 | Term | Definition |
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Atheist |
A person who does not beleve in the one God--he creates his own |
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Chernozem |
The rick black topsoil found in the North European Plain, especially in Russia & Ukraine |
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Serfs |
Laborers owned by the nobles and bound to the land who live in poverty & were treated like slaves |
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Market Economy |
Economy in which businesses are privately owned & what people buy or do not buy decides what & how much is produced (SUPPLY & DEMAND) |
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Communism |
The teachings of Karl Marx implemented in Russia by Lenin which believed in the violent overthrow of the government to bring in socialism |
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Tundra |
Nothernmost vegetation zone; the soil beneath it is always frozen; diferent kinds of short plants (reeds, mosses, lichens) |
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Socialism |
Philosophy that called for ownership of all land & factories by peasants & workers |
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Pogroms |
Organized persecution and massacre of the Russian Jews |
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Command Economy |
One in which the central government decides what will be manufactured & what the prices will be |
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Czar |
Supreme ruler of Russia; name taken from Roman caesars |
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Consumer Goods |
Goods such as bikes, toys, shoes, etc. (Anything used by a CONSUMER) |
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Black Market |
Illegal market where goods are sold at higher prices & are normally goods that cannot be obtained |
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Icon |
An intricate religious image, many are hundreds of years old that are worshiped by many people because of some "special power" |
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Taiga |
Coniferous forest just below the tundra--largest forest region in the world |
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Permafrost |
a permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the ground |
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Steppe |
Large grassland plain |
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Delta |
A section of land at a river's mouth that looks like a Greek letter |
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Oasis |
Places in the desert where water is present |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
The value of the goods & services created in a country in a year |
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Petrochemicals |
Products derived from petroleum or natural gas to make fertilizers, medicines, plastics, & plants |
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Hieroglyphics |
A form of picture writing formed by the Egyptians |
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Phosphate |
A chemical compound often used in fertilizers |
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Alluvial Soil Deposit |
Rich soil made up of sand & mud, deposited by running water |
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Aquifer |
Underground layers of porous rock, gravel, or sand that contain water |
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Bedouins |
Desert nomads |
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Muhammad |
The founder of the Muslim religion |
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Monotheism |
The belief in one God |
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Wadis |
Streambeds that are dry except during heavy rain |
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Cereals |
Grains, such as barley, oats, or wheat that are used for foods |
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Desalination |
The removal of salt from seawater |
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Prophet |
A messenger |
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Quran |
The Muslim holy book |
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Domesticate |
To take plants & animals from the wild & make them useful to people |
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OPEC |
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; formed by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, & Venezuela |
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Mosque |
Houses of public worship |
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Cuneiform |
Carving wedge-shaped symbols on wet clay tablets; the writing system of the Sumerians |
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Pastoralism |
The raising & grazing of livestock |
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Escarpment |
Steep cliffs or slopes that separate the plateaus |
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Oral History |
The legends passed down orally from generation to generation |
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Sedentary Farming |
Farming conducted at permanent settlements |
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Habitat |
Living area; an area with conditions suitable for certain plants or animals to live |
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Cash Crops |
Crops grown for a profit |
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Cataracts |
Waterfalls |
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Per Capita Income |
Average per year per person income |
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Subsistence Farming |
Agriculture that provides just for the needs of a family or village |
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Extended Families |
Households made up of several generations: aunts, uncles, grandparents, as well as parents & children |
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Commercial Farming |
Farming organized as a business |
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Arable Land |
Land suitable for growing crops or farming |
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Clan |
Large groups of people related to each other; small tribal communities |
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Middle Passage |
The name given to the terrible trip across the Atlantic by slave ships |
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Leach |
To wash away nutrients in the soil by heavy rains |
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Shifting Farming |
A method in which farmers move every one to three years to find better soil |
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Lingua Franca |
Universal language (Swahili is the universal language spoken throughout much of East Africa) |
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Extinction |
Disappearance from the earth |
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Desertification |
The transformation of arable land into desert in the Sahel |
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Literacy Rate |
The ability to read & write |
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Ethnic Groups |
People with similar histories & cultures |
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Savannas |
Tropical grasslands containing scattered trees |
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Karma |
In Hinduism, it is the sum of good & bad actions in one's present & past life leading to rewards or punishment |
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Monsoon |
Seasonal wind that brings in warm, moist air from the oceans in the summer & cold, dry air from inland in the winte |
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Subcontinent |
A landmass like a continent, only smaller |
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Nirvana |
The ultimate state of peace & insight toward which people strive (in Buddhism) |
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Mantra |
Sacred word or phrase repeated in prayers or chants in Hinduism |
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Mica |
Silicate material that typically splits into thinner sheats & is used in the manufacture of electrical equipment |
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Population Density |
Average number of people in a square mile |
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Shamanism |
Belief in a leader who can communicate with the spirits |
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Reincarnated |
In Hinduism, it is being born repeatedly in different forms |
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Dharma |
In Hinuism, it is a person's moral duty based on class distictions which guides his or her moral life |
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Cyclone |
Storm marked by high winds & heavy rains |
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Caste System |
The division of society into rigid groups based mainly on occupation; determines social standing, marriage, & other actions |
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Alluvial Plain |
When the seasonal rain strikes, the rivers overflow & the silt (alluvial soil) is deposited in the floodplain |
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Ethnic Groups |
Groups that share a common language, religion, ancestry, or a combination of such characteristics |
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Homogenous |
Of the same ethnic group; share same language, customs, & ancestry |
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Culture Hearth |
Center from which ideas & traditions spread & where cultures developed |
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Dynasty |
A ruling house |
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Ideogram |
A writing system of pictorial characters that each carry one meaning |
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Mandarin |
Most widely spoken Chinese dialect |
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Calligraphy |
The art of beautiful writing |
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Commune |
Collective farming communities whose members share work & products |
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Cooperative |
Members work together to buy boats, sell the catch, & provide housing & benefits to the members |
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Trading Partner |
Countries that buy & sell to each other |
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Merchant Marine |
Ships that engage in commerce/trade |
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Typhoon |
A violent hurricane |
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Endemic |
Describing plant or animal species native to a region |
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Fauna |
Animal life of a region |
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Flora |
Plant life of a region |
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Free Port |
Port city such as Singapore where goods can be unloaded, sotred, & reshipped without payment of duties import & export |
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Imports |
Resources or goods brought to one country from another |
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Cordillera |
A chain or range of mountains |
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Indigenous |
Native to a place; the original inhabitants--plant, animal, or human |
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Longhouse |
In rural areas of Indonesia & Malaysia, a large building where people from several related families live |
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Maritime |
Concerned with travel or shipping by sea |
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Sickle |
Large curved knife with a handle used to cut grass or tall grains |
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Interdependent |
Relying on one another for goods & services |
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Wat |
A religious temple |
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Coral |
Formed from the limestone skeletons of tiny sea animals |
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The Great Barrier Reef |
One of the world's most famous natural wonders, and it is made of coral |
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Atoll |
Coral growing along an underwater volcano, creating a ring-shaped island |
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Lagoon |
At the center of the atoll there is shallow, often transparent water |
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Continental Islands |
Islands made of rock that has risen from continental shelves on the ocean floor in contrast to those formed by volcaones (Examples: Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Bismark Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands) |
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Krill |
Tiny, shrimplike sea animals that live in the cold Antarctic oceans |
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Wattle |
Interwoven small trees to form a fence or a roof |
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Crevass |
Huge deep crack that forms in the thick ice or snow |
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Lichens |
Sturdy small plants that grow like a crust on rocks or tree trunks |
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Artesian Water |
Underground water supply that is under enough pressure to rise into wells without being pumped |
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Nomadic |
People who travel from place to place, never establishing permanent settlements |
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Boomerang |
Slightly curved stick used for hunting |
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Pidgin English |
A blend of English and the native speech |
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Strine |
Informal English spoken in Australia |
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Copra |
Dried meat of a coconut |
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Ecosystem |
Community of living things that depend on each other for survival |
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Grazier |
A person who raises and herds sheep or cattle |
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Marsupial |
Type of mammal, such as a kangaroo & a koala, that gives birth to offspring that mature in a pouch on the mother's abdomen |
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Geothermal |
Power generated from steam from volcanic hot water |
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Station |
Australian term for a ranch or a large farm, some as large as 6,000 square miles |
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Mutton |
Meat from a sheep |
