World Geography

Geography

The study of the Earth's landscapes, environments, and the relationships between people and their environments.

Latitude

The distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.

Longitude

The distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

Equator

An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, located at 0 degrees latitude.

Prime Meridian

An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, located at 0 degrees longitude.

Human Characteristics

Features of a place that are created by humans, such as buildings, roads, and cities.

Interdependence

The reliance between people, communities, or countries for goods, services, and resources.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to other places.

Absolute Location

The exact position of a place on the Earth's surface, often given in coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Human Impact/Pollution

The effects of human activities on the environment, including contamination of air, water, and land.

Physical Forces

Natural processes that shape the Earth's surface, such as weathering, erosion, and tectonic activity.

Typhoon

A tropical cyclone occurring in the Northwest Pacific, similar to a hurricane or cyclone.

Monsoon

A seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, bringing heavy rains.

Volcano

An opening in the Earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are expelled.

Plate Tectonics

The theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

Climate

The long-term average of weather conditions in a particular area.

Ring of Fire

A major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Map vs Globe

A map is a flat representation of the Earth, while a globe is a spherical representation.

Map Distortion

Maps are distorted due to the challenge of representing a three-dimensional surface (the Earth) on a two-dimensional plane.

Globe

A spherical model of Earth that accurately represents its shape and the relative positions of landmasses and oceans.

Peters Projection

A cylindrical map projection that represents areas in true proportion to their size.

Mercator Projection

A cylindrical map projection that distorts size but preserves shape, commonly used for navigation.

Robinson Projection

A map projection that attempts to minimize distortion of size, shape, distance, and direction.

Interrupted Projection

A map projection that reduces distortion by cutting the map into sections, often used for thematic maps.

Topographical Map

A detailed map that uses contour lines to represent elevation and landforms.

Vegetation Map

A map that shows the distribution of different types of vegetation in a specific area.

Demographics

Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Literacy Rate

The percentage of people who can read and write in a specific population.

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Population Pyramid

A graphical representation of the age and sex distribution of a population.

Population Density

The number of people living per unit of area, typically expressed as people per square kilometer or mile.

Gross Domestic Product per capita

The total economic output of a country divided by its population, indicating the average economic productivity per person.

True or False: Many people around the world live on less than $1 per day

True. A significant number of people globally live on less than $1 a day.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live based on current mortality rates.