Geography, Demographics, and Environments: US, Central America, Northwestern Europe, and North Africa

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the geography, demographics, economic history, and environmental challenges of the United States, Central America, Northwestern Europe, and North Africa.

Sierra Nevada

A mountain range in the United States that is not the oldest in the country.

Rocky Mountains

The mountain range where the headwaters of the Colorado River and Rio Grande are located.

Hawaiian Islands

A chain of islands formed by volcanic eruptions on the seafloor.

Mississippi River

An important trade route that flows approximately $2,350\,\text{miles}$ ($3,782\,\text{km}$) from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

Great Lakes

Large bodies of water formed by glacier basins filling with water.

Everglades

Rich habitats in Florida for diverse species, currently threatened by environmental degradation and damage from algae overgrowth due to eutrophication.

Manufacturing Belt

A region in the United States that has experienced a decline in population in recent decades.

Sunbelt

A region in the United States to which many businesses have migrated in recent years, resulting in population growth.

2008 Economic Downturn

A period of financial distress caused by a crisis in the home mortgage banking sector.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1972)

An agreement between the US and Canada that ended asbestos dumping and encouraged the construction of wastewater treatment plants.

Central Highlands

An area in Central America where mountains reach elevations over $12,000\,\text{feet}$ and earthquakes are common.

Volcanic Axis

The most densely populated region of Central America.

Tierra Caliente

The climate zone in Central America used for growing crops like bananas and sugarcane.

Tierra templada

The most densely populated climate zone in Central America.

Lempa River

A river in El Salvador used for generating hydroelectricity.

Matriarchal

The common family structure found in the Caribbean region.

Haiti

The first colony in Latin America to gain independence by overthrowing Spanish colonizers.

REDD+

An initiative (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.

Rhine River

A major river that connects industrial cities in France and Germany to Rotterdam.

Loess

A fertile sediment left by glaciers that covers much of the soil in Germany.

Industrial Capitalism

An economic system where business leaders reinvest profits to expand companies.

Acid deposition

Wet airborne acids that fall to the ground with precipitation.

Alluvial soil

Rich soil made of sand and mud deposited by running water.

Reg

A stony desert plain in North Africa covered with rocky gravel.

Wadi

A dry riverbed in the desert that may fill with water after rain.

Sahel

A narrow, semi-arid plain located between the Sahara and the southern savannas.

Arab Spring

A movement in $2010$-$2011$ that led to new governments in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.

Aswan High Dam

A dam constructed to control the flooding of the Nile River.