World
Geography
STAAR
Flashcards
Human
Geographic
Factors
*patterns—these
relate to things that
humans have
created or done; for
example:
technology,
economic activities,
transportation
infrastructure, or
development of
cities.
Physical
Geographic
Factors
*relate to things
found in nature
such as: natural
resources,
bodies of water,
climate, or
landforms.
Migration
*the movement of
people from one
place to another.
Diffusion
*when
“something”
spreads such as
religion, ethnic
groups, or ideas.
Columbian
Exchange
*began in 1492 with the
exploration of Christopher
Columbus discovering the
Americas. It is the idea
that plants, animals, food,
and products were
exchanged between the
Americas and Europe.
Political Maps
*These maps
show voting
patterns, country
boundaries, and/or
political units—
such as counties,
cities, and school
districts.
Nationalism
*a belief that people or
ethnic groups should
have their own
government and territory.
The idea that their
interests and cultures
come first.
Patriotism
*devotion to
one’s country.
The idea that you
should be loyal to
and support your
countries laws
and have pride in
your country.
Democracy
*The people
govern
themselves by
meeting together
and making laws
for their society.
Example: Ancient
Greece
Dictatorship
*One person rules
the nation with no
limits on his power
and does whatever
he wishes.
Example: North
Korea
Monarchy
*One person rules
for life usually as a
result of inheriting
the position as a
member of a certain
family. Power may
or may not be
limited. Example:
Saudi Arabia
Republic
*Through
elections, the
people choose
those who
govern them.
(INDIRECT
DEMOCRACY)
Example: U.S.
Theocracy
*Those who rule
do so because
they are
members of a
particular
religious faith.
Example: Iran
Totalitarian
*One or a few
individuals possess
total control over the
government as well
as the economy. No
opposition is
permitted. Example:
Stalin in the former
Soviet Union.
United Nations
*An organization of
nations whose purpose is
to help solve international
problems. The main
bodies are the General
Assembly and the
Security Council. The
Security Council has the
power to authorize the
use of military forces to
be used in peace keeping
missions.
European Union
*an association
of countries in
Europe;
members agree
to cooperate on
matters mostly
related to
economics.
Lithosphere
*The outside
shell of the
earth—made
up of the
crust and
upper mantle.
Tectonic
forces
*the movement of
the tectonic
plates that can
create
mountains, rift
valleys and
earthquakes.
Earthquakes
*these are caused
by movement in
the plates of the
earth; the Ring of
Fire in the Pacific
Rim is an
earthquake
hotspot.
Erosion
*when rock, sand,
and soil are
broken down and
carried away by
different forces;
this can create
canyons, valleys,
and lakes.
Landforms
*refers to natural
features of the
landscape such as
mountains, valleys,
hills, and plains.
Soilbuilding
*the processes
such as
weathering,
erosion, or
deposits that
affect the quality
of the soil.
Hydrosphere
*the part of the
earth covered by
water.
Ocean
Currents
*the movement of the
ocean’s water that affects
climate in different
regions of the world; for
example, the warm water
of the Gulf Stream brings
warmer weather to Great
Britain.
Water cycle
*the process by
which water on
the earth’s
surface moves
from evaporation
to condensation
to precipitation.
Precipitation
*where water
returns to the ocean
and land through
rain.
Tsunamis
*when an
earthquake occurs
under or near the
ocean it can create
a massive wave
known as a
tsunami. Japan
was hit with a
tsunami in 2011.
Monsoons
*are seasonal winds
most often
associated with
South Asia. Heavy
rainfall as a result of
monsoons cause
flooding and hardship
for individuals living
in low lying areas.
Floods
*usually indicate a
temporary covering of land
by water that is not normally
covered by water. This can
occur from intense rains
and/or the overflow or break
of a levee. Hurricane
Katrina caused flooding in
New Orleans, Louisiana in
2005.
Tides
*are created by
the relationship
between the
Earth and the
Sun; the
gravitational pull
on the earth’s
surface.
Atmosphere
*(Sky) weather
and climate
Earth/Sun
Relationship
*The tilt of the Earth
causes parts of Earth
to receive more or less
sunlight throughout the
year causing seasons.
Climate is most
affected by latitude and
elevation.
El Niño
*phenomena in which
increased rainfall
across the southern
tier of the US and in
Peru has caused
destructive flooding
and drought in the
West Pacific,
sometimes associated
with devastating brush
fires in Australia.
Biosphere
*refers to life on
earth such as the
climates and
plants and
animals in a
region.
Desertification
*The expansion of
desert like
conditions to areas
of arable land.
Example is the
grassland areas
near the Sahara
desert that are
turning into deserts.
Gross
Domestic
Product per
Capita
(GDP)
$
*the value of
goods and
services
produced in a
year in a nation
by the average
person.
Life
expectancy
*the average
number of years
a person is
expected to live.
Literacy Rate
*the percentage
of people who
can read and
write in a country.
Infant
Mortality
*the number of
infants who die
out of every 1000
born.
Human
Development
Index
*refers to the
level of
development of a
country.
Less
developed
nations
(LDC)
*Any country that
has not experienced
an industrial
revolution of sorts.
Newly
industrialized
nations (NIC)
*Economy is still
focused on
manufacturing.
More
developed
nations
(MDC)
*Economy is
focused on
service industries
with a well
defined support
infrastructure.
Urbanization
*refers to the
growth of cities
as more people
leave rural areas
to move to the
cities.
Push factors
*factors that
cause people to
move from one
area to another
such as war, job
losses, ethnic
persecution, or
famine.
Pull factors
*factors that cause
people to move
from one area to
another such as
more freedom,
better job
opportunities, and
more rights in a
democracy.
Globalization
*the increasing
relationships of
individuals,
culture, and
economic activity
around the globe.
Standard of
Living
*refers to the
level of wealth,
material goods,
and services that
are available to
people or
nations.
Pandemics
*an epidemic of an
infectious disease
that affects a large
number of people
in other countries
or continents.
(Swine/Avian flu,
Bubonic Plague)
Sustainable
development
*refers to using
resources in a
way that benefits
today’s needs as
well as future
needs.
Renewable
Resources
*resources that
can renew
themselves over
time. For
example—planting
trees to replace
the ones that have
been cut down.
Nonrenewable
resources
*resources that
can only be used
once. For
example—
burning fossil
fuels such as
coal and oil.
Region
*an area of the
earth’s surface
with similar
characteristics
that could be
either physical or
human.
Formal Region
*usually has clear
boundaries and a
limited number of
related
characteristics
such as Latin
America and
Europe.
Perceptual
Region
*usually refers to
people’s perception
(what they believe)
about an area. They
many not all use the
same characteristics.
Examples would
include the Midwest
region of the United
States.
Functional
Region
*is usually
organized around a
set of interactions or
connections
between people and
places. An example
would be the
Dallas/Fort Worth
region.
Culture
Elements
*include language,
religion,
institutions,
technologies, and
beliefs and
customs in
people’s way of
life.
Customs
*things that
people usually
do—how they
act, what they
eat, what they
wear. Esp. in a
certain culture.
Institutions
*organizations
developed by each
society that help to
make social roles
clear. These
include schools,
families, and
governments.
Urban
*term having to
do with city.
Rural
*term used to
define areas of
the countryside
that are not part
of a city.
Genocide
*the policy of
deliberately killing
an entire national,
racial, religious, or
ethnic group.
(Rwanda, Bosnia,
Holocaust)
Terrorism
*the calculated
use of violence
(or threat of
violence) against
civilians in order
to try to achieve
a goal
Traditional
Economy
*used to describe
economic systems in
societies that are
primarily subsistence
agriculture—meaning
they produce only
enough to feed the
farmer and his family.
Cultural
convergence
*the tendency for
cultures to
become more
alike as they
share technology
and structures in
a modern world.
Cultural
divergence
*the tendency for
cultures to
become
increasingly
dissimilar with
the passage of
time.
Multicultural
societies
*a society where
there is an
appreciation and
acceptance of
many different
cultures.
Free
Enterprise
Economy
*people are free
to produce and
buy what they
want. This may
also be known as
free market,
market oriented
or capitalism.
Socialist
Economy
*the government
owns some of the
basic industries (like
mines and factories)
but encourages
private ownership of
small businesses.
This can also be
referred to as a
mixed economy.
Communist
Economy
*the government
sets and controls
the economic
goals of the
country. Can
also be referred
to as command
economy.
Subsistence
agriculture
*producing
enough to feed
the farmer and
his family.
Commercial
agriculture
*is widely practiced in the
more developed countries
of the world. It involves
the use of expensive
technology and chemical
fertilizers and pesticides.
Crops are grown to sell
and are subject to the
demands of the
marketplace.
Cottage
industry
*Making goods by
hand from homes,
traditional craft
items. Small-scale
in rural areas and
uses low level of
technology
Economics:
Primary
*extraction of
resources from
the Earth.
Examples—
agriculture,
mining, fishing
Economics:
Secondary
*making or
refining products
from raw
materials.
Example—
manufacturing
Economics:
Tertiary
*providing
services.
Example—
teachers,
banking
Economics:
Quaternary
*information
processing and
management.
Example—
research
Manufacturing
*making products
from raw
materials.
Service
*things that
people do for
others such as
plumbers.
Scarcity of
natural
resources
*the location of scarce
natural resources can
make an area very
important. For
example, Oil in the
Middle East or the need
for water in areas such
as the Aral Sea can
lead to conflict.
Energy
*access to
significant forms
of energy allows
countries to
experience
industrialization.
Airconditioning
(significance)
*has allowed
people to live in
areas where they
may not have
before. Has
contributed to
shifts in
population.
Desalinization
*the process that
separates the salt
from saltwater to
create fresh drinking
water. This process
is being
experimented with in
areas where there is
a lack of fresh
drinking water.
Agriculture
Technology
*advances in this
area have allowed
for more drought
resistant types of
grain. Computers
and new tractors
have led to
increases in
commercial crops.
GPS (Global
Positioning
System)
*utilize satellite
technology to
help navigation
devises assist
drivers.
GIS
(Geographic
Information
System)
*retrieval, storage
and management
of geographical
data. We can use
this to better
understand and
interpret data
collected.
Medical
Advancements
*with increases in
medical
technology,
people are living
longer.
Trade
Patterns
(changing)
*With new
transportation options,
trade is becoming
easier. The World
Trade Organization
(WTO) has over 150
countries. This
organization has the
responsibility for
helping to enforce trade
agreements.
Globalization
*The increasing
connection
among people
around the world
as they share
culture and
economic
activities.
Outsourcing
*hiring companies
outside the U.S. to
perform some of the
work for American
companies.
Example: Dell
computers using call
centers in India.
Free Trade
Zones
*When countries
create an
association that
allows them to
trade freely (no
quotas or tariffs)
with each other.
Gross National
Product (GNP)
*market value of
goods and services
produced and
provided in one
year.