World Geography Europe Vocab – Flashcards
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Fjords
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A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes.
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Upland
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A hill or very low mountain that may also contain mesas and high plateaus.
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Meseta
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The central plateau of Spain.
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Massif Central
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The uplands of France, which account for about one-sixth of French lands.
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Peat
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Partially decayed plant matter found in bogs.
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North Atlantic Drift
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A current of warm water from the Tropics.
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Sirocco
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Hot, steady, south wind that blows from North Africa across the Mediterranean Sea into Southern Europe, mostly in Spring.
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Mistral
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A cold, dry wind from the north.
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Dike
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An earthen bank used to direct or prevent the passage of water.
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Polder
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Land that is reclaimed from the sea or other body of water by diking and drainage.
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Seaworks
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A structure used to control the sea's destructive impact on human life.
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Terpen
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High earthen platforms used in seaworks.
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Zuider Zee
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Former inlet of the North Sea in the Netherlands.
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Ijsselmeer
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A freshwater lake separated from the North Sea by a dike and bordered by polders.
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City-state
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An autonomous political unit made of of a city and its surrounding lands.
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Crusades
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A series of wars launched by European Christians in 1096 to capture the Holy Land (Palestine) from Muslims.
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Renaissance
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A time of renewed interest in learning and the arts that lasted from the 14th through 16th centuries; it began in the Italian city-states and spread north to all of Europe.
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Aqueduct
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A structure that carries water over long distances.
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Benelux
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The economic union of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
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Reformation
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A movement in Western Europe beginning in 1517, when many Christians broke away from the Catholic church and started Protestant churches; this led to mutual hostility and religious wars that tore apart Europe.
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Nationalism
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The belief that people should be loyal to their nation, the people with whom they share land, culture, and history.
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Feudalism
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A political system prevailing in Europe from about the 9th to about the 15th centuries in which a king allowed nobles the use of his land in exchange for their military service and their protection of the land.
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Berlin Wall
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A wall erected by East Germany in 1961 to cut the capital of Berlin in two, and later dismantled in 1989.
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Holocaust
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The Nazi program of mass murder of European Jews (and other groups) during World War II.
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Parliament
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A representative lawmaking body whose member are elected or appointed and in which legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature called a parliament.
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Euro
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A common currency proposed by the European Union for it's member nations.
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Nordic Countries
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Countries of Northern Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
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Cultural Crossroads
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A place where various cultures cross paths.
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Balkanization
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The process of breaking up a region into small, mutually hostile units.
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Satellite Nation
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A nation dominated by another country.
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Folk art
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Handmade items, such as pottery, woodcarving, and traditional costumes, produced by rural people with traditional lifestyles, instead of by professional artists.
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Anti-Semitism
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Discrimination against Jewish religion and people.
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Ethnic Cleansing
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The policy of trying to eliminate an ethnic group.
