World geo

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1

What are the people who make maps called?

Cartographers

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2

What are the 3 types of regions?

formal, functional, perceptual

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3

What is distortion?

cartographers converting the 3D globe onto a flat map and the curves becoming straight

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4

What is the name of the line of longitude that divides the Earth into the Western and Eastern Hemispheres?

Prime Meridian

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5

What is relative location?

describes a place in comparison to other places around it; "The hospital is northeast of STM"

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6

What is a physical map?

a map that shows landforms, bodies of water, and other natural features; shows location and topography of the Earth's land features; highlight relief

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7

Which projection shows Earth centered to where a straight line coming from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance?

Planar Projection

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8

What is a political map?

Provides the boundaries and locations of political units such as countries, states, counties, cities, capitals, and towns; majority of features are human made

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9

What are 3 geospatial technologies?

GIS, remote sensing, GPS

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10

Which line of latitude represents 0 degrees latitude?

Equator

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11

Why do planets revolve around the sun?

the sun's enormous mass that creates a strong pull of gravity keeping planets in orbit

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12

How many regular planets does the solar system have?

8

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13

What are meteoroids?

pieces of space debris made up of chunks of rock and iron (burn up before hitting Earth's surface)

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14

How do meteoroids differ from meteorites in space?

meteorites actually collide with Earth's surface

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15

Hydrosphere

The oceans, lakes, rivers, underground water, and other bodies of water that make up a part of the Earth

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16

Highest point on earth

Mount Everest

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17

deepest known depression on earth

Mariana Trench

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18

Core

innermost layer of the Earth made up of a super-hot but solid inner core and a super-hot liquid outer core

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19

mantle

thick middle layer of the Earth's interior structure consisting of hot rock that is dense but flexible

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20

crust

outer layer of the Earth, a hard rocky shell forming Earth's surface

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21

weathering

The chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earth's surface

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22

How is weathering different than erosion?

erosion is the movement of weathered rock by wind and water

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23

Continental Drift Theory

the idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride

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24

Glaciers

A large body of ice that moves across the surface of the Earth

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25

Wind and water

two major external forces that change the Earth's surface

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26

Why do all places on Earth not receive the same amount of direct sunlight?

tilt of the axis and revolution

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27

Midnight Sun

continuous daylight, a time when the sun is visible at midnight during the summer in either the Arctic or Antarctic Circle

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28

Greenhouse Effect

The term used to describe the capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warning the Earth

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29

How does elevation affect temperature?

The Earth's atmosphere thins as latitude increase, and less dense air retains less heat; as elevation increases, temperature decreases

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30

Coriolis effect

Direction of prevailing winds in affected by Earth's movement; causes prevailing winds to blow diagonally

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31

What happens in an El Nino year?

A periodic change in the pattern of ocean currents, water temperatures, and weather in the mid-Pacific region; normally low atmospheric pressure over the western pacific is replaced by higher pressure (changes wind patterns and ocean currents)

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32

Vegetation of the Tropical Rainforest

Full of thick vegetation that grows in layers with tall trees forming a canopy over shorter ones

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33

Desert climate

Extremely dry areas that receive only about 10 inches of rainfall or less a year; little animal and plant life; some underground springs undergo oasis; temps vary widely from day to night

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34

Tundra climate

Found closer to Poles; winter darkness and bitter cold lasts for months while summer has limited warming; trees can not establish roots; layer of thawed soil is thinner than subarctic

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35

cultural diffusion

the spread of cultural elements from one society to another

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36

How many people currently live on Earth?

7 billion

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37

zero population growth

when the birth rate equals the death rate

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38

negative population growth

when the death rate exceeds the birth rate

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39

population distribution

the variations in population that occur across a country, a continent, or the world

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40

urbanization

resulting growth of city populations brought by migration

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41

Theocracy

A divine power is thought to be the head of the government (Islamic sharia law is imposed in parts of North Africa today)

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42

Autocracy

Any system of government in which the power and authority to rule belongs to a single individual (dictatorship)

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43

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

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44

Missouri river

the longest river in the United States

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45

Rocky Mountains

Longest mountain range in North America

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46

Great Plains

Vast amounts of semiarid grassland; have an area of approximately 1,125,000 square miles; covers parts of 10 U.S. states

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47

Great Salt Lake

Largest saltwater lake in North America; found in Utah

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48

5 Great Lakes

Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

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49

Lake Superior

the largest freshwater lake in the world (and great lake)

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50

Yukon River

played an important transportation role during Klondike Gold Rush

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51

Columbia River

has 19 hydroelectric dams that provide electricity

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52

Which two states does the Columbia River run through?

Canada to Oregon

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53

Grand Canyon

created due to erosion caused by the Colorado River

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54

Mojave Desert

smallest and driest desert in the United States

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55

New Orleans

city located on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain

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56

Atlas Mountains

Africa's longest mountain range

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57

Nile River

longest river in the world

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58

Meditrranean Sea

A sea that divides Africa and Europe

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59

Niger River

main artery in western africa

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60

Sahara Desert

a savannah of grasslands between 9000 and 4000 BC

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61

Khartoum

where the Blue and White Nile Rivers meet (capitol of Sudan)

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62

Why were the pyramids built?

tombs for pharaohs

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63

Eastern and Western Rift Valley

two branches of the Great Rift Valley

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64

Mount Kilimanjaro

Africa's highest mountain

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65

Serengeti Plain

A vast ecosystem of grassy plains that spans 12,000 square miles; known for huge herds of plain animals

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66

Two biggest agricultural exports in East Africa

coffee and cotton

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67

Desertification

Occurs when areas of fertile land become increasingly arid; caused by human and environmental factors such as drought and poor farming

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68

What disease has turned into an epidemic in East Africa?

AIDS

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69

How many elephants are killed a year from poaching?

80,000

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70

Why do rhinos face extinction?

Because of the demand for their horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicines

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71

Cacao

most common and vital cash crop found in West Africa

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72

Nigeria

projected to have 400 million people by 2050 and become the world's third-most populous country ahead of the U.S.

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73

Lagos

Largest city in Nigeria

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74

ECOWAS

Group of 15 countries founded in 1975 to promote economic integration across West Africa (regional trade association)

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75

Mount Cameroon

largest and only active volcano in the Cameroon Highlands

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76

sources of poor sanitation in West Africa

Lack of indoor plumbing; open defecation; spread of diseases; lack of adequate health care; no good areas to dispose trash

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77

4 common West African languages

English, French, Arabic, Yoruba

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78

Ghana

West African country that has experienced the most success in education

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79

great circle route

Mark the shortest distance that an object can travel between 2 points

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80

Globe

A scale model of the Earth that depicts properties such as area, distance, and direction

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81

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees; runs north to south

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82

Latitude

Distance north or south of the equator (parallel)

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83

Equator

Divides the Earth in half, creating Northern and Southern Hemispheres

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84

Erosion

The movement of weathered rock and material by wind, glaciers, and moving water

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85

plate tectonics

The term scientists use to describe the activities of continental drift and magma flow, which create many of Earth's physical features

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86

continental drift

The theory that the continents were once joined and then slowly drifted apart

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87

Climate

Weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time

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88

Weather

Condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time

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89

greenhouse effect

The capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warming the Earth

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90

El Nino

A periodic reversal of the pattern of ocean currents and water temperatures in the mid-pacific region

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91

population density

The average number of people living on a square mile or square kilometer of land

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92

Nomad

A member of wandering pastoral people

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93

Nationalism

A belief in the right of a nation to be an independent state

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94

subsistence farming

Occurs when a farmer's family consumes most of what is produced and then the rest is sold at market

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95

nuclear family

A family unit made up of a husband, wide, and children

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96

map title

tells the subject of the map

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97

compass rose

A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.

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98

map legend (key)

a box or other display on a map that explains the meaning of the symbols used on the map

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99

Line symbols

Represent features such as roads, rivers and railway lines

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100

map scale

The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface

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