Definition list chapter 2: Natural landscapes on Earth
(Some definitions are used in more than one paragraph, but are listed in the first paragraph were they
are mentioned)
Paragraph 1
Deforestation
Clearance of large areas of forest
Ontbossing
Equator
An imaginary line that divides the world into
two halves
Evenaar
Heterogeneous
forest
A forest where all sorts of plants and trees
grow together
Heterogeen
(loof)bos
Latitude
The distance in degrees of a place from the
equator
Breedteligging
Layers
Different heights of tree crowns in a forest
Etages
Low latitude
Indicates that a place is near the equator
Lage breedte
Natural resources
Products that occur naturally, which are useful
to humans, such as tropical hardwood, gold,
uranium, nuts and rubber
Natuurlijke
hulpbronnen
Population density
The number of inhabitants per square
kilometre (km2)
Bevolkingsdichtheid
Slash-and-burn
agriculture
The creation of temporary (tijdelijke) fields in
tropical rainforest in order to grow crops. When
the soil (bodem) is exhausted (uitgeput) the
fields are left and the forest returns.
Kappen en
platbranden
llandbouw
Tropical rainforest
A very dense forest in a warm and humid
environment (tropics)
Tropisch
regenwoud
Tropics
A zone with a latitude between 23½° North and
23½° South
Tropen
Tropical climate
Warm climate zone between 23½° North and
23½° South
Tropisch klimaat
Vegetation
All types of plants and tree life
Vegetatie/
plantengroei
Arable land
Land that is used for grazing or growing crops
Landbouwgrond
Convectional
rainfall
Rain that falls when air rises and cools down in
tropical rainforests
Stijgingsregen
Geo Guide
Natural zone
A large area which still has the original
vegetation
Natuurlijke zone
Original vegetation
Plants, trees etc. that grow naturally in an area
Oorspronkelijke
plantengroei
Drift ice
Pieces of floating ice in the sea in polar regions
Drijfijs
High latitude
Describes a place far from the equator
Hoge breedte
Land ice
Landijs
Permafrost
A layer of perennial snow that has been
pressed into ice on the land
Ground that is always frozen
Perpetual snow
Snow that never melts
Eeuwige sneeuw
Sea ice
Frozen seawater
Zeeijs
Tree line
An imaginary line between areas where trees
grow and areas where trees do not grow
Boomgrens
Tundra
Land in the polar regions where grass, moss
and low shrubs grow, but no trees
Toendra
Circle of latitude/
Parallel
An imaginary line that passes through places
with the same latitude
Breedtecirkel
Climate zone
Different temperature zones in the world:
tropical, temperate, dry and polar
Klimaatgebied
Coniferous forest
belt
A belt (gordel) of ever green trees in the
temperate zone (Taiga)
Naaldbomengordel
Deciduous forest
belt
A belt of leaf-shedding (bladvallende) trees in
the temperate zone
Loofbomengordel
Polar circles
Circles of latitude at 66½° North (arctic circle)
and 66½° South (Antarctic circle)
Poolcirkels
Polar regions
Areas north of 66½° northern latitude and
south of 66½° southern latitude
Poolgebieden
Paragraph 2
Permafrost
Geo Guide
Taiga
Coniferous forest belt in the temperate zone
Taiga/
naaldbomengebied
Temperate zone
A region between 23½° and 66½° northern
latitude and 23½° and 66½° southern latitude
Gematigde zone
Altitude belt
A mountain zone where vegetation grows
Hoogtegordel
High mountain
range
A range (gebergte) with mountains higher than
1.500 m.
Hooggebergte
Natural landscape
A landscape that is still in its original state,
untouched by humans
Natuurlandschap
Man-made
elements
Landscape elements made by humans, such
as houses, roads, fields and grazing land,
which you can’t move.
Inrichtingselementen
Alpine meadow
Mountainous meadow (weide) above the tree
line
Alpenweide
Rocky belt
Rocky areas where nothing grows (higher than
2.500 m.)
(kale)Rotsten
gordel
Barrage dam
A dam that regulates the water level in a river
Stuwdam
Desert
A very dry area where hardly anything grows
Woestijn
(Desert) steppe
A dry area that gets just enough rain for
grasses and low shrubs to grow
Steppe
Groundwater
Water that is found in tiny openings (pores) in
the ground
Grondwater
Internal migration
Moving from one part of the country to another
Binnenlandse
migratie
Irrigation
A technique for leading water to agricultural
land
Irrigatie
Paragraph 3
Geo Guide
Paragraph 4
Geo Guide
Leeward side
The side of a mountain that faces away from
the wind
Lijzijde
Rain shadow
An area behind a mountain where very little
rain falls (always the leeward side of the
mountain)
Regenschaduw
Relief rainfall
Rainfall that is caused when air rises against a
mountain and cools down
Stuwingsneerslag
Windward side
The side of a mountain that faces the wind
Loefzijde
Development aid
Aid that helps people in the long term
Ontwikkelingshulp
Emergency aid
Aid to help people to survive famine or another
disaster
Noodhulp
Nomads
People who do not live in the same place all
the time
Nomaden
An area in the tropics where a grass landscape
changes into a tree landscape/ an area which
consists of grassy land mixed with groups of
trees
Savanne
Paragraph 5
Geo Guide
Savannah
Paragraph 6
Climate
The average weather in a certain region over
a long period of time (30-40 years)
Klimaat
Climate diagram
A diagram that shows the average
temperature and precipitation in a place or
region
Klimaat diagram
Population
concentration
When lots of people live in certain areas
Bevolkingsconcentratie
Population
distribution
The spread of people across a country or
region
Bevolkingsspreiding
Precipitation
All the water (in liquid or solid form) falling
out of the sky onto the earth (for example:
rain, snow, hail)
Neerslag
Weather
Temperature, precipitation and wind at a
certain time and place
Weer