Module 3--Culture (copy)

push factors

circumstances that cause people to move somewhere else, such as war, climate change, natural disasters and religious persecution

rural

less densely populated areas far outside cities (populations often range from 100-8,000)

metropolitan area

a large urban area

suburbs

communities located just outside of large cities. Example: Parma, Lakewood, and Brooklyn are located just outside Cleveland

megalopolis

when metropolitan areas grow together- example, Boston to Washington DC

urban

cities and the areas immediately surrounding them

terraced farming

when farmers shape hillsides into steps with flat areas

grid settlement

an area built in straight horizontal and vertical lines such as major cities like Washington DC

trade route

path used by merchants for buying and selling goods

settlement

any place where a community is established

ethnic group

groups of people who share a common culture and ancestry

culture

a set of beliefs, values and practices a group of people has in common

multicultural society

an area that includes a variety of different cultures in the same area ex: China Town and Little Italy sections of New York

migration

the process of moving from one place to live in another

cultural diffusion

the spread of culture traits from one region to another

cluster settlements

settlements that are grouped around or at the center of a resource (such as farmland or a mine)

linear settlement

homes in a line along a natural resource such as a river

universal theme

a message about life or human nature that is meaningful across time and in all places is called

population density

measurement showing the average number of people living in a square mile

culture region

an area in which people have many shared culture traits

commerce

the substantial exchange of goods between cities, states or countries

population

the total number of people in a given area

spatial pattern

the placement of people and objects on Earth and the space between them

heritage

the wealth of cultural elements that has been passed down over generations

Arab culture region

the region found in northern Africa and the Middle East that is characterized by a shared language and religious customs among Arabic-speaking peoples.

slash and burn agriculture

farmers cut down and torch trees in a forested area to clear land for planting

pull factors

circumstances that attract people to an area, such as available land, fertile soil, religious freedom, economic opportunity and pleasant climate

rate of natural increase

the number of deaths in an area subtracted from the number of births…it shows the percentage of population change and may be either positive or negative

cultural universals

features that are common to all cultures

social institutions

family, education, religion, government and economy

technology

using available knowledge and skill to solve a problem

creative expression

includes performing arts, literary arts and visual arts

science

people use this to try and understand their environment through observation and experimentation

culture trait

an activity or behavior in which people often take part, such as language or leisure activities

birthrate

annual number of births per 1,000 people

center-pivot irrigation

system where a center sprinkler waters crops in a circular field

fracking

process that uses large amounts of water and chemicals to break up rocks in order to extract gas or oil