Summer Special Tutorial Program Condensed Geography Curriculum

Flashcards covering the major elements of weather, climate controls, African landforms, geological dating, Ethiopian agro-climatic zones, and regional water resource cooperation based on the Grade 11 Geography curriculum.

Weather

The state of the atmosphere at a given place and time, characterized by elements such as temperature, precipitation, and wind.

Climate

The long-term atmospheric patterns and averages of weather elements recorded over a period of 30-35 years.

Temperature

The degree of measurement of the hotness or coldness of an object, with the sun being the primary source for the earth and its atmosphere.

Thermometer

A narrow glass tube filled with Mercury or Alcohol used to measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit $^{\circ}\text{F}$ or Celsius $^{\circ}\text{C}$.

Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula

$$^{\circ}\text{F} = (^{\circ}\text{C} \times \frac{9}{5}) + 32$$

Annual Mean Temperature

The value obtained by adding the 12 mean monthly temperatures and dividing the sum by $12$.

Annual Range of Temperature

The difference between the temperatures of the hottest and coldest months in a year.

Precipitation

Any liquid or frozen water forming in the atmosphere and falling to Earth, including rain, sleet, hail, and snow.

Rain Gauge

An instrument used to measure rainfall, usually recorded in millimeters ($\text{mm}$).

Barometer

An instrument used to measure air pressure, usually in millibars ($\text{mb}$) or millimeters ($\text{mm}$).

Humidity

The concentration of water vapor present in the air, which influences factors like temperature and evaporation.

Anemometer

An instrument used to measure wind speed.

Cloud Formation

A visible mass of water droplets or ice crystals formed when moist air rises, cools, and condenses.

Normal Lapse Rate

The rate at which air temperature decreases with height, specifically $6.4^{\circ}\text{C}$ per $1,000\,\text{m}$.

Orographic Rainfall

Rainfall produced when moist winds rise over high ranges, like the Ethiopian Highlands, cooling the air on the windward side.

Rain Shadow Area

The dry leeward side of a mountain that receives little rain because most moisture was lost on the windward side.

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A low-pressure zone where northeasterly and southeasterly trade winds converge, shifting north and south with the sun's overhead movement.

Atlas Mountain

A series of mountain ranges (Anti-Atlas, High Atlas, etc.) located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert, covering Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Sahara Desert

The largest hot desert in the world, covering $9,200,000\,\text{km}^2$ across North Africa.

Reg

A landscape feature of the Sahara consisting of a large mass of sand dunes.

Erg

A desert pavement of pebbles on top of a vast flat surfaced sheet of sand.

Sahel Region

A semi-arid transitional zone between the Sahara to the north and the savanna to the south, frequently affected by drought.

Savanna

A tropical grassland transitional region between the rainforest and the Sahel, characterized by drought-resistant trees like Acacia.

Geologic Timescale

A time-table showing the age of the Earth and its associated life-forms developed through the study of rocks.

Relative Age

The age of rocks determined by the sequence of geological occurrences rather than exact numerical time.

Principle of Superposition

The law stating that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the overlying bed is younger than the underlying rock.

Absolute Age

The actual age of rocks expressed in numerical values through the analysis of radioactive isotope decay.

Half-life

The time taken for half of a parent radioactive isotope to change into its daughter atoms.

Wurch

An Ethiopian agro-climatic zone located above $3,300\,\text{m}$, characterized by temperatures below $10^{\circ}\text{C}$ and Afro-alpine vegetation.

Dega

A temperate Ethiopian highland zone between $2,300\text{--}3,300\,\text{m}$ suitable for rain-fed agriculture.

Bereha

A desert lowland agro-climatic zone in Ethiopia below $500\,\text{m}$ with temperatures exceeding $30^{\circ}\text{C}$ and very low rainfall.

Bega

The dry winter season in Ethiopia (December to February), characterized by clear days and cold nights.

Kiremt

The main rainy season in Ethiopia occurring from June to August.

Tropical Rainforests

Diverse forests with broadleaf evergreen trees closely spaced to form a continuous canopy $25\text{--}35\,\text{m}$ tall.

Leaching

A process in tropical soils where water percolates through the soil, dissolving and carrying away minerals and nutrients.

East Africa Rift Valley

A geological feature formed by normal faulting in the Tertiary period, extending $5,600\,\text{km}$ from the Red Sea to Mozambique.

Lake Victoria

The largest lake in Africa, covering an area of $69,000\,\text{km}^2$ at an elevation of $1,134\,\text{m}$.

Highveld

A portion of the South African inland plateau that hosts major commercial farming and metropolitan centers like Gauteng.

Empirical Classification

A climate classification method based on observed statistics like temperature and precipitation, such as the Koppen system.

Nile Basin

The drainage area of the longest river in the world ($6,650\,\text{km}$), encompassing $11$ African countries.

Congo Basin

The world's second-largest river basin by volume, holding approximately $\frac{1}{6}$ of the world's known hydroelectric resources.

Mediterranean Climate

A climate region characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, found in the Maghreb and the Cape Province of South Africa.

Benguela Current

A cold ocean current along the west coast of Namibia that contributed to the formation of the Namib Desert.

Epiphytes

Major plant species found in tropical rainforests that grow on other plants but are not parasitic.

Montane Forest

Vegetation found generally above $1,500\text{--}2,000\,\text{m}$ that is lower in structure than lowland forests.

Nile Basin Initiative (NBI)

A multilateral agreement signed in 1999 to promote sustainable development and equitable use of Nile resources among riparian states.

SAPP (Southern African Power Pool)

An entity created in 1995 to improve power supply across $12$ Southern African countries using hydroelectric and coal resources.

International Joint Commission (IJC)

An institution created in 1909 between the USA and Canada to manage the water and pollution of the Great Lakes.