Geography Vocab. Ch. 20

Transition Zone

An area in which the properties of the land undergo a radical change.

Sahel

Steppe region extending from Senegal to Somalia that receives little rainfall.

Delta

An often triangular-shaped section of land formed as the waters of a river slow down and split into many channels as they deposit sand and silt that has been carried downriver.

Harmattan

A hot, dry wind that blows from the northeast or east in the western Sahara

Domesticate

To adapt plants and animals from the wild for human use

Animist

Pertaining to traditional religious beliefs in which nature and objects, such as animals and mountains, are thought to have spirits.

Sanitation

The disposal of waste products.

Patriarchal

A family that is headed by a male family member.

Clan

A large group of people descended from the same ancestor.

Nuclear Family

A family unit made up of husband, wife, and children.

Oral Tradition

The practice of passing down stories from generation to generation by word of mouth.

Subsistence Farming

Farming that provides the basic needs of a family with little surplus.

Desertification

The destruction of land in arid and semi-arid climates.