Year 9 Global Perspectives End-of-Year Revision Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering international organisations, the League of Nations, the United Nations, and climate change concepts based on the Year 9 Global Perspectives revision document.

Collective security

The idea is that members will defend each other against any aggressor.

Secretariat

The administrative organ of both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

Assembly (League of Nations)

The parliament of the League that met once a year and required unanimous consent for all decisions.

Council (League of Nations)

The executive body of the League consisting of permanent and temporary members, where permanent members held a veto power.

Moral condemnation

The first step in the League of Nations' powers for resolving disputes, involving a formal scolding or statement of disapproval.

Economic sanctions

Step 2 in the League's dispute powers, involving financial or political penalties imposed on a country to force a change in behaviour.

Mukden Incident (1931)

The 1931 event where Japan invaded Manchuria, leading to a failed intervention by the League of Nations' Lytton Commission.

Abyssinia Crisis (1935)

An event where Italy attacked Abyssinia; the League's failure to impose strong sanctions and secret peace plans by Britain and France weakened the organisation.

UN Charter

The founding document of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945.

P5

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council: USA, Russia, China, UK, and France.

Veto

The power held by a P5 member of the UN Security Council to single-handedly block a resolution.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The UN organ responsible for settling legal disputes between different states.

Peacekeeping

The deployment of neutral troops by the UN to maintain ceasefires and protect civilians in conflict zones.

WHO

The World Health Organization, a specialised agency founded in 1948 that oversaw the eradication of smallpox in 1980.

IMF

The International Monetary Fund, created in 1944 to support global financial stability.

World Bank

A specialised agency created in 1944 to provide interest-free loans for international development.

FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation, founded in 1945 to improve global agricultural output.

UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme, founded in 1972 following the UN Conference on the Human Environment.

Weather

The specific condition of the air over a short period of time, such as one day.

Climate

The average weather conditions of a region measured over many years.

Insolation

Incoming solar radiation; it varies with latitude and is the primary driver of different climate zones.

Greenhouse effect

The natural process where gases in the atmosphere trap infrared heat re-emitted by the Earth, warming the planet.

Greenhouse gas (GHG)

Gases such as $CO_2$, methane ($CH_4$), water vapour ($H_2O$), and nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) that absorb and re-emit heat.

Mitigation

Climate change response strategies focused on reducing the causes, such as cutting $GHG$ emissions through renewable energy.

Adaptation

Climate change response strategies focused on coping with effects, such as building sea walls or developing drought-resistant crops.

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

The first major international treaty that legally bound developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Paris Agreement (2015)

An international treaty where countries pledge voluntary contributions to keep global warming well below $2^\circ C$, aiming for $1.5^\circ C$.

Climate refugee

A person forced to leave their home due to climate-related impacts such as sea-level rise or extreme weather.

Six elements of weather/climate

Air temperature ($^\circ C/^\circ F$), precipitation ($\text{mm}$), wind speed/direction ($\text{m/s}$), relative humidity ($\%$), air pressure ($\text{hPa}$), and sunshine duration (hours).