Unit 1: Geography and Early Man

River

large natural stream of freshwater that runs through the land

peninsula

A piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.

continent

one of the seven large landmasses on the earth

Equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole

Plataeu

a raised area of flat land

region

An area defined by a common trait

sea

large body of saltwater completely or partly surrounded by land

desert

An extremely dry area with little water and few plants

island

a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides

plain

a large area of flat land

valley

an area of low land between hills or mountains

mountain

a very tall, steep landform that rises high above the land around it

Archaeologist

an expert who studies the past by examining artifacts that people have left behind

Historical Evidence

things left by people which are studied in order to understand what life was like in the past

Paleolithic Era

Old Stone Age

Homo sapiens

modern humans

hunter-gatherers

People who hunt animals and gather wild plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts to survive

nomadic

wandering, moving about from place to place

Domestication

the process of changing plants or animals to make them more useful to humans

Neolithic Era

New Stone Age, Agricultural Revolution