World History and Geography Semester 1 Final Exam Study Guide

5 themes of geography

Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, Region

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place

place

refers to the mix of human and nonhuman features at a given location, such as hills and cities

region

an area with at least one unifying physical or human feature such as climate, land forms, population, or history.

movement

explores how people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another

Human Environment Interaction

how people affect their environment and how their environment affects them

compass rose

A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.

scale bar

shows how much space on the map represents a given distance on the land

key

section of a map that explains the map's symbols and shading

locator map

section of a map that shows a larger area than the main map

political map

maps that show political units, such as countries or capitals.

physical map

a map that shows land and water features

special purpose map

map that shows the location or distribution of human or physical features

cause of seasons

The tilt of Earth's axis while revolving around the sun

equinox

point at which, everywhere on Earth, days and nights are nearly equal in length

solstice

point at which days are longest in one hemisphere and shortest in another

March Equinox

March 21-22.

June solstice

June 21-22

September Equinox

September 22-23

December solstice

December 21-22

axis

An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and the North and South poles, about which Earth rotates

orbit

The path an object follows as it moves around another object

Revolution

one complete orbit around the sun

rotation

Earth spinning on it's axis, one full rotation is 24 hours.

time zones

areas sharing the same time

crust

The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle

mantle

The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.

core

the sphere of very hot metal at the center of Earth

outer core

A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth

inner core

A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth

chemical weathering

rainwater or acids carried by rain dissolve rocks

mechanical weathering

moving water, ice, or sometimes wind breaks down rocks into little pieces.

plate tectonics

A theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move.

Faulting

process of cracking that occurs when the folded land cannot be bent any further

subduction

One plate going under another plate

converging

plates are moving toward one another to collide

earthquakes

occurs when plates slide against each other.

volcanoes

an opening in the Earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected.

weather

condition of the air and sky at a certain time

climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time

Northern Hemisphere

the hemisphere north of the equator

Southern Hemisphere

the half of the Earth south of the equator

Precipitation

rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.

where the most precipitation occurs

in the tropics because it is warm year round

Ecosystem

group of plants and animals that depend on each other and their environment for survival

natural resource

useful material found in the environment

renewable resource

a resource that Earth or people can replace like water, plants, and animals

nonrenewable resource

resource that cannot be replaced in a relatively short period of time like fossil fuels, minerals, and metal ores.

Industrialization

The development of machine powered production and manufacturing. Important because it allows people to change their environment easier. It can cause deforestation and/or pollution, though.

Spillover

an effect on someone or something not involved in an activity

pollution

damage to the land, air, and water from harmful materials

Fossil fuels

coal, oil, natural gas

supply

The amount of goods available

demand

the desire for a certain good or service

supply and demand

an economic concept that states that the price of a good rises and falls depending on how many people want it (demand) and depending on how much of the good is available (supply)

Producer

people or businesses that make and sell products

consumers

people or businesses that buy or consume products

Traditional Economy

An economy in which people make economic decisions

based on their customs and habits

market economy

an economy in which individual consumers and producers make economic decisions.

command economy

an economy in which the central government makes all economic decisions.

incentive

a factor that encourages people to act in a certain way

developed country

country with a strong economy and a high quality of life

developing country

country with a less-productive economy and a lower quality of life

standard of living

Quality of life based on ownership of necessities and luxuries that make life easier.

demographer

scientist who studies human populations

population distribution

how population is spread out in an area

population density

Number of individuals per unit area

slum areas

poor, overcrowded urban neighborhoods

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities. Often because of jobs.

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

culture norms

a behavior that is considered normal in a particular group of people

society

A community of people who share a common culture. The most basic unit for society is family.

nuclear family

Mother, father and children living as a unit

extended family

a family that extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives, who all live nearby or in one household.

Social classes in the US

a group of people living in similar economic conditions

cultural trait

an idea or way of doing things that is common in a certain culture

cultural diffusion

The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another

cultural diversity

the state of having a variety of cultures in the same area

government

a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or area

Limited Government

government structure in which government actions are limited by law

Unlimited Government

government structure in which there are no effective limits on government actions

nation-state

a state that is independent of other states

city state

an independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory

empire

state containing several countries or territories

democracy

form of government in which citizens hold political power

Monarchy

a form of government with a monarch at the head.

Authoritarian

government is one in which all power is held by a single person or a small group

Communism

political and economic system in which government owns all property and makes all economic decisions

federal system

power is divided among central, regional, and local governments

unitary system

a central government makes all laws for the entire country

confederal system

government in which local units hold all the power

Legislative Branch

U.S. Congress, establishes laws

executive branch

President, Enforces laws

judicial branch

Supreme Court, Interprets the laws

Checks and Balances

limiting powers each branch can use on the others

Sovereignty

supreme power or authority

Foreign Policy

a set of goals describing how a country's government plans to interact with other countries' governments