| loess | small,wind-blown particles of fertile soil |
| nationalism | demand for self rule; extreme pride in one's nation |
| navigable | able to be sailed on or through safely |
| medieval | also known as Middle Ages; refers to time period from collapse of the Roman Empire to about 1500 AD |
| Reformation | a religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches |
| Holocaust | the organized killing of European Jews and others by the Nazis during WWII |
| cantons | government districts in Switzerland |