Download Vocabulary Packet (study tool)

Geography and Map Skills
Time Period: 4 million years ago to 8,000 B.C.E.
Key Terms
-geography
-world in spatial
terms
-places and
regions
-physical
systems
-human systems
-environment
and society
-uses of
geography
-culture
-history
-social groups
-language
-religion
-daily life
-arts
-economy
-government
-historian
-prehistory
-map key
(legend)
-drought
-famine
-GPS
-GIS
-map scale
-latitude
-longitude
-parallels
-meridians
-compass rose
-Equator
-Prime Meridian
-hemisphere
-relative location
-absolute
location
-physical map
-political map
-special purpose
map
-choropleth
-globe
-map projection
-map distortion
-landforms
-artifacts
-fossils
-soil erosion
-ecosystem
-7 Natural
Wonders of
Africa
-Himalayas
-Gobi Desert
-natural
resources
-renewable
resources
-axis
-climate
-Highland
Climate
-Tropical
Climate
-Mid Latitude
Climate
-Dry Climate
-Continent
-ocean
-decade
-century
-epoch
-era
-Millennium
-BC/BCE
-AD/CE
-satellite imagery
-aerial
photography
-cultural
diffusion
Key Places
World Maps. You must know the continents and oceans.
Key People
They are apes with opposable thumbs and a “slightly” larger neo-cortex; no one person
could accomplish anything except to occasionally kill an animal for food.
Key Terms
geography- study of people, their environment in which they live, and the resources
available to them. Geography affects people in six ways (themes or elements): the world
in spatial terms, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and
society, and the uses of geography. It is important because it shows the connections
between people, places, and things.
the world in spatial terms-how to use maps and other geographic representations, tools,
and technologies to acquire, and report information from a spatial (in a physical space a
location). How to use a spatial organization of people, places, and environments in a
spatial context. Absolute location – exact location on earth’s surface. Uses latitude and
longitude. Relative location – where a place is in relation to another place.
places and regions-area. We use physical characteristics (natural things like bodies of
water, forests, mountains, etc.) and human characteristics (human created things like
music, art, culture, buildings, etc.) to describe places. Regions-areas that share certain
characteristics. There are several types-physical (set of mountains), political region
(country or state or school district), economic (region that shares trade routes that are
closely interconnected), cultural regions which share the same culture (Amish
Pennsylvania)
physical systems(structures)-the physical process that shape patterns of the earth’s
surface. Things like wind, rain, storms, water moving through land, etc.
human systems-how humans and cultures live in a place, more around, and interact with
other cultures. They can move, trade, exchange ideas, cooperate, or fight.
environment and society-how people interact with the environment. i.e. how people
depend on their environment (water for drinking and growing food); how people adapt to
their environment (create air conditioners in Florida so it is more comfortable); modify
their environment (create damns to build lakes where there were any before)
uses of geography- study the geography of the past so we can plan for and predict the
future of geography. Common geographic elements: maps, Geographic Information
System (GIS)—computer program that creates maps out of data to analyze geography.
(Google Earth)
culture-the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time
history-the study of past events so we can predict the future
social groups-people who share certain characteristics, interact with one another, accept
expectations and obligations as members of the group, and share a common identity.
(friends)
Language-the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of
the use of words in a structured and conventional way.
Religion-the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a
personal God or gods.
daily life-the activities and experiences that constitute a person's normal existence.
arts-the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and
dance.
economy-the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the
production and consumption of goods and services. (everything people do in the business
world to make money)
government-the governing body of a nation, state, or community:
historian- determine how people lived in the past by studying their artifacts, however,
they focus mainly on written evidence. They do this by collecting all written evidence,
evaluate the data, and then interpret it.
prehistory- refers to the time when early man and ancient man had no form of writing to
record what occurred in their lives, this ended around 3,000 years ago.
map key (legend)- pictures, symbols, or colors on a map that show you how to read
(interpret it)
drought- a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall; a shortage of water resulting
from this.
famine- extreme scarcity of food:
GPS- Global Positioning System, an accurate worldwide navigational and surveying
facility based on the reception of signals from an array of orbiting satellites.
GIS- A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store,
manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data.
map scale- Map scale refers to the relationship (or ratio) between distance on a map and
the corresponding distance on the ground. For example, on a 1:100000 scale map, 1cm on
the map equals 1km on the ground.
latitude- straight lines (side to side) that run north and south of the equator that are used
to measure distance.
longitude- straight lines (up and down) that run east and west from the Prime Meridian
(an imaginary longitudinal line that runs through Greenwhich, England) used to measure
distance.
parallels- each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth's surface.
Meridians- imaginary north–south line on the Earth’s surface that connects both
geographic poles; it is used to indicate longitude.
compass rose- a circle showing the principal directions printed on a map or chart
Equator- an imaginary line around the Earth forming the great circle that is equidistant
from the north and south poles; "the equator is the boundary between the northern and
southern hemispheres"
Prime Meridian- An imaginary line running from north to south through Greenwich,
England, used as the reference point for longitude.
Hemisphere- hemisphere refers to one-half of the earth. It can be the northern or southern
hemisphere divided at the equator, or the eastern hemisphere, east of the Prime Meridian
to 180 degree longitude, or the western hemisphere, west of the Prime Meridian to 180
degree longitude.
relative location- where a place is in relation to another place.
absolute location- exact location on earth’s surface. Uses latitude and longitude.
political map- Political maps are designed to show governmental boundaries of countries,
states, and counties, the location of major cities
special purpose map-also known as a thematic map. A thematic map is a map that focuses
on a particular theme or special topic. An example of a thematic map would be one
showing the population change of Canada in specific locations from 1996 to 2001.
Chloropleth- A choropleth map is a thematic map in which areas are shaded or patterned
in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map,
such as population density or per-capita income.
Globe- a sphere on which a map of the world or the heavens is drawn or represented.
map projection- a means of representing or a representation of the globe or celestial
sphere or part of it on a flat map, using a grid of lines of latitude and longitude.
map distortion-when you take a globe and turn it into a flat map, the features and
distances get distorted.
landform- a natural feature of the earth's surface.
artifact- an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical
interest:
fossils- he remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or
as a mold or cast in rock.
soil erosion- the washing away of soil by the flow of water.
ecosystem- a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical
environment.
7 Natural Wonders of Africa-Victoria Falls, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Nile
River, Okavango Delta, Red Sea Reef, Sahara Desert.
http://sevennaturalwonders.org/africa/
Himalayas- The Himalayas, or Himalaya, are a mountain range in Asia separating the
plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The Himalayan range is home
to the planet's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest.
Gobi Desert- The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and
northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia.
natural resources-naturally occurring materials such as coal, fertile land, etc, that can be
used by man.
renewable resources-Crops, fish, timber, solar, and wind energy and other resources that
can be used without exhausting them.
Axis- an imaginary line about which a body rotates: "the earth revolves on its axis once
every 24 hours"
Climate- the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period:
"our hot, wet climate"
Highland Climate- Highland climates are cool/cold and found in mountains and high
plateaus. The climate varies because the higher you are up the mountain the colder it gets.
The climate varies in places because of the mountains. Mountains can act as barriers to
the movement of air masses and can cause differences in precipitation amounts. Rocky
Mountain Range in North America
Tropical Climate- Tropical climates are found in areas that lie close to the equator. Here
the sun shines intensely. Within tropical climates, there are three groups: tropical wet;
tropical wet and dry; and tropical monsoon. Tropical wet regions, also known as rain
forests, have the most predictable weather on earth. Here, everyday is pretty much the
same. You can expect lots of rain, warm nights and hot days. The seasons change only
slightly.
Mid Latitude Climate- Mid-latitude Climates: Climates in this zone are affected by two
different air-masses. The tropical air-masses are moving towards the poles and the polar
air-masses are moving towards the equator. These two air masses are in constant conflict.
Either air mass may dominate the area, but neither has exclusive control. Four types: Dry
Midlatitude Climates steppe--Characterized by grasslands, this is a semiarid climate;
Mediterranean Climate chaparral biome--this is a wet-winter, dry-summer climate; Dry
Midlatitude Climates grasslands biome--hese dry climates are limited to the interiors of
North America and Eurasia; Moist Continental Climate--- Deciduous Forest biome
This climate is in the polar front zone - the battleground of polar and tropical air masses.
Seasonal changes between summer and winter are very large.
Dry Climate-deserts or places that get very little rain. Very little rain means an area is
“arid”. An arid area is one that gets no more than 12 inches of rain each year. Arid areas
are usually deserts. Few plants, animals and people can survive here. Semi-arid areas are
ones that get enough rainfall to allow grasses to grow. Colorado, for example, has miles
and miles of prairie-land. With irrigation water crops can grow here.
Continent- A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are
generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with up to seven regions
commonly regarded as continents. These are (from largest in size to smallest): Asia,
Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.
Ocean- On Earth, an ocean is one of the major conventional divisions of the World
Ocean, which covers almost 71% of its surface. These are, in descending order by area,
the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans.
Decade- a period of ten (10)years.
Century-a period of one-hundred (100) years
Epoch- a period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable
events or particular characteristics:
Era- a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic:
"his death marked the end of an era"
Millennium-a period of one-thousand years (1,000)
BC/BCE- BC is initials that signify when something happened in time in relations to the
birth of Jesus Christ. Recently, historians have changed BC (before Christ) to BCE
(before the common era)
AD/CE- AD is the initials that state when something happened in time in relation to the
death of Jesus Christ. Recently, historians have changed AD to CE (common era)
satellite imagery-the use of satellites to create pictures of the earth. Usually very large
pictures of very large areas.
aerial photography- the use of cameras in airplanes to take pictures of people and places
on the earth.
cultural diffusion- the spread of ideas, technology, and customs, from one culture to
another. This usually happens through trade or conquest.