Term | Definition |
Aid | Money and resources that are given or lent to poor or developing nations by wealthier developed nations |
Defence | The protection of a country’s borders, people and national interests and the promotion of peace and security |
Migration | The permanent movement of people between nations. Trade |
Multilateral aid | Financial assistance that is given by governments through international development banks or organisations |
Sustainable development | Development that meets the needs of today’s population without compromising the ability of following generations to meet their needs |
Technical Assistance | Experts in their fields who work in developing countries to educate and assist communities on the path towards development |
Tied aid | Aid given for specific purposes like buildings and services, which may be provided by the donor country or by companies within the donor country |
Treaty | An agreement between countries that is bound by international law |
Untied aid | Aid that the government of the receiving country can spend on goods and services from any country or organisation as they see fit |
Humanitarian | Concern for human welfare and development |
G8 | The Group of eight countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States that represent about 65% of the world’s economy (the leaders of these countries hold a G8 summit or meeting every year |
Gross National Income (GNI) | Calculated as the total value of goods and services produced within a country plus income from other countries minus payments made to other countries |
Governance | The art of leading, management and decision-making in a country for the common good |
Gross National Income per capita (GNI per capita) | Calculated as the total value of goods and services produced within a country over a year plus income from other countries minus payments made to other countries |
Landmine | An explosive device which is placed in the ground and triggered by a vehicle, a person, or an animal |
Reconnaissance | An inspection of an area to gather military information |
Sovereignty | Complete independence and self-government |
ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations set up to promote development in the region |
ADF | the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force whose mission is to protect Australia and its national interests |
Barriers to trade | Things that hinder the process of trade such as tariffs, quotas, subsidies and regulations |
Comparative advantage | When one country can produce a good more efficiently than another |
Free Trade | The movement towards trade with no barriers |
Foreign Exchange | Financial transactions resulting from trade when money is drawn in one country to be paid in another |
Merchandise Trade | The movement of physical goods like cars, televisions and animal meat between countries |
International Trade | The movement of goods, services and ideas between countries |
Primary Products | Products from agricultural, fishing and mining activities that undergo no processing |
Quota | A limit on the number of items allowed to be imported into a country |
Ratified | When a trade agreement has been bought into law in a country through the legislative process |
Subsidy | A payment made by a government to producers of goods to help them meet their costs of production |
Tariff | A tax on an imported good imposed by the importing country to raise the price of the item and protect local industry |
Trade liberalisation | Freeing up trade through the removal of barriers to trade |
Trade Sanction | Restrictions of trade placed on nations who fail to meet trade obligations they have agreed to |
Asylum-Seeker | An individual who seeks refuge in a foreign country, usually due to religious or political persecution |
Demography | The study of human population characteristics and patterns |
Emigrant | Someone who leaves one country to settle in another |
Immigrant | A person who migrates to another country permanently |
Infrastructure | Facilities and systems that serve a country, city or area, including transport and communication systems, power plants, hospitals and schools |
Reconciliation | The process of understanding and building the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians |
Refugee | A person who flees their country in search of refuge in times of war, famine, political oppression or religious persecution |
Fertility Rate | The average number of babies born to a woman during her reproductive years |
Superannuation | A pension-like program that is organised by employers for the benefit of their employees to ensure that they have enough money to fund their retirement |
Suburbanisation | Urban growth caused by the creation of new suburbs at the outer edges of the city |
Temporary Protection Visa | A visa to Australia for asylum-seekers who arrive in Australia without authorisation and are assessed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to be refugees, which allows them to stay a set amount of time |
Isobar | lines on a synoptic chart that join places of equal air pressure |
Longitude | The distance east or west of the Prime Meridian measured in degrees |
El Niño | The name that is given to unusually cool ocean currents of the east coast of Australia, which often lead to below-average rainfall in south-eastern Australia |
Synoptic Chart | A map showing the atmospheric conditions of air pressure which is used to make weather forecasts |
Tropical Cyclone | An intense tropical storm that develops over warm oceans between 5° and 20° north or south of the Equator |
Tornado | A rapidly rotating column of air extending down from cumulonimbus clouds in the atmosphere |
Tsunami | A large wave usually formed by undersea earthquakes and landslides |
Drought | Below-average rainfall for a prolonged period of time that affects food production and depletes industrial and domestic water supply |
Flood | A natural hazard that occurs when water inundates land that is usually dry |
Earthquake | A sudden movement in the Earth’s crust caused by movements of the continental plates, usually located at place boundaries, but can also be caused by intra-plate tension |
Epicentre | The point on the Earth’s surface directly above where an earthquake is focused |
Natural Disaster | When a natural hazard impacts on a community causing destruction of property and lives |
Natural Hazard | When the forces of nature combine to become destructive including tropical cyclones and storms, floods, bushfires, droughts, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis |
Community | An identifiable group interacting on the basis of shared space and/or social organisation |
Culture | The values and customs of a particular country as expressed in the music, food, interests, religion and sport of that country |
Median Age | The age at which half the population is older and half is younger |
Life Expectancy | The expected number of years of survival of human beings in particular countries, states or areas |
Natural Increase | The number of births minus the number of deaths in a population |
Net Overseas Migration | The total permanent and long-term migration of people to Australia from other countries minus the long-term migration of people leaving Australia |
Population | The total number of people who live in a country, city, or any district or area |
Population Density | The number of people per square kilometre |
Total Fertility Rate | The average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime |
Rural Decline | The loss of population, employment and opportunities in rural areas |
Rural-Urban Migration | The process of people from country areas moving to urban areas to live |
Ecological Dimension | The way humans interact with the physical environment |
Egalitarian Society | A society where all people are equal |
Spatial Dimension | Where things are and why they are there |
Primary Data | Data that has been collected personally by a researcher |
Secondary Data | Information that has been collected by others, typically reported in print form |
Ecological Sustainability | Meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs |
Topography | The shape of the land |
Corrosion | The action of salt on minerals like iron that are contained in rock, weakening the rock and making it more susceptible to erosion |
Deposition | The depositing of sand and rock particles caused by wind and wave action forming features such as beaches |
Erosion | The removal of rock and sand particles as a result of wind and wave action |
Catchment | An area drained by a river and its tributaries |
Desalination | The process of removing salt from seawater to produce drinking water |
Land Degradation | The deterioration of land resources |
Salinity | An increase in the amount or concentration of salts near the surface of soils to a point that the environment is degraded |
Soil Erosion | Soil loss due to the movement of topsoil by water and wind |
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