Global Culture and Tourism Geography Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive set of 200 vocabulary flashcards defining key geographic terminology, regional tourism highlights, countries, capitals, landmarks, and cultural traits from the GTCGEO02 lecture notes.

Etymology of Geography

Derived from the Greek words Geo (Earth) and Graphy (To write), literally meaning 'Description of the Earth.'

Geography

The study of Earth's landscapes, people, places, and environment.

Spatial Terms

An element of geography that studies relationships between people, places, and environment using mapping to organize information.

Places and Regions

An element of geography focusing on how people's identities are connected to specific places and regions.

Physical Systems

Physical processes that shape Earth's surface, interact with plant and animal life, and create or modify ecosystems.

Attractions

The most important pillar of tourism that serves as a pull factor attracting tourists to destinations.

Climate

The weather conditions of a region that can motivate tourists to visit a country.

Rivers

Freshwater bodies flowing toward larger bodies of water, such as the Nile, Amazon, Mississippi, and Danube.

Waterfalls

Cascading water flowing into a basin, functioning as a tourist attraction due to natural beauty.

Angel Falls

A famous waterfall located in Venezuela.

Seas

Bodies of salt water popular for recreation and tourism activities, such as the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Red Seas.

Lakes

Large inland bodies of water.

Lagoons

Shallow seawaters separated by a sandbar or coral reef, popular for snorkeling.

Five Major Oceans

The Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.

Mountains

Elevated landforms popular for hiking and climbing, such as Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Everest, and the Andes Mountains.

Valleys

Lowland areas between hills or mountains that may have rivers running through them, such as Napa Valley, Logar Valley, and Haa Valley.

Plateaus

Elevated landforms with flat tops.

Travel or Itinerary Planning

The application of geography to plan routes, organize destinations, and maximize travel experience.

Map

A flat representation of the world used to locate destinations and determine distances between places.

Physical Map

A type of map showing natural features such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and landforms.

Political Map

A type of map showing countries, provinces, cities, and boundaries.

Road Map

A type of map showing roads, highways, and routes.

Economic Map

A type of map showing economic activities such as agriculture, mining, and industry.

OTOP

One Town, One Product; an economic initiative showcased on economic maps.

Mental Map

A personal understanding or image of places stored in a person's mind.

Seven Continents

Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica.

Northern Hemisphere

The division of the Earth located north of the Equator.

Southern Hemisphere

The division of the Earth located south of the Equator.

Equator

An imaginary horizontal line at 0° latitude that divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Eastern Hemisphere

The division of the Earth located east of the Prime Meridian.

Western Hemisphere

The division of the Earth located west of the Prime Meridian.

Prime Meridian

An imaginary vertical line at 0° longitude that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Latitude

Imaginary horizontal lines running east to west that measure distance north or south of the Equator.

Longitude

Imaginary vertical lines running north to south that measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

UNWTO Tourism Definition

Activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, or other purposes.

Karl Marx

A German philosopher, economist, journalist, and socialist thinker whose main goal was achieving a classless society through communism.

Classless Society

A society with no rich or poor classes where everyone is treated equally and wealth is distributed fairly.

Proletariat

The working class who sell their labor to earn wages.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist or owning class who own businesses and means of production and earn profits.

Communism

A system where the government or community controls major means of production to achieve economic equality and a classless society.

Socialism

A system where government or society regulates important services and industries using taxes to provide public services like healthcare and education.

Capitalism

An economic system where individuals and private companies own businesses and property to earn profits through trade and competition.

Dictatorship

A form of government where one leader or small group holds all political power, strictly enforcing rules with limited rights for citizens.

Asia

The world's largest continent and the birthplace of major religions including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Six Regions of Asia

Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, and North Asia.

Southeast Asia

A region consisting of 11 nations where cultural values include respect for elders, courtesy, and hospitality.

Mainland Southeast Asia

The continental part of Southeast Asia, comprising Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

French Indochina

The subregion colonized by France for almost 100 years, consisting of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Insular Southeast Asia

The maritime island part of Southeast Asia, comprising the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and East Timor.

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The official name of Vietnam, established in 1976 and nicknamed 'The Land of the Ascending Dragon.'

Hanoi

The capital city of Vietnam.

Vietnamese Dong (VND)

The official currency of Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

The national flag carrier of Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh

The Vietnamese leader who declared independence in 1945 and led the First Indochina War against France.

Geneva Accords (1954)

The agreement marking France's withdrawal from Vietnam and dividing the nation into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

Halong Bay

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous tourist attraction in Northern Vietnam.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)

The primary international airport serving Southern Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City.

Pho

A famous Vietnamese dish consisting of rice noodle soup, beef or chicken broth, and vegetables.

Banh Mi

A popular Vietnamese sandwich dish.

Laos International Airports

Wattay (VTE), Luang Prabang (LPQ), Pakse (PKZ), and Savannakhet (ZVK).

Nop

A traditional Lao greeting accompanied by a bow used to show respect, thanks, goodbye, or regret.

Plain of Jars

An archaeological landscape in Phonsavan, Laos, comprising large megalithic stone jars.

Khao Niaw

Sticky rice, which serves as the staple food of Lao cuisine.

Or Lam

A traditional Lao stew dish.

Kingdom of Cambodia

The official name of Cambodia, also known as 'Kingdom of Wonder.'

Phnom Penh

The capital city of Cambodia.

Riel (KHR)

The official currency of Cambodia.

Khmer

The official language of Cambodia.

Sampeah

The traditional Cambodian greeting gesture showing respect with different hand levels corresponding to social status.

Angkor Archaeological Park

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Siem Reap, Cambodia, built as the world's largest religious complex and dedicated to God Vishnu.

Independence Monument (Cambodia)

A statue in Phnom Penh commemorating Cambodia's independence from France in 1953.

Amok Sach Tray

A creamy Cambodian curry dish made with fish, coconut milk, and kroeung spice paste, steamed in banana leaves.

Samlor Korkor

A traditional Cambodian soup dish known as the mother of all Cambodian soups.

Kingdom of Thailand

The official name of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, nicknamed 'The Land of the Free' or 'Land of the Smiles.'

Bangkok

The capital city of Thailand.

Baht (THB)

The official currency of Thailand.

Thai Airways (TG)

The national flag carrier of Thailand.

Wai

The traditional Thai greeting gesture accompanied by the word 'Sawasdee.'

Phom and Dichan

Thai first-person pronouns for 'I', used respectively by men (Phom) and women (Dichan).

Tom Yum Goong

A famous spicy and sour shrimp soup in Thai cuisine.

Pad Thai

A popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish.

Republic of the Union of Myanmar

The official name of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma and nicknamed the 'Golden Land.'

NayPyi Daw

The capital city of Myanmar.

Myanmar Kyat (MMK)

The official currency of Myanmar.

Bagan

A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Myanmar known as the 'Land of a Thousand Pagodas.'

Mohinga

The national dish of Myanmar, consisting of a fish-based noodle soup typically eaten for breakfast.

Federation of Malaysia

The official name of Malaysia, promoted tourism-wise with the slogan 'Truly Asia.'

Kuala Lumpur

The capital city of Malaysia.

Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)

The official currency of Malaysia.

Petronas Towers

The tallest twin towers in the world, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Batu Caves

A sacred Hindu shrine in Malaysia known for its limestone caves and roaming monkeys.

Rendang

A slow-cooked dry beef curry simmered for 2 to 6 hours in coconut milk and spices in Malaysian cuisine.

Republic of Singapore

The official name of Singapore, known as 'The Lion City', derived from Sanskrit 'Singapura' (Simha = Lion, Pura = City).

Changi International Airport (SIN)

The primary international airport of Singapore, recognized as one of the world's best airports.

Biophilic Design

A sustainable urban planning approach used in Singapore that integrates nature and greenery into building structures.

Merlion

The official symbol of Singapore featuring a iconic half-lion, half-fish landmark.

Hainanese Chicken

A signature dish in Singapore originating from Hainan, China, famous for tender poached chicken served with rice.

Republic of Indonesia

The official name of Indonesia, nicknamed 'Emerald of the Equator', bridging Asia and Australia.

Jakarta

The capital city of Indonesia.

Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

The official currency of Indonesia.