Human Geography: Unit 7 & Unit 8 Vocabulary

Human Geography Vocabulary for Unit 7 & Unit 8.

Agriculture

The process of growing plants and raising animals to produce food, fiber, or other products to sustain and improve life.

Hunting and Gathering

An early human method of finding food by collecting wild plants and hunting animals; no farming involved.

First Agricultural Revolution

The shift from hunting and gathering to farming about 10,000 years ago; people began to domesticate plants and animals.

Second Agricultural Revolution

A period during the 1700s-1800s when farming became more productive due to machines, new farming techniques, and better tools.

Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution)

A 20th-century movement that introduced high-yield crops, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and advanced irrigation, especially in developing countries.

Fourth Agricultural Revolution (Digital Agriculture)

The use of new technologies like GPS, drones, and AI in farming to make it more efficient, productive, and environmentally friendly.

Agribusiness

Large-scale, commercial farming controlled by big companies that includes growing, processing, and selling food.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming where food is grown mainly to feed the farmer's family, with little or no extra to sell.

Commercial Agriculture

Farming done to sell crops and make money, usually on a large scale with modern technology.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farming that protects the environment, supports local communities, and can continue for future generations.

Cash Crops

Crops grown mainly to sell for profit rather than for personal use, such as cotton, coffee, or tobacco.

Deforestation

The cutting down of forests to make land available for farming, often leading to environmental problems.

Urban Geography

The study of how cities are organized, how they grow, and the way people live and interact in urban areas.

Problems of Urbanization

Issues that come with growing cities, such as pollution, traffic, overcrowding, housing shortages, and lack of clean water or sanitation.

Suburbs and Metropolitan Areas

Suburbs are neighborhoods outside of main cities; a metropolitan area includes the city and surrounding suburbs where people live and work.

Urban Sprawl

When cities spread out over more land in a scattered and unplanned way, often causing more car use and environmental issues.

Slums

Poor, overcrowded urban neighborhoods with bad housing, few services, and often unsafe living conditions.

Centralization and Decentralization

Centralization pulls people and services toward the city center; decentralization spreads them out to suburbs and outer areas.

Redlining

The unfair practice of refusing loans or services to people in certain neighborhoods, often based on race or income level.

Gentrification

When wealthier people move into poorer city neighborhoods, often raising housing costs and pushing out lower-income residents.

Urban Planning

The process of designing and organizing city spaces to make them more livable, efficient, and fair for everyone.