General Social Studies Vocabulary

Front 1

Plateau

Back 1

A flat area of land that is higher than all the land around it.

Front 2

Prairie

Back 2

A region of flat or hilly land covered by tall grasses.

Front 3

River

Back 3

A long body of water that flows over land.

Front 4

Sea

Back 4

A body of salt water partly enclosed by land.

Front 5

Sound

Back 5

A long, wide ocean inlet.

Front 6

Strait

Back 6

A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

Front 7

Swamp

Back 7

A low,wet area where trees and high shrubs grow.

Front 8

Tundra

Back 8

A cold,dry, treeless region where only mosses,grasses,and lichens grow.

Front 9

Valley

Back 9

An area of land between mountains or hills.

Front 10

Volcano

Back 10

A hole in the earth's crust through which lava,grasses,and ash are released.

Front 11

Waterfall

Back 11

A stream of water that falls from a high place

Front 12

Hemisphere

Back 12

Half of the earth.

Front 13

Globe

Back 13

A model of the earth.

Front 14

Map

Back 14

A drawing of the world or part of the world.

Front 15

Symbols

Back 15

A sign or drawing that stands for something

Front 16

Scale

Back 16

Tells real distance on a map (Ex. 1 inch=100 miles)

Front 17

Map Key

Back 17

Tells what the map shows. Also called a legend.

Front 18

Latitude

Back 18

An east west line drawn on maps . ( Ex. Equator )

Front 19

Longitude

Back 19

A north south line drawn on maps and globes. ( Ex. Prime Meridian )

Front 20

North Pole

Back 20

The point furthest north on earth.

Front 21

South Pole

Back 21

The point furthest south on the earth.

Front 22

Equator

Back 22

An imaginary line that divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres ( 0 degrees latitude.)

Front 23

Prime Meridian

Back 23

An imaginary line of longitude from which all other lines of longitude are measured ( 0 degrees longitude.)

Front 24

Tropic Of Cancer

Back 24

A line of latitude near the Equator in the northern hemisphere ( 23 1/2 degrees north latitude.)

Front 25

Tropic Of Capricorn

Back 25

A line of latitude near the Equator in the southern hemisphere ( 23 1/2 degrees south latitude.)

Front 26

Arctic Circle

Back 26

A line of latitude near the North Pole ( 66 1/2 degrees north latitude.)

Front 27

Antarctic Circle

Back 27

A line of latitude near the South Pole ( 66 1/2 degrees south south latitude.)

Front 28

National Park

Back 28

A park that belongs to all the people of a country or nation.

Front 29

Natural Resources

Back 29

Something useful to people and supplied by nature,such as land,water,forests,and minerals.

Front 30

State

Back 30

A part of a country. There are 50 of these in the United States.

Front 31

Capital

Back 31

A city where plans for a state or nation are made.

Front 32

Boarder

Back 32

To be next to or touch the edge of. The line between countries,states,and other places.

Front 33

Monument

Back 33

Something set up to keep a person or an event from being forgotten. ( Ex. Building,Statue,Arch,Column,Tomb.)

Front 34

Climate

Back 34

The kind of weather a place has throughout the year. ( Buffalo has warm summers and cold winter.)

Front 35

Chamber Of Commerce

Back 35

A group of businesspeople who help their community.