Term | Definition |
Aborigine. | An original inhabitant; one of the original inhabitants of Australia. |
Lagoon. | A shallow body of water separated from the sea by coral reefs or sandbars. |
Cyclone. | A violent, raging windstorm. |
Outback. | Remote, sparsely settled, arid, rural country, especially the central and western plains and plateaus of Australia. |
Artesian well. | A well that is drilled deep enough to tap a layer of porous material filled with groundwater. |
Atoll. | A ring-shaped coral island surrounding a lagoon. |
Geyser. | A natural hot spring that shoots a column of water and steam into the air. |
Trust territory. | A dependent colony or territory supervised by another country by commission of the United Nations. |
Crevasse. | A deep crack in glacial ice. |
Ice shelf. | A massive extension of glacial ice over the sea, often protruding hundreds of miles. |
Pack ice. | Floating sea ice formed by a mix of icebergs with other ice formed in superchilled ocean waters. |
Convergence zone. | An area of severe storms where the frigid waters circulating around Antarctica meet the warmer waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. |
Krill. | Small, shrimplike creatures; food for whales and fish. |
Sultanate. | A state ruled by a sultan. |
Nonaligned nation. | A nation that adopted neutrality during the Cold War. |
Subcontinent. | A large landmass forming a distinct part of a continent. |
Alluvial plain. | A broad expanse of land along riverbanks, consisting of rich, fertile soil left by floods. |
Monsoon. | A seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influences large climate regions. |
Nationalism. | Pride in one's nation; the desire of a cultural group to rule themselves as a separate nation. |
Nonviolent resistance. | The policy of opposing an enemy or oppressor by any means other than violence. |
Boycott. | To refuse to purchase or use a product or service as an expression of disapproval. |
Partition. | A division into separate parts. |
Reincarnation. | The belief that the soul of a human being or animal goes through a series of births, deaths, and rebirths. |
Caste system. | A social hierarchy in which a person possesses a distinct rank in society that is determined by birth. |
Charpoy. | A wooden bed frame with knotted string in place of a mattress. |
Sari. | A brightly colored cloth, warn by many Indian women, that is draped over the body like a long dress. |
Purdah. | The practice among Hindu and Muslim women of covering the face with a veil when outside of home. |
Joint family system. | In India, the custom of housing all members of an extended family together. |
Cottage industry. | A small-scale manufacturing operation using little technology, often located in or near people's homes. |
Hydroelectric power. | Electricity that is generated by moving water. |
Irrigation. | The watering of farmland with water drawn from reservoirs or rivers. |
Embankment dam. | A wall of soil and rock to hold back water. |
Buffer state. | A country that separates two hostile countries. |
Malnutrition. | Disease caused by a lack of food or an unbalanced diet. |
Deforestation. | The process of stripping land from its trees. |