GGS 101- North American Key Terms 2025

Borderland

general term for a linear zone that parallels a political boundary. The most dynamic of these areas, such as those lining the US-Mexico border, are marked by significant cultural and economic interaction across the boundary that separates them

Transition zone

An area of spatial change where the peripheries of two adjacent realms or regions join; marked by a gradual shift (rather than a sharp break) in the characteristics that distinguish these neighboring geographic entities from one another

Physiographic region

a region within which there prevails substantial natural-landscape homogeneity, expressed by a certain degree of uniformity in surface relief, climate, vegetation, and soils

Continentality

the variation of the continental effect on air temperatures in the interior portions of the world' landmasses. The greater the distance from the moderating influence of an ocean, the greater the extreme in summer and winter temperatures. Continental interiors also tend to be dry when the distance from the oceanic moisture sources become considerable

Rain shadow effect

the relative dryness in areas downwind of mountain ranges resulting from orographic precipitation, wherein moist air masses are forced to deposit most of their water content as they cross the highlands

Federation

a country adhering to a political framework wherein a central government represents the various subnational entities within a nation-state where they have common interests-defense, foreign affairs, and the like-yet allows these various entities to retain their own identities and to have their own laws, policies, and customs in certain spheres

Aquifer

An underground reservoir of water contained within a porous, water-bearing rock layer.

Fossil fuel

the energy resources of coal, natural gas, and petroleum (oil), so named collectively because they were formed by the geologic compression of transformation of tiny plant and animal organisms

Urban system

a hierarchical network or grouping of urban areas within a finite geographic area, such as a country

American Manufacturing Belt

North America's near-rectangular core area, whose corners are Boston, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Baltimore

Distribution center

a centralized focus of economic activity specializing in the distribution of goods, situated as a major hub on its regional transportation network. Atlanta, Georgia, with its outstanding highway, rail, and air-freight connections to the surrounding southeastern United States, is a classic example

Intermodal connections

facilities and activities related to the transfer of goods in a transit from one transportation mode to another (e.g. the loading of contained from a ship directly onto a truck or railcar)

Suburbanization

urban growth away from the center, typically in the edges of urban areas

Deindustrialization

process by which companies relocate manufacturing jobs to other regions or countries with cheaper labor, leaving the newly deindustrialized region to convert to a service economy while struggling with the accompanying effects of increased unemployment and meeting the retraining needs of its workforce.

Central business district (CBD)

The downtown heart of a central city; marked by high land values, a concentration of business and commerce, and the clustering of the tallest buildings

Information economy

the new, increasingly dominant, postindustrial economy that is maturing in the most highly advanced countries of North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. Here, traditional industry is being eclipsed by a higher-technology productive complex focused on information related activities

Sharing economy

a recent development in urban economies based on the digital revolution that allows for sharing of heretofore private resources ranging from cars and scooters to overnight accommodation, from work space to power tools

Gig economy

an economic system characterized by flexible, short-term jobs mediated by digital platforms, which shapes both the location of work and the social-economic landscape of urban and rural areas

Gentrification

the upgrading of an older residential area through private reinvestment, usually in the downtown area of a central city. Frequently, this involves the displacement of established lower-income residents, who cannot afford the heightened costs of living, and conflicts are not uncommon such as neighborhood change takes place

GPS (Global Positioning System)

the orbiting satellite-based navigation system that provides locational and time information, anywhere on or near the Earth's surface where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites

Polycentric urban region

an urban region with multiple central cities and/or first-order suburban activity nodes

Urban-rural divide

the divide between cities and rural areas in terms of well-being, employments, services, and consumption; sometimes also in terms of culture and politics

Electoral geography

the spatial distribution of political preferences as expressed in voting behavior for political parties and/or candidates. The mapping of election results is the foundation of electoral geography

Neighborhood effect

the impact of one's neighborhood on an individual's outlook, aspirations, socialization, and life chances

Residential geography

the spatial distribution of a residential population. The term is most often used by urban geographers to describe the clustering of various social groups into the neighborhood that form the residential fabric of cities and suburbs

Sunbelt

the popular name given to the southern tier of the US, which is anchored by the mega-states of California, Texas, and Florida. Its warmer climate, superior recreational opportunities, and other amenities have been attracting large numbers of relocation people and activities since the 1960s; broader definitions of the Sunbelt also include much of the Western US, even Colorado and the coastal Pacific Northwest

Migration

a change in residence intended to be permanent

Melting pot

Traditional characterization of American society as a blend of numerous immigrant ethnic groups that over time were assimilated into a single societal mainstream. This notion always had its challengers among social scientists, and is now increasingly difficult to sustain given the increasing complexity and sheer scale of the U.S. ethnic mosaic in the 21st century

First Nations

name given to Canada's indigenous peoples of American descent, whose U.S. counterparts are called Native Americans

World-City

a large city with particularly significant international (economic) linkages that also has a high ranking in the global urban system. Leading world cities include London, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Paris

Technopole

a planned techno-industrial complex (such as California's Silicon Valley) that innovates, promotes, and manufactures the products of the postindustrial information economy

Pacific Rim

a far-flung, group of countries and components of countries (extending clockwise on the map from New Zealand to Chile) sharing the following criteria: they face the Pacific Ocean; they exhibit relatively high levels of economic development, industrialization, and urbanization; their imports and exports mainly move across Pacific waters

Great Recession

the economic downturn from 2008-2011 that was in large part based on the so-called "mortgage meltdown," leading to foreclosures and other socio-economic distress

Tar sands

the main source of oil from non-liquid petroleum reserves. The oil is mixed with sand and requires massive open-pit mining as well as a costly, complicated process to extract it. The largest known deposits are located in the Northeast of Canada's province of Alberta, and by most estimates these Athabasca Tar Sands constitute one of the largest oil reserves in the world.