body of water does the Nelson River flow into?
answer
Lake Winnipeg
question
What ocean lies to the West of Canada?
answer
Pacific Ocean
question
What ocean lies to the East of Canada?
answer
Atlantic Ocean
question
What Canadian river flows into Lake Ontario?
answer
St. Lawrence River
question
What island lies south of Baffin Bay?
answer
Baffin Island
question
According to the map what is the most populated city in Canada?
answer
Toronto
question
In which Canadian province is Calgary located?
answer
Alberta
question
Where is most of Canada's coal deposits located?
answer
Northwest Territories
question
Immigrants
answer
People who move into another country.
question
Native Americans
answer
North America's first immigrant, who probably moved into the region from Asia thousands of years ago.
question
Metropolitan Area
answer
Region that includes a central city and its surrounding suburbs.
question
Mobility
answer
Able to move from place to place.
question
Amendment
answer
In U.S. history, official changes made to the U.S. Constitution.
question
Sun Belt
answer
Mild climate region in the southern United States.
question
Suburb
answer
Outlying communities around a city.
question
Republic
answer
Form of government without a monarch in which people elect their officials.
question
Bill of Rights
answer
The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
question
Urbanization
answer
The movement of people from rural area into cities.
question
Megalopolis
answer
A "super-city" that is made up of several large and small cities such as the area between Boston and Washington D.C.
question
Cabinet
answer
Heads of departments in the U.S. government who advise the President.
question
Bilingual
answer
Speaking or using two languages
question
Constitution
answer
Plan of government made for the United States.
question
Parliament
answer
In Canada, national legislature made up of the Senate and the House of Commons.
question
Jazz
answer
Musical form that developed in the United States in the early 1900's; blending African rhythms and European harmonies.
question
Patriotism
answer
Love for or devotion to one's country.
question
Dry Farming
answer
Farming method used in dry regions in which land is plowed and planted deeply to hold water in the soil.
question
Literacy Rate
answer
The percentage of people in a given place who can read and write.
question
Post-Industrial
answer
An economy with less emphasis on heavy industry and manufacturing and more emphasis on services and technology.
question
Commodity
answer
Goods produced for sale.
question
Retooling
answer
Converting old factories for use in new industries.
question
Pipeline
answer
Long network of underground or above ground pipes.
question
Monopoly
answer
Total control of a type of industry by one person or one company.
question
Trade Deficit
answer
Spending more money on imports than earning from exports.
question
Tariff
answer
A tax on imports or exports.
question
Trade Surplus
answer
Earning more money from export sales than spending for imports.
question
Clear Cutting
answer
Cutting down whole forests when removing timber
question
Smog
answer
Haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from automobile exhausts and other pollution sources.
question
Ground Water
answer
Water within the earth that supplies wells and springs.
question
Eutrophication
answer
Process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen.
question
What are Mexico and South America defined by?
answer
Rugged mountain chains
question
What is a major way of life for the people of Latin America?
answer
Farming
question
How long are the Andes Mountains
answer
4,500 miles
question
The Amazon River flows from ________________________ to ___________________.
answer
Peru, Atlantic Ocean
question
Cordillera
answer
Parallel chains or ranges of mountains.
question
Tierra Frio
answer
Spanish term for "cold land", the highest altitude zone of Latin Americas highlands climate.
question
Canopy
answer
Top layer of a rain forest, where the tops of tall trees form a continuous layer of leaves.
question
Altiplano
answer
Spanish for "high plain," a region in Peru and Bolivia encircled by the Andes peaks.
question
Hydroelectric Power
answer
Electrical energy generated by falling water.
question
Escarpment
answer
Steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface.
question
Tierra Caliente
answer
Spanish term for "hot land", the lowest altitude zone of Latin American highlands climate.
question
Llano
answer
Fertile plains in inland areas of Colombia and Venezuela.
question
Tierra Templada
answer
The middle-elevation forest zone in the mountains of Central and South America.
question
Pampas
answer
Grassy, treeless plains of southern South America.
question
What river cuts through the desert and forms a border between Mexico and the United States?
answer
Rio Grande
question
What mountains in the western portion of South America run roughly parallel to the Pacific coast for more than 5,000 miles?
answer
Andes Mountains
question
What is the main mountain range in western Mexico that runs roughly parallel to the Pacific coast?
answer
Sierra Madre Occidental
question
What is the huge plateau that covers most of central Mexico and is surrounded by mountains?
answer
Mexican Plateau
question
What are the highlands in the northern portion of South America that separate Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana from Brazil?
answer
Guiana Highlands
question
What is the large lake in the northern tip of South America that has a small opening into the Atlantic Ocean?
answer
Lake Maracaibo
question
What is the large peninsula in Mexico that extends into the Gulf of Mexico?
answer
Yucatan Peninsula
question
What is the long river in South America that winds from Peru through northern Brazil and empties into the Atlantic Ocean?
answer
Amazon River
question
What is the main mountain range in eastern Mexico that begins south of the Rio Grande?
answer
Sierra Madre Oriental
question
What is the plain that extends through northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Bolivia?
answer
Gran Chaco
question
What is the desert located in northern Chile that is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east?
answer
Atacama Desert
question
What is the estuary on the southeast coast of South America formed by the meeting of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers?
answer
Rio de la Plata
question
What is the archipelago, or chain of islands, located at the southern tip of South America that is divided between Chile and Argentina?
answer
Tierra del Fuego
question
What is the isthmus, or narrow strip of land, that connects Central and South America?
answer
Isthmus of Panama
question
What is the lake situated high in the Andes Mountains that forms part of the border between Peru and Bolivia?
answer
Lake Titicaca
question
Gaucho
answer
The cowhands of Argentina and Uruguay
question
Indigenous
answer
Native to a place
question
Primate City
answer
A city that dominates a country's economy, culture, and government and in which population is concentrated; usually the capital
question
Viceroy
answer
Representative of the Spanish monarch appointed to enforce laws in colonial Latin America.
question
Malnutrition
answer
Faulty or inadequate nutrition
question
Dialect
answer
Local form of a language used in a particular place or by a certain group.
question
Glyph
answer
Picture writing carved in stone.
question
Caudillo
answer
A Latin American political leader from the late 1800's on, often a military dictator.
question
Futbol
answer
Spanish term for soccer.
question
Chinampas
answer
Floating farming islands made by the Aztecs.
question
Syncretism
answer
A blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith.
question
Jai alia
answer
Traditional handball-type game popular with Mexican and Cubans.
question
Megacity
answer
Cities with more than 10 million people.
question
Quipu
answer
Knotted cords of various lengths and colors used by the Inca to keep financial records.
question
Mural
answer
Wall painting.
question
Conquistador
answer
Spanish term for "conqueror," referring to soldiers who conquered Native American in Latin America.
question
Mosaic
answer
Picture or design made with small pieces of colored stone, glass, shell, or tile.
question
What diseases are believed to have been brought to the New World?
answer
Small pox, measles, whooping cough, bubonic plague, malaria, yellow fever, diphtheria, dysentery and influenza
question
5 items that originated in the Americas and were introduced to Europe, Africa, and Asia
answer
Maize, potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts and squash
question
Latifundia
answer
In Latin America, large agricultural estates owned by families or corporations.
question
Export
answer
Commodities sent from one country to another for purposes of trade.
question
Campesino
answer
Farm workers; generally, people who live and work in rural areas.
question
Cash Crop
answer
Farm crop grown to be sold or traded rather than used by the farm family.
question
Minifundia
answer
In Latin America, small farms that produce food chiefly for family use.
question
Shantytown
answer
Makeshift communities on the edges of cities.
question
Deforestation
answer
The loss or destruction of forests, mainly for logging or farming.
question
North American Free Trade Agreement
answer
Trade agreement made in 1994 by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
question
Maquiladoras
answer
In Mexico, manufacturing plants set up by foreign firms.
question
Sustainable Development
answer
Technological and economic growth that does not deplete the human and natural resources of a given area.
question
Slash-and-Burn
answer
Traditional farming method in which all trees and plants in an area are cut and burned to add nutrients to the soil.
question
Service Industry
answer
Business that provides a service instead of making goods.
question
Reforestation
answer
Replanting young trees or seeds on lands where trees have been cut or destroyed.
question
Glaciation
answer
The process whereby glaciers form and spread.
question
Loess
answer
Fine, yellowish-brown topsoil made up of particles of silt and clay, usually carried by the wind.
question
Mistral
answer
Strong northerly wind from the Alps that can bring cold air to southern France.
question
Fjords
answer
Long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater.
question
Dikes
answer
Large banks of earth and stone that hold back water.
question
Sirocco
answer
Hot desert wind that can blow air and dust from North Africa to western Europe's Mediterranean coast.
question
Polders
answer
Low-lying area from which seawater has been drained to create new farmland
question
Timberline
answer
Elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow.
question
Chaparral
answer
Type of vegetation made up of dense forests of shrubs and short trees, common in Mediterranean climates.
question
Permafrost
answer
Permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground.
question
Avalanches
answer
Mass of ice, snow, or rock that slides down a mountainside.
question
What is the name of the large body of water that separates North and South America from Europe and Africa?
answer
Atlantic Ocean
question
What is the body of water that lies between the British Isles and the Scandinavian Peninsula?
answer
North Sea
question
What is the capital of the United Kingdom?
answer
London
question
What is the name of the river that flows eastward through England and empties into the North Sea?
answer
Thames River
question
What is the name of the body of water between southern England and northern France that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea?
answer
English Channel
question
What is the name of the river in northern France that flows through the city of Paris?
answer
Seine River
question
What is the capital of France?
answer
Paris
question
What is the name of the mountain range that runs along the border of France and Spain?
answer
Pyrenees
question
What is the name of the river that originates in central Spain and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon?
answer
Tagus River
question
What is the capital of Portugal?
answer
Lisbon
question
What is the name of the large body of water surrounded by Europe, Africa, and Asia?
answer
Mediterranean Sea
question
What is the name of the river that begins in the Alps, flows through or borders eight European countries, and empties into the Black Sea?
answer
Danube River
question
What large body of water separates southeastern Europe from Southwest Asia?
answer
Black Sea
question
What is the name of the large body of water that lies between Poland and Sweden?
answer
Baltic Sea
question
What mountain range extends in an arc from the Mediterranean coast through Switzerland and Austria?
answer
Alps Mountains
question
What is the capital of Italy?
answer
Rome
question
What is the name of the arm of the Mediterranean Sea that is located between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula?
answer
Adriatic Sea
question
What is the capital of the Netherlands?
answer
Amsterdam
question
What is the name of the river that originates in the Alps in Switzerland and flows into the North Sea in the Netherlands?
answer
Rhine River
question
What is the name of the river that originates in the Swiss Alps and flows through France and into the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Marseilles?
answer
Rhone River
question
Lake Constance forms a border between
answer
Switzerland and Germany
question
Since Europe and Asia are not separated, geographers call it
answer
Eurasia
question
navigable river
answer
a river that is boats can travel for long distances.
question
Much of Spain is a
answer
Plateau
question
The Alps are classified as having what type of climate?
answer
Highland
question
Crusades
answer
Series of religious wars (A.D. 1100-1300) in which European Christians tried to retake Palestine.
question
Reparations
answer
A payment for damages.
question
Communism
answer
Society based on equality in which workers would control industrial production.
question
Ethnic Cleansing
answer
The expelling from a country or killing of rival ethnic groups.
question
Renaissance
answer
A cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries in Europe.
question
Cold War
answer
Power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II.
question
Holocaust
answer
The mass killings of 6 million Jews by Germany's Nazi leaders during World War II.
question
Refugee
answer
One who flees his or her home for safety.
question
Middle Ages
answer
The period of European history from about A.D 500 to about 1500.
question
Industrial Capitalism
answer
An economic system in which business leaders use profits to expand their companies.
question
Feudalism
answer
In medieval Europe, system of government in which powerful lords gave land to nobles in return for pledges of loyalty.
question
Good Friday Peace Agreement
answer
Paved the way for Protestant and Roman Catholic communities to share political power in Northern Ireland.
question
European Union
answer
An organization whose goal is to unite Europe so that goods, services, and workers can move freely among member countries.
question
Romanticism
answer
Artistic style emphasizing individual emotions that developed in Europe in the late 1700's and early 1800's as a reaction to industrialization.
question
Realism
answer
Artistic style portraying everyday life that developed in Europe during the mid-1800's.
question
Welfare State
answer
Nation in which the government assumes major responsibility for people's welfare in areas such as health and education.
question
Enlightenment
answer
A movement during the 1700's, emphasizing the importance of reason and questioning traditions and values.
question
Reformation
answer
Religious movement that began in Germany in the 1400's, leading to the establishment of Protestant churches.
question
Impressionism
answer
Artistic style that developed in Europe in the late 1800's and tried to show the natural appearance of objects with dabs or strokes of color.
question
Heavy Industry
answer
The manufacture of machinery and equipment needed for factories and mines.
question
Organic Farming
answer
The use of natural substances rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enrich the soil and grow crops.
question
Environmentalist
answer
Person actively concerned with the quality and protection of the environment.
question
Global Warming
answer
Gradual warming of the earth and its atmosphere that may be caused in part by pollution and an increase in the greenhouse effect.
question
Biologists
answer
Scientist who studies plant and animal life.
question
Meltwater
answer
Water formed by melting snow and ice.
question
Acid Rain
answer
Precipitation carrying large amounts of dissolved acids which damage buildings, forests, and crops, and kills wildlife.
question
State Farm
answer
Under communism, a state-owned farm managed by government officials.
question
Light Industry
answer
Manufacturing aimed at making consumer goods such as textiles or food processing rather than heavy machinery.
question
Acid Deposition
answer
Wet or dry airborne acids that fall to the earth.
question
Maastricht Treaty
answer
A 1992 meeting of European governments in Maastricht, the Netherlands, that formed the European Union.
question
Farm Cooperative
answer
Organization in which farmers share in growing and selling farm products.
question
Genetically Modified Foods
answer
Foods whose genes have been altered to make them grow bigger or faster or more resistant to pests.
question
Mixed Farming
answer
Raising several kinds of crops and livestock on the same farm.
question
Collective Farming (kolkhoz)
answer
Under communism, a large, state owned farm on which farmers received wages plus a share of products and profits
question
Chernozem
answer
Rich, black topsoil found in the North European Plain, especially in Russia and Ukraine
question
Taiga
answer
Russian term for the vast subarctic forest, mostly evergreens, that covers much of Russia and Siberia.
question
Tundra
answer
Vast, treeless plains in cold northern climates, characterized by permafrost and small, low plants, such as mosses and shrubs.
question
Steppe
answer
Wide, grassy plains of Eurasia; also, similar semi-arid climate regions elsewhere.
question
Which mountain range, rising to the west of the Western Siberian Plains, separates Europe from Asia?
answer
Ural Mountains
question
Which mountain range would you have to cross to travel by land from northern Iran to Moscow?
answer
Caucasus Mountains
question
What is the enormous peninsula in eastern Siberia that extends into the Bering Sea?
answer
Chukchi Peninsula
question
Which ocean lies north of Russia?
answer
Arctic Ocean
question
In which body of water are islands of the United States and Russia serparated by only a few miles?
answer
Bering Sea
question
Into what body of water do the Dnieper and Don rivers flow?
answer
Black Sea
question
Which inland body of water borders both Iran and Russia?
answer
Caspian Sea
question
What body of water lies east of the Caspian Sea?
answer
Aral Sea
question
What is the body of water that borders Sweden, Russia, and Poland?
answer
Baltic Sea
question
What river flows past Moscow to the Caspian Sea?
answer
Volga River
question
Which river flows through the city of Kiev and empties into the Black Sea?
answer
Dnieper River
question
Which major river, which flows into the Black Sea, is west of the Volga River and east of the Dnieper River?
answer
Don River
question
Which plains lie east of the Ural Mountains?
answer
West Siberian Plain
question
Which plateau lies east of the Ob River?
answer
Central Siberian Plateau
question
What is the capital of Russia?
answer
Moscow
question
Czar
answer
Ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution.
question
Cold War
answer
Power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II.
question
Serf
answer
Laborer obliged to remain on the land where he or she works.
question
Nationalities
answer
Large, distinct ethnic groups within a country.
question
Perestroika
answer
In Russian, "restructuring"; part of Gorbachev's plan for reforming Soviet government
question
Sovereignty
answer
Self-rule.
question
Glasnost
answer
Russian term for a new "openness" part of Mikhail Gorbachev's reform plans.
question
Socialism
answer
Political philosophy in which the government owns the means of production.
question
Russification
answer
In 19th century Russia, a government program that required everyone in the empire to speak Russian and to become a Christian
question
Patriarch
answer
The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
question
Bolshevik
answer
A revolutionary group in Russia led by Vladimir Lenin.
question
Intelligentsia
answer
Intellectual elite.
question
Satellite
answer
A country controlled by another country, notably Eastern European countries controlled by the Soviet Union by the end of World War II.
question
Socialist Realism
answer
Realistic style of are and literature that glorified Societ ideals and goals.
question
Pogrom
answer
In czarist Russia, an attack on Jews carried out by government troops or officials.
question
Consumer Goods
answer
Goods that directly satisfy human wants.
question
Black Market
answer
Any illegal market where scarce or illegal goods are sold, usually at high prices.
question
Sovkhozes
answer
In the Soviet Union, a large farm owned and run by the state.
question
Privatization
answer
A change to private ownership of state owned companies and industries.
question
Kolkhozes
answer
In the Soviet Union, a small farm worked by farmers who shared in the farm's production and profits.
question
Radioactive Material
answer
Material contaminated by residue from the generation of nuclear energy.
question
Nuclear Waste
answer
The by-product of producing nuclear power.
question
Pesticides
answer
Chemical used to kill insects, rodents, and other pests.
question
Where is the Chernobyl nuclear power plant located?
answer
northern Ukraine
question
What countries sustained the most damage from the Chernobyl accident?
answer
Belarus
question
Why is it inaccurate to say that only 31 people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster?
answer
It is inaccurate to say that only 31 people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster because only 31 people died of acute exposure. Thousands more have died of conditions caused by radiation several months or years after the accident.
question
What are some of the other health factors that may obscure (hide) scientists' ability to determine the impact of the Chernobyl disaster on people of this region?
answer
Poverty, poor diet, lifestyles and fear of radiation are contributing factors to the health problems seen in the Chernobyl affected regions. The number of factors affecting the Chernobyl regions makes it hard for scientists to determine whether or not heath conditions were caused by the Chernobyl incident or something else.
question
different types of cancer that have increased in the region.
answer
Thyroid cancer, leukemia, breast cancer and other miscellaneous cancers
question
List diseases other than cancer that ate being linked to the accident
answer
Increases in nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, bone and muscle disorders and diabetes
question
What methods are being used to "contain'' the remains of the Chernobyl plant?
answer
97% of the radioactive materials from the Chernobyl plant remains inside a hastily constructed, crumbling sarcophagus. As of now, a new shelter is being constructed to hopefully contain the Chernobyl waste for 100 years. The project is set to finish in the year 2013.
question
How many years did it take complete the Trans-Siberian Railway?
answer
25 years
question
What physical features does the tras-siberian railway pass through?
answer
the Ural Mountains, crosses over the Irtysh, Ob, Enisey, and Lena Rivers and Baikal Lake.
question
How is the Trans-Siberian railway similar to the Transcontinental Railroad in the U.S.?
answer
The Trans-Siberian Railway is similar to the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States by how they were constructed. Both the Trans-Siberian and the Transcontinental started construction at opposing ends and worked towards the middle.
question
How has the completion of the railway effected the Russian economy?
answer
The railway stimulated the Russian economy. Siberia's almost non-existent economy exploded with the number of settlers traveling the railway. The settlers quickly cultivated the rich Siberian soil, doubling the sown area. The region quickly became one of Russia's major breadbaskets.
