Download Unit 8 United States and Canada Vocabulary 1. Canadian Shield

Unit 8 United States and Canada Vocabulary
1. Canadian Shield- A northern part of the interior lowlands that is a rocky, flat region covering nearly two million
square miles and encircling the Hudson Bay.
2. Hudson Bay- Large bay in Canada
3. Appalachian Mountains-One of two major mountain chains in the eastern United states and Canada, extending
over 1,600 miles from Newfoundland south to Alabama.
4. Continental Divide-the line of the highest points in North America that marks the separation between rivers
flowing eastward and westward.
5. Death Valley-A deep arid desert basin below sea level in Southeastern California and Southwestern Nevada.
6. Electoral College- A body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the President and Vice President
of the United States.
7. Free Enterprise-An economic system in which private individuals own most of the resources, technology and
businesses, and can operate them for profit with little control from the government.
8. First Nations-a group of Canada’s Native American people.
9. GDP per Capita-A measure of the total output of a country that takes the gross domestic product(GDP) and
decides it by the number of people in the country
10. Gerrymandering-Manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class.
11. Great Basin-A desert region of the Western United States comprising of Nevada and parts of Utah, California,
Idaho, Wyoming, and Oregon.
12. Great Lakes- A group of 5 fresh water lakes of central North America between the United States and Canada: the
lakes are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior
13. Great Plains-Vast grasslands of central North America that is largely treeless and ascends to 4,000 feet above sea
level.
14. Hinterland-a region that lies far away from major population centers.
15. Human Development Index-A tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries levels of
social and economic development.
16. Infant mortality-The number of deaths among infants under age one as measured per thousand live births.
17. Infrastructure-the basic support systems needed to keep an economy going, including power, communications,
transportation, water, sanitation, and education systems.
18. Transcontinental Railroad-A train route across the United States finished in 1869.
19. Interstate Highway system-A federally funded American highway system resulting from the Highway revenue act
of 1956.
20. Institutions-A significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture.
21. Less developed nation-country whose state of economic development is characterized by a low national income,
a high rate of population growth and unemployment, and dependency on commodity exports.
22. Life expectancy-the average period that a person may expect to live.
23. Literacy-ability to read and write
24. Megalopolis-A group of cities in the Northeastern United States that has grown into one large, built up area.
25. Migration-The movement of peoples within a country or region.
26. Mississippi River-A major rive that runs north-south almost the length of the United States, from Minnesota to
the Gulf of Mexico, and is part of the longest river system on the continent.
27. More developed nation-Nations that have a high level of development.
28. Parliamentary Government- A system in where legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature
called Parliament.
29. Permafrost-Permanently frozen ground
30. Piedmont-A hilly region of the eastern United States Between the Appalachians and the Coastal Plains.
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Postindustrial economy-An economic phase in which manufacturing no longer plays a dominant role.
Prime Minister-A head of a government; the majority party leader in Parliament.
Provinces- A political unit
Representative Democracy- a government in which the people rule through elected representatives.
Republic- a government in which citizens elect representatives to rule on their behalf.
Rio GrandeRocky Mountains-A major mountain system of the United States and Canada, extending 3,000 miles from Alaska
south to New Mexico.
38. Service Industry-any kind of economic activity that produces a service rather than a product.
39. St. Lawrence River40. Suburbs-A political unit or community touching the borders of the central city or touching other suburbs that
touch the city