Edexcel IGCSE Geography glossary

Economic Sector

A major division of the economy based on the type of economic activity.

Energy Consumption

The amount of energy used by individuals, groups or countries.

Energy Efficiency

Making the most of energy sources to cut down on waste and consumption.

Energy Gap

A gap created because of the loss of energy caused by phasing out fossil fuels is greater than the amount of energy being developed by "green" sources.

Informal Employment

Types of work that are not officially recognised by the government.

Primary Sector

Economic activities concerned with natural resources, such as farming and mining.

Secondary Sector

Economic activities concerned with manufacturing and making things, such as electricity, buildings, cars and food.

Tertiary Sector

Economic activities concerned with providing a wide range of services and enable goods to be traded.

Quaternary Sector

Economic activities concerned with highly skilled and technological services, such as collecting and processing information and research and development (R&D).

Non-renewable Energy

Energy produced from resources that cannot be replaced once they are used.

Renewable Energy

Energy produced from sources that cannot be exhausted.

Climatic hazard

Hazards caused by weather in the atmosphere

Hazard

A natural event that causes damage, destruction and death.

Abstraction

Removal of water from rivers, lakes or groundwater for human use.

Base flow

That part of a river's discharge fed by groundwater.

Discharge

The quantity of water that passes a given point on a stream or river‐bank within a given period of time.

Drainage basin

The area drained by a river and its tributaries

Erosion

The wearing down of the land by water, ice, wind and gravity.

Mass‐movement

The downslope movement of surface materials- due to gravity

River regime

The variation in river discharge over the course of a year.

Weathering

The chemical alteration and physical breakdown of rock

Brownfield Site

Land that has been previously used and abandoned

Counterurbanisation

The movement of population and employment from major cities to smaller cities and towns as well as to rural areas.

Deprivation

The damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society, such as housing, diet and healthcare.

Greenfield site

Land that has not been used for urban development

Mega‐city

A city or urban area with a population larger than 10 million

Urbanisation

The process by which a greater proportion of people live in towns or cities

Rural dilution

When the urban way of life spreads to rural areas.

abrasion

when fine material rubs against the river bank. and the bank is worn away

Intermediate technology

a technology that local poeple can use rleatively easily and without much cost

Quality of life

the degree of well-being and satisfaction felt by people in a particular area

saltation

Pebbles bounce along the riverbed when there is an increase in river velocity

solution

Dissolved material is transported by the river

Suspension

Fine material, light enough in weight to be carried by the river

traction

Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river