South Asia Vocabulary

Front 1

Monsoons

Back 1

Seasonal wind. These that occur in the summer in South Asia usually bring rain to that region.

Front 2

Atmospheric pressure

Back 2

The weight of the atmosphere pressing down on any point on the surface of the earth

Front 3

Upwind

Back 3

Against the direction the wind is blowing

Front 4

Downwind

Back 4

In the direction the wind is blowing

Front 5

Orographic effect

Back 5

Precipitation that occurs when moist air rises up the sides of mountains.

Front 6

Rain Shadow

Back 6

Dry area of a downwind side of a mountain

Front 7

Delta

Back 7

The triangle-shaped deposit of sand and sediment that occurs where a river flows into an ocean

Front 8

Tropical Cyclone

Back 8

a severe storm with high winds that spiral around a calm center

Front 9

Runoff

Back 9

water from rainfall that is not absorbed into the soil and instead flows into streams or lakes

Front 10

Evaporation

Back 10

the process where liquid, such as water, turns into a vapor or gas

Front 11

Slums

Back 11

an overcrowded, dirty city area where housing is usually in very poor conditions

Front 12

Cloud seeding

Back 12

the scattering of chemicals into clouds to bring rain

Front 13

Comparative advantage

Back 13

the ability of one country to produce a good or provide a service at a lower cost or more effectively than another country

Front 14

Information Technology (IT)

Back 14

the use of technology to move and process information

Front 15

Outsource

Back 15

to hire someone outside a company to do work that was once done inside the company. IT made it possible to do this with jobs to businesses in other countries

Front 16

Time Zone

Back 16

an area that uses the same clock time

Front 17

Cost of living

Back 17

the average cost of basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter in a particular place or country

Front 18

Standard of living

Back 18

The overall level of comfort and well being of a group or a country

Front 19

Dialects

Back 19

a version of a language that is spoken in a specific area

Front 20

Illiterate

Back 20

unable to read or write

Front 21

Brain drain

Back 21

The loss of well educated people such as doctors or engineers to another country

Front 22

Foreign investments

Back 22

investment by a person or company based in another country

Front 23

Acclimatize

Back 23

The process of adjusting to lower oxygen levels at a higher climate

Front 24

Carrying Capacity

Back 24

Number of people or animals the environment of an area can support

Front 25

Exposure

Back 25

The harmful effects of cold, wind or other extreme weather conditions

Front 26

Developing Country

Back 26

a poor agricultural country that is seeking to become more advanced socially and economically (low GDP)

Front 27

Deforestation

Back 27

the cutting down and clearing away of trees and forest

Front 28

Avalanche

Back 28

a mass of snow, ice and rocks falling rapidly down a mountain side