North America Vocab
Order by
24 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 continental divide | the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges) |
| blizzard | a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds |
| timberline | elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow |
| megalopolis | a very large urban complex (usually involving several cities and towns) |
| standard of living | a level of material comfort in terms of goods and services available to someone |
| socialism | A system in which society, usually in the form of the government, owns and controls the means of production. |
| headwaters | the source of a river |
| tornado | a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground |
| immigrant | a person who comes to a country where they were not born in order to settle there |
| tsunami | a giant wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor |
| per captia income | the toal national income divided by the number of people in the nation |
| economic system | the system of production and distribution and consumption |
| tributary | a branch that flows into the main stream |
| hurricane | a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale) |
| suburbs | Residential areas surrounding a city. Shops and businesses moved to suburbia as well as people. |
| pollution | undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities |
| capitalism | an economic system based on private ownership of capital |
| religion | a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny |
| fishery | a workplace where fish are caught and processed and sold |
| typhoon | a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans |
| metropolitan area | a major population center made up of a large city and the smaller suburbs and towns that surround it |
| subsistence farming | farming in which only enough food to feed one's family is produced |
| cultural diffusion | the spread of cultural elements from one society to another |
| free enterprise | economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.