Geography Part TWO Vocabulary Words

adapt

to change in order to fit new conditions

agriculture

the practice of farming, raising animals and growing crops.

climate

local weather conditions of an area over time like temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, wind

delta

a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. Formed from the silt, sand, and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and deposit in the delta.

desert

an area with less than 10 inches of rain per year and a rocky, sandy surface.

environment

the geographic characteristics that surround and affect the way people live.

environmental concerns/issues

interests people have about the care of the natural environment

forest

an area where coniferous and deciduous trees are the most dominant plant. Deciduous trees share their leaves in the fall. Coniferous trees include trees that have pinecones such as fir and spruce.

geographic characteristics

things that distinguish one place from another. These are divided into two groups: physical and human.

grasslands

flat or rolling areas of land covered with grasses If located in North America, they are called prairies. In South America they are called pampas.

irrigation

the act of taking water from a source and directing it to an arid or dry region in order to water crops

island

a piece of land that has water all around it

lake

a body of salt or fresh water surrounded by land

landforms

the different shapes of Earth's surface - mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, valleys, peninsulas, and islands are examples of landforms

legend/key

explains the meaning of the symbols on the map

migrate/migration/immigration

to move from one country or region to another with the intent of staying at the place for a long period of time.

mountain

a land form that is very high and steep; They are usually wide at the bottom and rise to a narrow peak or ridge

natural environment

the physical setting of a place including the land, air ,water, plants, and animals

pampas

the vast fertile grassy plains of southern South America

peninsula

a body of land surrounded by water on three sides

physical map

a map that shows landforms

plains

a large area of flat land

plateau

high, flat land

political map

a map that shows the names and borders of countries

population density

the number of people living per square mile

rainforest

a dense either tropical or temperate forest that receives lots of rain year round

region

a broad geographic area

resources

things that people can use, such as oil, lumber and water that come from nature

settlement

an arrangement of places where people live, including rural and urban centers

Technology

skills, methods, tools, machines, and other things used to perform activities. Technology changes over time and affects the way we live, work and play

transportation

ways goods and people move from place to place thereby linking communities

tundra

a cold, dry region covered with snow for more than half the year, vast treeless plain where the topsoil is always frozen

valley

area of low land with mountains or hills on either side, often having a river or stream along the bottom.

vegetation

all the plant life in an area