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223 Cards in this Set
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geography
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the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth
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absolute location
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the exact place on earth where a geographic feature, such as a city, is found
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relative location
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describes a place in comparison to other places around it
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hemishphere
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each half of the globe
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equator
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the imaginary line that dicides the north and south halves
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prime meridian
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the imaginary line dividing the earth east and west
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latitude
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imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator
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longitude
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imaginary lines that go around the earth over the poles
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globe
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three-dimensional representation of the earth
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marp
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two-dimensional graphic representations of selected parts of the earth's surface
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catographer
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a mapmaker
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map projection
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a way of drawing earth's surface by presenting a round Earth on flat paper
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topographic map
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representation of natural and man-made features on the earth
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Landsat
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actually a series of saltellites that orbit more than 100 miles above earth
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Systems (GIS)"
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stores information about the world in a digital database
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continent
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landmasses above water or earth, fit together like a huge jigsaw puzzle
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solar system
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consists of the sun and nine known planets, as well as other celestial bodies that orbit the sun
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core
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the center of the earth and is made up of iron and nickel
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mantle
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surrounds the core, and has several layers
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magma
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molten rock, can form in the mantle and rise through the crust
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crust
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thin layer of rock at the earth's surface
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atmosphere
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surrounds the earth with a layer of gases
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lithosphere
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includes the crust and uppermost mantle
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hydrosphere
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made up of the water elements on the earth
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biosphere
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the part of the earth where plants and animals live
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continental drift
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the theory created by Alfred Wegener in 1912 that explans why the crusts all fit together perfectly
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hydrologic cycle
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the continous circulation of water betweent he atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth
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drainage basin
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an area drained by a major river and its tributaries
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ground water
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the water held in pores of rock
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water table
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can rise or fall depending on the amount of precipitation in the region
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landform
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naturally formed features on the surface of the earth
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continental shelf
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the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean
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relief
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the difference in elevation of a landform from its lowest point to its highest point
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topography
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the combination of the surgace shape and composition of the landforms and their distribution in a region
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tectonic plate
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enormous moving pieces of the earth's lithosphere
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fault
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fractures in the earth's crust
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earthquake
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violent movement of the earth
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seismograph
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a special device can detect earthquakes
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epicenter
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the point directly above the focus on the earth's surface is the epicenter
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Richter scale
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uses information collected by a seismograph to determine the relative strengh of an earthquake
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tsunami
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caused by an earthquake; a giant wave in the ocean
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volcano
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where materials pour out of a crack in the earth's surface
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lava
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mama that has reached the earth's surface
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ring of fire
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a zone around the trim of the Pacific Ocean
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weathering
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refers to physical and chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock on or near the earth's surface
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sediment
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small pieces of rock
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mechanical weathering
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procedsses that break rock into smaller pieces
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chemical weathering
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"occurs when rock is changed into a new substance as a result of interaction between the elements in air or water and the
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erosion
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occurs when weathered material is moved by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity
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delta
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fan-like landform created by deposited sediment
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loess
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wind blown silt and clay
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glacier
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a large, long-lasting mass of ice that moves because of gravity
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glaciation
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changing of landforms by slowly moving glaciers
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moraine
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rocks left behind by a glacier may forma ridge or a hill
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humus
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the amount of organic material in the soil
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solstice
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the day when the sun's rays shine diretly overhead at noon
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equinox
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the days and nights all over the world are equal in length
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weather
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the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and time
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climate
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the term for weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time
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precipitation
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falling water droplets in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail
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rain shadow
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the land on the leeward side
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hurricane
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storms that form over warm, tropical ocean waters
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typhoon
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hurricanes in asia
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tornado
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a powerful funnelshaped column of spiraling air
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blizzard
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a heavy snowstorm with winds of more than 35 miles per hour and reduced visibility
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drought
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a long period of time without rain or with very minimal rainfall
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convection
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the transfer of heat in the atmosphere by upward motino of the air
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El Nino
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a natural change in the climate
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greenhouse effect
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the layer of gases released by the burning of coal and pretroleum traps some solar energy
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tundra
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the flat, treeless lands forming a ring around the Arctic Ocean
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permafrost
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the subsoil is constantly frozen
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ecosystem
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an interdependent community of plants and animals
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biome
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the ecosystem of a region
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deciduous
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forest regions with trees which have broadleaf trees
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rain forest
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located in the tropical zone and is covered with a heavy concentration of broadleaf trees
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coniferous
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needleleaf trees are found here
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savanna
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the flat, grassy mostly treless plains
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steppe
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praries in the temperate grasslands
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culture
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the total knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by the members of a specific group
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society
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a group that shares a geographic region, a sense of identy, and a culture
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ethnic group
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used to refer to a specific group that shares a language, custons, and a common heritage
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innovation
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taking existing technology and resources and creating something new to meet a need
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diffusion
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spread of ideas, inventions, or patterns of behavior
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cultural hearth
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a site of innovation from which basic ideas, materials, and technology diffuse to many cultures
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acculturation
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occurs when a societ changes because it accepts or adopts an innovation
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dialect
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versions of a language
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religion
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consists of a belief ina supernatural power or powers that are regarded as the creators and maintainers of the universe
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birthrate
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the number of live births per thousand population
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fertility rate
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shows the average number of children a women of childbearing years would have in their lifetime
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mortality rate
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the number of deaths per thousand people
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infant mortality rate
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shows the number of deaths among infants under age one per thousand live births
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rate of natural increase
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the difference between the birthrate and mortality rate
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population pyramid
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a graphic device that shows sex and age distribution of a population
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push-pull factors
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reasons for migrating
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population density
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to undertand how heavily populated an area is, geographers use a figure called population density
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carrying capacity
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the number of organisms a piece of land can support
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state
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describes an independent unit that occupies a specific territory and has full control of its internal and external affairs
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nation
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refers to a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity
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nation-state
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a nation and a state occupy the same territory
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democracy
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citizens hold political power, either directly or through representatives
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monarchy
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a ruling family headed by a king or queen holds political power and may or may not share the power with citizen bodies
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dictatorship
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an individual or group holds complete political power
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commmunism
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"in this government and economic system, nearly all political power and means of production are held by the government in the
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landlocked
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a country surrounded by other land and with no direct outlet to the sea
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urban geography
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the study of how people use space in cities
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city
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they are centers of business and culture
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suburb
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political units touching the borders of the central city or touching other suburbs that touch the city
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metroplitan area
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the city, its suburbs, and exurbs link together
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urbanization
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the dramatic rise in the number of cities and the changes in lifestyle that result
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central business district (CBD)
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the core of a city is almost always based on commercial activity
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economy
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consists of the production and exchange of goods and services among a group of people
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economic system
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the way people produce and exchange goods and services
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command economy
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"production of goods and services is determined by a central governmnent, which usually owns the means of production.
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market economy
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production of goods and services is determined by the demand of the consumers.
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natural resources
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materials on or in the earth
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infrastructure
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"consists of the basic support systems needed to keep an economy going, including power, communications, transportaion
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per capita income
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the average amount of money earned by each person in a political unit
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GNP
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gross antional product, the total value of all goods and serviceds producced by a country over a year or some other specified period of time
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GDP
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gross domestic product, all the total value of all goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time
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appalachian mountains
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one of the two major mountain chains in the United States and Canada
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great plains
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largely treeless area that continues the ascent to about 4,000 feet
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canadian shield
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rocky, mainly flat area covers nearly 2 milion square miles around Hudson Bay
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rocky mountains
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the other major mountain system of the United States and Canada
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great lakes
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Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior
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mackenzie river
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Canada's longest River
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permafrost
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permanently frozen ground
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prevailing westerlies
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winds that blow from west to east in the middle of the latitudes
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everglades
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a huge swampland that covers some 4,000 square miles
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nomad
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people who move from place to place
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Beringia
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a land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska
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St. Lawrence Seaway
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North America's most important deepwater ship route
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lock
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sections of waterway with closed gates where water levels are raised or lowered
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migration
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movement of peoples within the United States
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Columbian Exchange
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the coming of the Europeans
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Louisiana Purchase
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the vast plains region between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains
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frontier
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the free, open land
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suburb
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surrounds cities
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representative democracy
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where the people rule through elected representatives
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export
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which are goods sold to another country
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free enterprise
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"in this economic system, private individuals own most of the resources, technology, and businesses, and can operate them for
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service industry
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any kind of economic activity that produces a service rather than a product
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postindustrial industry
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one where manufacturing no longer plays a dominant role
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multinational
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where corporations engage in business worldwide
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New England
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the northern area where six states inhabit
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megalopolis
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a region in which several large cities and surrounding areas grow together
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the Midwest
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contains 12 states in the north-central United States
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the South
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covers one fourth of the land area of the United Statesk
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metropolitan area
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large cities and nearby suburbs and towns
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the West
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far flung subregion sonsisting of 13 states
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province
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political units touching the borders of the central city or touching other suburbs that touch the city
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Dominion of Canada
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was created in 1867
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confederation
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a political union
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parliamentary government
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a system in which legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature caleld a parliament
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prime minister
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head of a government
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First Nations
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started trading with Suropean fisherman along the northern Atlantic coast
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metis
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people of mixed French and native heritage
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reserves
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public land set aside for a certain kind of people
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terrorist
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"the unlawful use of, or threated use of, force or violence against individuals or property for the purpose of intimidating or causing
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global network
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worldwide interconnected grouop
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coalition
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an alliance of nations to fight the war on terror
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biological weapon
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refer to bacteria and virus that can be used to harm or kill people, animals, or plants
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urban sprawl
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poorly planned development
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infrastructure
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consists of the basic facilities, services, and machinery needed for a communitty to function
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smart growth
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the efficient use and conservation of land and other resources
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sustainable community
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communites where residents could live and work
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Andes Mountains
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In the South American Continent
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llanos
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vast grassy, greeless areas used for livestock and grazing
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cerrado
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savannas with flag terrain and moderate rainfall that make them suitable for farming
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pampas
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areas of grasslands and rich soil
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Orinoco River
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winds through the northern part of South America, mainly in Venezuela
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Amazon River
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flows about 4,000 miles from east to west emptying in the Atlantic Ocean
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Parana River
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originates in the highlands of Southern Brazil
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rain forest
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dense forests made up of different species of trees
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slash-and-burn
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technique used by the natives to clear land for farming
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terraced farming
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an ancient technique for growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes
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push factors
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factors that "push" people to leave rural areas
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pull factors
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factors that "pull" people to urban areas
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infrastructure
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includes things such as swers, transportation, electricity, and housing
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Spanish conquest
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Hernando Cortes conquered a lot of area
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Tenochitlan
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the great Aztec city, now the sitye of Mexico City
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Part (PRI)"
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helped to introduce democracy and maintain political stability for much of the 20th century
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mestizo
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people of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage
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maquiladoras
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factories in Mexico that assemble importated materials into finished products that are then exported mostly to the United States
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NAFTA
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North American Free Trade Agreement
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cultural hearth
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a place from which important ideas spread
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America"
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the whold region declared its independence from Mexico
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Panama Canal
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cuts through the land bridge and connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
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calypso
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music begane in Trinidad
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raggae
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developed in Jamaica in the 1960s
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informal economy
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takes place outside official channels, without benefits or protection for workers
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Inca
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descendants of people who came across a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska and eventually crossed the Isthmus of Panama
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Quechua
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language of the Inca
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Treaty of Tordesillas
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Portugal gained control over the land that became present-day Brazil
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Carnival
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people in costumes ride on floats through the streets in Rio de Janeiro
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samba
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a Brazilian dance with African influences
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capoeira
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a martial art and dance that developed in Brazil from African origins
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biodiversity
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its wide range of plant and animal species
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deforestation
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cutting down and clearing away trees
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global warming
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prevents heat from escaping into space
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deby-for-nature swap
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government tries to presrve the rain forests
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oligarchy
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not democratic
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junta
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run by the gernals
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caudillo
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a military dictator or political boss is in control
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land reform
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the process of breaking up large landholdings and giving portions of the land to land-poor peasant farmers
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fjord
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U-shaped valleyes that connect to the sea
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uplands
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hills or very low mountains
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meseta
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other uplands border mountainous areas
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mistral
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cold, dry wind from the north
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polder
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Land that is reclaimd by draining
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terpen
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seaworkds that include the high earthern platforms
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ljsselmeer
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the fresh water lake that is left behind
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Crusades
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a series of wars to take Palestine from the Muslims
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Belelux
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influened y Germany and France
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feudalism
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political system in which powerful lords owned most of the land
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nationalism
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belief that people should be loyal to their nation
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Nordic countries
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Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,m and Sweden
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Silicon Glen
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the section of Scotland btween Glasgow and Edinburgh
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balkanization
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the term refers to the process of a region breaking up into small, mutually hostile units
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satellite nation
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nations dominated by another country
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anti-Semitism
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discrimniation against Jewish people
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Slobodan Milosevic
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tried to inrease Serbia's power over the rest of yugoslavia
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KLA
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began to carry out attacks against Serbian Officials (Kosovo Liberation Army)
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cyanide
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a deadly poison flowed into the Tisza River in Hungary
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