geography flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards review map types and elements, global physical and political regions, key climatic patterns, and foundational concepts in human-environment interaction explored in the lecture.

Physical Map

A map that displays major landforms and bodies of water such as continents, oceans, mountain ranges, and rivers.

Political Map

A map that shows human-created boundaries – countries, states, cities – and their relative locations.

Topographic Map

A map that uses contour lines to illustrate elevation changes like mountains, valleys, and other relief features.

Climate Map

A map portraying average temperature or precipitation patterns for different areas, often with colors, lines, or numbers.

Economic (Resource) Map

A map showing where natural resources or economic activities are distributed across a region.

Thematic Map

A map focused on a single specialized topic, such as election results, population density, or disease spread.

Compass Rose

The diagram on a map or globe indicating the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.

Map Legend

An explanatory key that deciphers the symbols, colors, or patterns used on a map or globe.

Map Scale

The ratio that relates a unit of distance on the map to the corresponding distance on Earth’s surface.

Equator

The 0° latitude line that divides Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Prime Meridian

The 0° longitude line passing through Greenwich, England, separating Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Eastern Hemisphere

The half of Earth east of the Prime Meridian, including most of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Western Hemisphere

The half of Earth west of the Prime Meridian, containing the Americas and parts of western Europe and Africa.

North America

A region encompassing the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with climates that grow warmer southward and drier westward.

United States (Climate & Geography)

Features deserts and coastal forests in the west, grassland plains centrally, and old-growth forests in the east.

Canada (Climate)

Exhibits a gradient from temperate southward to tundra and arctic climates in the far north.

Mexico (Northern Portion)

Characterized by arid deserts and some tropical coasts along the Gulf of Mexico.

Central America

Region south of Mexico with tropical climate, extensive rainforests, fertile valleys, and crops like coffee and bananas.

Caribbean

Island region with tropical climates influenced by trade winds; hurricanes are common and tourism dominates the economy.

South America

Continent split by the Andes; east side largely rainforest, west side pampas and deserts with rich mineral deposits.

Andes Mountains

The dominant mountain range in South America that creates a major rain-shadow effect east-to-west.

Pampas

Vast grassy plains, mainly in Argentina, located west of the Andes and noted for agriculture and grazing.

Western Europe

Region with mostly temperate forests influenced by the Gulf Stream; Mediterranean climates along the Iberian Peninsula.

Northern Europe

Area with tundra and arctic climates that relies heavily on the sea and petroleum resources.

Mediterranean Climate

A climate featuring warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, supporting extensive agriculture in southern Europe.

Middle East

Dry desert region with some Mediterranean zones; holds the world’s largest petroleum and natural-gas reserves.

North Africa

Region mainly desert but with Mediterranean-like climates along the coast; shares the Middle East’s resource profile.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Area south of the Sahara with tropical zones, savannas, and abundant resources such as gold, diamonds, and timber.

Rain Shadow Effect

Dry conditions on the leeward side of mountains (e.g., Andes) caused by moisture loss on the windward side.

Russia

World’s largest country spanning humid continental west to arctic east; rich in fuels like oil, gas, and coal.

Central Asia

Land-locked region (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan) with dry continental climate and large mineral deposits.

East Asia

Region including China, Mongolia, Japan, Koreas; climates range from deserts and steppes to humid subtropics.

South Asia

Monsoon-influenced region (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) producing rice, tea, and possessing emerging petroleum reserves.

Southeast Asia

Tropical to subtropical region (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand) with wet/dry monsoon seasons and resources like rice and rubber.

Japan

Island nation with humid subtropical south and cooler north; relies on forests, fisheries, and imported fuels.

Australia

Continent dominated by interior deserts, subtropical western coasts, and vast mineral wealth (coal, gold, uranium).

New Zealand

Island nation with oceanic climate, four seasons, and an economy centered on livestock, especially sheep.

Human-Environment Interaction

The study of how people adapt to, modify, and depend on their surroundings and how the environment shapes societies.

Irrigated Agriculture

Early human practice of channeling river water to fields (e.g., Egyptians, Anasazi) enabling permanent settlements.

Permanent Settlement

Lifestyle shift from nomadic hunting to stationary farming, leading to architecture, government, and social stratification.

Yeoman Farm

A small, family-run farm common on the early U.S. east coast before industrialized, large-scale agriculture.

Industrial Pollution

Contamination of air, water, or soil from factories and mass production, exemplified by Chesapeake Bay runoff.

Deforestation

Large-scale clearing of forests for agriculture or development, often causing soil erosion and habitat loss.