World Geography Unit 2: Chapters 5 and 6 Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering physical geography, climate, economic systems, historical demographics, and regional terminology for the United States and Canada from Unit 2 (Chapters 5 and 6).

Foreclosure

A legal proceeding in which a borrower's rights to a property are relinquished due to the inability to pay a loan.

Continental Divide

When the continents drift from the plates of the earth.

Mackenzie River

The longest river system in Canada.

Rocky Mountains

A massive mountain range located in the west stretching over 3,000 miles.

Appalachian Mountains

An older, eroded mountain range located in the east.

Underground Railroad

A secret network of safe houses and routes.

NAFTA

A 1994 pact that eliminated trade barriers.

Service Industry

The economic sector that produces intangible goods or services.

Megalopolis

A heavily populated chain of urban areas.

Metropolitan

an area that includes large city and nearby towns connected. ex Houston

Inuit

Indigenous people of northern Canada and the arctic region.

Métis

A distinct indigenous people of the southern region.

First Nations

The indigenous people of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis.

Québécois

French-speaking inhabitants of Quebec.

Postindustrial Economy

An economic phase where manufacturing declines and nations shift away from manufacturing.

Dominion of Canada

The official title given to Canada.

Tar Sands

Large deposits of sand and clay.

Aquaculture

The farming of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.

Chinook

A seasonal warm, dry wind that blows to eastern slopes.

Timberline

The elevation on mountains above which trees cannot grow.

Old-Growth Forest

An ancient, complex forest ecosystem that has remained undisturbed.

Emigrate

To leave one's home country.

Separatism

A political movement advocating for separation.

Free Enterprise

An economic model where private individuals own their own business.

Interior Lowlands

A vast, mostly flat area located in the middle of the North American continent.

St. Lawrence Seaway Locks

Structures between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes that act as water elevators to lift and lower ships.

Mississippi River

A river that runs north to south through the central United States.

Great Plains

An agricultural and economic area in North America known as the 'bread basket.'

Aqueducts

Man-made canals or pipelines used to transport freshwater.

Renewable Resources

Resources that naturally replenish.

Nonrenewable Resources

Finite resources that do not naturally replenish.

BosWash

A highly, densely populated urban corridor on the United States coast.

Rust Belt

The Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States that have experienced a decrease in population.

Sunbelt

The South and West regions of the United States experiencing rapid population growth.

Cultural Mosaic

A societal model promoted by Canada to encourage and support population diversity.

Sod Houses

Houses built by settlers on the treeless plains to adapt to geographic challenges.