| Term | Definition |
|---|
| geography | the study of the earth's surface, climate, continents, countries, peoples, industries, and products. |
| Physical geography | concerned with the locations of such earth features as land, water, and climate; their relationship to one another and to human activities; and the forces that create and change them |
| Human geography | concentrates on patterns of human activity and on their relationships with the environment |
| cartography | the making or study of maps or charts |
| GPS | Geographic Positioning System |
| GIS | Geographic Information System |
| map legend | lists and explains the symbols and colors used on a map |
| scale | the mathematical relationship by which distances on a map reduce actual distances on earth. |
| geographic grids | networks of imaginary lines that help us find and describe places on earth |
| equator | an imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole |
| compass | an instrument for showing directions, consisting of a needle or compass card that points to the north magnetic pole, which is near the North Pole. |
| latitude | distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees. |
| longitude | distance east or west on the earth's surface, measured in degrees from a certain meridian (line from the North to the South Pole). |
| meridians | an imaginary circle passing through any place on the earth's surface and through the North and South poles |
| prime meridian | the meridian running through Greenwich, England, from which longitude east and west is reckoned. |
| parallel | any of the imaginary circles around the earth parallel to the equator, marking degrees of latitude |
| projections | a number of mathematical methods that cartographers use to produce a flat map of the round earth |
| distortion | distorting; twisting out of shape |
| Mercator | A Mercator chart represents the meridians and parallels of latitude as straight lines. |
| Peterson | a type of map projection that depicts the continents' sizes more accurately than Mercator. |
| Mollweide | a type of homolographic map projection in which the surface of the earth is represented as an ellipse, with the equator and parallels of latitude as straight lines |
| topography | the surface features of a place or region. The topography of a region includes hills, valleys, streams, lakes, bridges, tunnels, and roads. |
| contuor map | a map showing heights at regular intervals above sea level by means of contour lines |
| biome | natural community of plants and animals, its composition being largely controlled by climatic conditions. |
| niche | the ecological "job and address" of a plant or animal in nature |
| tundra | a vast, level, treeless plain in the arctic regions. The ground beneath the surface of the tundras is frozen even in summeril |
| coniferous forests | forests of trees that bear cones |
| deciduous forests | forests of trees that shed leaves each year |
| grassland | land with grass on it |
| savannas | region of grassland with scattered trees lying between the equatorial forest and the hot deserts in either hemisphere |
| deserts | a barren region with little or no rainfall, usually sandy and without trees |
| tropical rainforests | a woodland of tall trees growing in a region of year-round warmth and abundant rainfall |
| organic production | grown or prepared with natural fertilizers or without the use of insecticides and other chemicals: organic food |
| pesticides | any one of various substances used to kill harmful insects (insecticide), fungi (fungicide), vermin, or other living organisms that destroy or inhibit plant growth, carry disease, or are otherwise harmful |
| recyle | to put wastes, garbage, or the like, through a cycle of purification and conversion to useful products |
| renewable resources | a resource that can be renewed, solar, wind |
| stewardship | to keep up or keep going, as an action or process. |
| consumerism | concentration on producing and distributing goods for a market which must constantly be enlarged |
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