GEO TERMS 1 LOL

Development

progressive improvement of human condition

Agricultural Revolution

the historical shift from hunting and gathering to farming, no longer devote life to providing food

Industrial Revolution

the transition from manual labor to mechanized production

Information Revolution

current instant communication worldwide

Population distribution

number of people per unite area

Population density

the number of people living per unit of area

Demography

study of human populations, how their structure changes

Demographic transition

a model describing changes in birth and death rates as societies develop

Malthusian theory

the idea that population grows faster than food supply

Neo-Malthusian

technology only post-pones inevitable pop. overgrowth, law of diminishing returns

Neoliberal policies

capitalist, free-marketm less gov = econ efficiency 

Transnational corporation (TNC)

 company that operates in multiple countries, takes advantage of lower labor costs to minimize production costs

Homogenization

the process by which cultural differences are reduced

Sustainable development

development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

SDG

17 global objectives set by the UN to address poverty

Limits of Growth

a 1972 report modeling the consequences of unchecked population and economic growth on the environment and resources.

Ecosystem

a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.

Climate

affects human efforts to produce food/ industrial crops

Alluvium

fertile soil and sediment deposited by rivers

Loess

deposits of wind transported fine grain material, usually quite fertile

Fossil fuels

energy sources such as coal

Soil erosion

the removal of topsoil by wind, once top soil exposed to elements, carried away in short periods of time

Acculturation

the process by which a culture adopts traits from another (doest not occur w out conflict)

Lingua franca

a common language used for communication between people who speak different native languages.

Land degradation

area becomes less biologically productive, usefulness to humans decreased

Creative destruction

nature should be adapted for humans, old inefficiencies die off, capitalism trumps all (science of economics=amoral)

Precautionary principle

that action should be taken to prevent harm to the environment or health (but this can be too slow…econ wont wait) 

Acidification

oceans becoming more acidic as atmosphere concentrations of Co2 increase

Ozone depletion

the thinning of the Earth's ozone layer due to chemicals like CFCs

Eutrophication

the over-enrichment of water bodies with nutrients (often from fertilizers)

Biodiversity

the variety of life in all its forms, species declining in numbers, genetic diversity, resilience

Aerosol loading

the accumulation of tiny particles or droplets in the atmosphere, damaging to lungs

Decarbonization

the process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by transitioning from fossil fuels to energy alternatives

Externality

a side effect or consequence of an economic activity that affects others but is not reflected in the cost of the activity

Per capita income

econ. development associated w high per capita (per person, more $)

GNI PPP

Gross National Income adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity; measures a country's income while accounting for cost of living differences.

HDI

Human Development Index; a composite measure of life expectancy

NDI

Newly Industrialized Country,

GII

Gender Inequality Index; a UN measure of gender disparities in health

Poverty line

the minimum level of income deemed necessary to meet basic needs such as food

Determinism

belief that human behaviors and societal development are shaped or constrained by environmental or geographic factors.

Mercantilism

emphasized national wealth through trade surplus and accumulation of gold (colonizer/colonized = level of development)

Neocolonialism

the continued economic and political influence of former colonial powers over developing countries

Dependency theory

the idea that underdevelopment in poorer countries is due to their dependence on and exploitation by wealthier

Circular causation

a system where economic or social conditions reinforce themselves in a cycle—positive or negative—such as poverty leading to poor education

Poverty trap

a self-reinforcing cycle in which poverty persists because poor individuals or nations lack the resources to escape it.

Overseas Development Assistance (ODA)

financial aid provided by developed countries to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime in a given population.

MDG

Millennium Development Goals; eight global goals set by the UN in 2000 to address poverty

North Atlantic Current

a warm ocean current that extends the Gulf Stream northeastward toward Europe

Mediterranean climate

hot, dry summers, mild/wet wint.ers

Land reclamation

restoring degraded land to beneficial state

Devolution

transfer of power from a central government to regional or local governments within a state.

Secularism

dominant trend in Europe, principle of separating religion from government institutions and public life

Multilingualism

the use or promotion of multiple languages within a society or country.

Nation-state

political entity has control over its territory/bases its legitimacy on representing a particular group of people with particular interests

Mezzogiorno

the economically less-developed southern region of Italy

Pronatalist policies

government policies designed to encourage people to have more children

Core-periphery

exists in Italy (wealthy N states= core, mezzogiorno + periphery)

CAP

Common Agricultural Policy; an EU policy framework providing subsidies and support to European farmers to ensure stable food production and incomes.

Postindustrial

Europe’s econ shifting from manufacturing based services to knowledge.

Deutsche Bank

a major global banking and financial services company headquartered in Germany

Eurozone

the group of European Union countries that have adopted the euro as their official currency.

Technopole

a center of high-tech industry and innovation

Megalopolis

a large and heavily populated city

Brownfield

a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination

Schengen Zone

an area of 26 European countries that have abolished passport controls at their mutual borders for free movement.

Energy security

the reliable and affordable access to energy resources necessary for economic stability and growth, recent political priority for EU

EU

European Union; a political and economic union of 27 European countries that collaborate on policies

Benelux

a political and economic union comprising Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Extraterritorial possession

land or territory owned or controlled by a country but located outside its borders.

Euroskepticism

opposition toward the European Union and its policies

Nordic Model

combining free-market capitalism with strong welfare states and labor protections.

Balkans

breakup of former Yugoslavia in 1991 led to formation of new countries/ regional conflict

Ultranationalist

an individual or group with extreme nationalist views, xenophobia, loathing of “other,” common in Europe ;(

Exclave

culturally distinct territory within territory of a diff. culture (ie Serbs in Bosnia)

Xenophobia

fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers

Frontex

the European Border and Coast Guard Agency responsible for managing and securing the EU’s external borders.

Irredentenism

to expand a culture’s territory to its largest historical extent

Permafrost

permanently frozen ground found in polar regions that affects vegetation and infrastructure.

Tundra

all of Russia’s arctic shore, no trees, infertiel soil

Taiga

bogs+ meadows

Steppe

flat unforrested grassland

Chernobyl

the site of a catastrophic nuclear disaster in 1986 in Ukraine

White Nights

a natural phenomenon in high-latitude areas where it remains light for most of the night during summer months.

Trans-Siberian Railway

created to link west + east to propel Russian expansion

Duma

the lower house of the Russian parliament responsible for legislation.

Five Year Plan

a series of centralized economic goals set by the Soviet government to industrialize and modernize the economy.

Kremlin

the historic fortified complex in Moscow serving as the official residence of the Russian president and the center of government.

Glasnost

a policy of openness and transparency in government and media introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.

Shock therapy

rapid transition from a planned to a market economy

Privatization

the process of transferring ownership of businesses or services from the government to private individuals or companies.

Oligarch

few individuals who control vast econ. enterprises 

Gazprom

Russia’s largest natural gas company and one of the world’s biggest energy suppliers.

Rent-seeking

use of resources of the state for benefit of private interests

USSR

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991 covering much of Eastern Europe and northern Asia.

Chechnya

a republic in the North Caucasus region of Russia known for conflicts and separatist movements, predominantly Muslim republic

Collective farm

a state-controlled agricultural enterprise in the Soviet Union where farmers worked collectively.

Siberia

a vast region of Russia known for its harsh climate and rich natural resources