World Geography Summer Final Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering global geography topics including political systems, economic concepts, major world religions, and regional facts from the Americas, Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.

Worldview

The fundamental cognitive lens through which an individual experiences or interprets the world.

Terrorism

The use of violence to intimidate governments in order to achieve political goals.

Lone Wolf Terrorism

One person acting as a terrorist.

Terrorist Organization

Sponsored terrorism carried out by members of a group.

Political Geography

The study of systems, borders, governments, and power.

Human Geography

The study of how people, cultures, and populations interact.

Cultural/Religious Geography

The study of how cultures and religions are distributed across the world.

Economic Geography

The study of how natural resources, production, trade, and the use of resources are distributed across the world.

Democracy

A system where the people hold power.

President

An elected head of state who runs the executive branch of a republic.

Parliament

An elected legislative body that creates a country's laws.

Prime Minister

The head of government in a parliamentary system.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen.

Autonomy

A group's right to self-govern in certain matters.

Republic

A government where citizens elect representatives.

Land Reform

Redistributing land ownership, often from large landowners to small or landless farmers.

Hacienda

A large privately owned estate.

Ejido System

Communal land granted by the government.

Tariff

A tax a government places on imported or exported goods.

Universal Healthcare

A system where the government guarantees all citizens access to medical care.

Agribusiness

Large-scale industrialized farming and the companies involved in producing and distributing food.

Truck Farms

Small farms that grow produce specifically to sell at nearby local markets.

Maquiladoras

Factories that are U.S. owned but are located at the Mexican border.

Outsource

Hiring an outside company or country to do work or make goods to cut costs.

Cost of Living

The amount of money needed to cover basic needs in a region.

Standard of Living

The level of wealth, comfort, and material goods available to a region.

Drug Trade

The illegal production and distribution of drugs.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced in a country.

GDP Per Capita

A measurement of average economic output per person.

Bilingual

Able to speak 2 languages.

Machu Picchu

An ancient Incan citadel high in the Peruvian Andes.

Easter Island

A remote Chilean island with giant stone Moai statues.

Cristo Redentor

A massive statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro.

Sugarloaf Mountain

A granite peak in Rio de Janeiro.

Galapagos Island

An Ecuadorian island chain.

Nazca Lines

Huge ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and indigenous descent.

Mulatto

A person of mixed European and African descent.

Inca

A powerful pre-Columbian civilization.

Francisco Pizarro

A Spanish explorer who conquered the Incan empire.

New World Catholicism

A form of Catholicism brought by European colonizers that became the dominant religion.

Rastafarianism

A Jamaican religion.

Voodoo

A religion blending African traditions with Catholicism.

Santeria

A syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion.

Native Mayan

Descendants of the ancient Mayan civilization.

Deforestation

Large-scale clearing of forests.

OPEC

The Organization of major oil exporting countries.

Nationalized

Property or industries owned by the government.

Privatized

Property or industries that are privately owned.

Natural Boundary

A geographic feature such as a river or mountain range that acts like a border.

European Union (EU)

A political group that cooperates on trade, laws, and policy.

Member Nation

A country that belongs to the EU.

EU National

A citizen of a country that is part of the EU.

Eurozone

The group of EU countries that use the Euro as currency.

Mixed Economy

An economy combining elements of capitalism and government intervention.

Diversified Economy

An economy that relies on multiple industries.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals and companies own property and businesses for profit.

Socialism

An economic system where the group or government owns things to promote equality.

Iron Curtain

A political and military barrier that divided Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe from the West.

Race to Berlin

The competition between Allied forces and the USSR to reach Berlin.

Satellite States

Countries under the political control of the Soviet Union.

Berlin Wall

A wall that divided East and West Berlin between 1961 and 1989.

Constitutional Monarchy

A monarchy that is governed by a constitution.

Figurehead

A leader with a ceremonial role who holds little actual power.

Treaty of Versailles

A 1919 peace agreement that ended World War I.

Appeasement

Giving something to an aggressor to fix a problem or maintain peace.

Hinduism

A major religion originating in India characterized by many gods and belief in reincarnation.

Reincarnation

The belief that after death, an individual enters into a new body.

Dharma

A person's religion and/or moral duty in life.

Karma

The belief that a person's actions affect their fate.

Caste System

A strict social class hierarchy in Hinduism.

Buddhism

A religion that teaches a path to end suffering through meditation.

Nirvana

The ultimate goal in Buddhism.

4 Noble Truths

The core teachings of Buddhism.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion originating in Punjab among all people.

Shintoism

The native religion of Japan that honors family and Kami.

Kami

Spirits or gods worshipped in Shintoism.

Confucianism

A philosophy or religion that emphasizes respect for family elders.

China - Censorship

The government's restriction of information.

Traditional Communism

A system where the government owns everything.

Modern Communism

A system that includes elements of a free market but maintains a very controlling government.

Monotheism

The belief in one God.

Judaism

A faith centered on the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

Christianity

A faith centered on the belief that Jesus is God's Son.

Islam

A faith centered on the Prophet Muhammad.

5 Pillars

The five obligations of Islam, which include Hajj.

Ramadan

A holy month of fasting and worship in Islam.

Sharia Law

Religious law derived from the Quran.