Human Geography 5904

Telephone

Invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Allowed instant voice communication over a long distance for the first time

Baby Boomers

The generation born following WWII (1940s). This population bubble has had a significant impact on American culture, economy, and politics as the baby boomers have aged. Their concerns became the primary concerns of the nation.

Biome

A classification of similar ecosystems. are classified by their types of plants, animals, soil, temperature, climate, and location.

Command Economy

government controls the economy, determining what should be produced and how much should be produced. This type of economy is most closely associated with communism.

Airplane

Invited in 1903 by the Wright Brothers. Sped up travel over long distances.

Non-Renewable Resources

resources which will be depleted faster than they can be replenished ex oil, coal, gas

Suez Canal

A man made navigable water route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea

Market Economy

An economic system where decisions about production, consumption and investment are guided by the price of goods and services, which are determined by the laws of supply and demand.

Specialization of Labor (Division of Labor)

A tendency for groups to focus and work on wherever they can make the best product at the highest revenue and use trade to acquire other products

Urbanization

The process of a society becoming more urban, with growing populations in dense city centers and a move away from rural living

Assembly Line

Refined by Henry Ford in 1909 to improve the process of mass production.

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

Situation

how a settlement relates to factors such as available building resources, water supply, food supply, roads, and available natural resources for consumption

Site

the physical setting of a settlement

Erie Canal

A man-made navigable water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean (via New York City's Hudson River)

Resource

any physical thing that is valued by people

Traditional Economy

An economy where goods are produced mainly for consumption by one's own family and traded or bartered in only the most basic ways

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

A trade agreement that created a free trade zone between the US, Canada, and Mexico

Mixed Economy

a market economy with varying levels of government intervention

More Developed Countries (MDCs)

countries that have completed the transition from traditional to market economies and then mixed economies

Less Developed Countries (LDCs)

countries that have not undergone industrialization; often lower income and face structural obstacles to development

Canal

a man-made waterway made to allow boats to pass through or to transport water for irrigation purposes

Renewable Resources

resources which replenish at the same (or faster) rate than the rate at which they are used

Transcontinental Railroad

Built between 1863 and 1869 and connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans