Unit 1: Geography GeoTrekkers in the Western Hemisphere Illustrated Glossary

1. Unit 1: GeographyGeoTrekkers in the Western HemisphereIllustrated Glossary

2. adapt to change in order to fit new conditions

3. archipelago a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean

4. bodies of water Water in different sizes and shapes naturally found on the Earth’s surface. Oceans, seas, bays, lakes, rivers, and ponds are examples of bodies of water.

5. bay an inlet of a body of water (as the sea) that is usually smaller than a gulf

6. Central America Southern part of North America extending from southern border of Mexico to northwestern Columbia.

7. climate local weather conditions of an area like temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, wind and other conditions

8. coast the land next to the ocean

9. Compass Rose a symbol that shows the directions: north, south, east, and west

10. communication ways people send and receive messages thereby linking people and places

11. continent a very large body of land

12. degrees the unit of measurement used for latitude and longitude

13. delta a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta. A delta is often (but not always) shaped like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped like a triangle).

14. desert an area with less than ten inches of rain per year and a rocky sandy surface

15. eastern hemisphere the half of Earth east of the Prime Meridian

16. environment the geographic characteristics that surround and affect the way people live

17. environment concerns/issues interests people have about the care of the natural environment.

18. forest an area where coniferous and deciduous trees are the most dominant plant. Deciduous trees share their leaves in the fall. Coniferous trees include trees that have pinecones, such as fir and spruce.

19. geography study of Earth and how people live on Earth and use its resources

20. geographic characteristics human physical things that distinguish one place from another. These are divided into two groups: physical and human

21. geography:physicalcharacteristics description of the natural environment of the place They include physical features (landforms and bodies of water), weather and climate, soil, vegetation, and animal life.

22. geography:human characteristics description of the people of a place past or present, their human-made features (buildings etc.), languages, religions, economic activities, and political systems

23. grasslands flat or rolling areas of land covered with grasses If located in North America, they are called prairies. In South America they are called pampas.

24. gulf a large body of water that cuts deep into the land

25. hemisphere half of the globe of half of the earth The four hemispheres are northern, southern, eastern, and western.

26. human/environmental interaction explains how people live in their environment

27. isthmus a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses. An isthmus has water on two sides.

28. island a piece of land that has water all around it

29. landforms the different shapes of Earth’s surface Mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, valleys, peninsulas, and islands are examples of landforms

30. Latin America the entire Western Hemisphere south of the United States

31. lake a body of salt or fresh water that is surrounded by land

32. latitude/longitude imaginary lines on a map or globe that measure distance north and south of the equator and distance east and west of the prime meridian

33. legend/key explains the meaning of the symbols on the map

34. marsh an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses

35. migrate/migration/immigration to move from one country or region to another with the intent of staying at the place for a long period of time

36. modify to change to meet the wants of people

37. mountains a land form that is very high and steep. They usually are wide at the bottom and rise to a narrow peak or ridge. Geographers classify a mountain as land that rises at least 2000 feet above sea level. A number of mountains next to each other make up a mountain range

38. natural environment the physical setting of a place including the land, air ,water, plants, and animals

39. North America continent comprising Greenland, United States, Mexico, Central America

40. northern hemisphere the half of the earth north of the equator

41. ocean a large body of saltwater

42. physical map a map that shows landforms This is a physical map of the United States.

43. plains large areas of flat lands

44. plateau high, flat land

45. political map a map that shows location and borders of countries and communities

46. Prime Meridian the line of longitude from the South Pole to the North Pole measured in degrees. It divides Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

47. province an administrative district or division of a country

48. rainforest a dense, either tropical or temperate forest that receives lots of rain year round

49. resources things that people can use, such as oil, lumber, and water that come from nature

50. river flow of water that goes to an ocean or lake