Environmental determinism is the idea that the physical environment strongly influences or even controls human societies and cultures.

Environmental possibilism is a more nuanced view that the environment presents possibilities and limitations, but humans can adapt and overcome constraints.

Cultural syncretism is the mixing of different cultural elements to create something new, like jazz music or Tex-Mex cuisine.

Debt for nature is a way to reduce a country's debt by conserving its natural resources.

Employment sectors are the different categories of jobs people have, like healthcare, technology, or retail.

Transitions are large-scale changes in societies, like demographic shifts or a move to renewable energy.

Epidemiologic transition is the change in patterns of disease over time, from infectious diseases to chronic ones.

Population map distortion can happen because of uneven population distribution and map scale.

Malthus's incorrect prediction was that population growth would outpace food production, but this didn't account for technological advancements.

Infant mortality and fertility are key factors in population growth.

Pro-natalist policies are designed to encourage people to have more children.

Federal vs. unitary states differ in how power is divided between the central government and regional governments.

Primate cities are the dominant city in a country, while world cities are highly influential global centers.

Demographic trends in Africa and Latin America are quite different, with Africa having a young and growing population, and Latin America having an aging population.

Economic scales are ways to measure a country's economic health, like GDP or unemployment rate.

Right of passage is the legal right of ships to travel freely through certain areas.

Urbanization is the movement of people from rural to urban areas.

Economic development is the improvement of a country's economy.

Scale of analysis refers to the size of the geographic area being studied.

Uneven development is the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities among regions or countries.

Postindustrial cities are cities that are transitioning from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based one.

Central business district (CBD) is the commercial center of a city, and land values tend to be highest there.

Commodity-dependent countries rely heavily on exporting raw materials, which can be risky.

Mapping production regions helps us see where different resources are produced.

Changing state scales can refer to shifts in how governments are organized.

Types of boundaries include political borders, natural borders, and cultural borders.

Major world religions have different core beliefs and practices.

Creolization is the mixing of cultures to create something new.

Central place theory is a model that explains how the location and spacing of cities is influenced by the goods and services they provide.

Cultural landscapes reflect the way humans have shaped the environment.

Demographic transition model is a model that predicts population trends based on birth and death rates.

Shatterbelt regions are areas with high ethnic diversity and frequent conflict.

Map scales help us understand the level of detail on a map.

Joining the European Union (EU) has economic and political benefits for member countries.

Solar panel farms generate electricity from sunlight.

Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a measure of gender equality in a country.

Universalizing religions actively seek converts, while ethnic religions are tied to a particular culture.