Term | Definition |
Sahel | The region in Africa just south of the Sahara |
Colonialism | The system by which countries set up colonies to secure sources of raw materials and markets for their products |
plateau | a area of high, flat land |
escarpment | a steep cliff that separates two level areas of differing elevations |
Chaparral | a type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates: small evergreen trees and low bushes, or scrubs |
savanna | A tropical grassland with scattered trees located in the warm lands near the Equator |
oral history | history passed down by word or mouth |
nomadic herding | the practice of moving flocks o different pastures throughout the year |
leaching | the dissolving and washing away of nutrients in the soil |
land degradation | reduction in the productive potential of the land |
population density | the average number of people living in a given area |
delta | The land that forms at the mouth of some rivers |
fellaheen | Egyptian peasants sing |
sandstorm | a windstorm that blows hot air, dust, and grit |
bazaar | an open-air market |
basin irrigation | in Egypt a system by which water ans slit were controlled by embankments and time released to irrigate farmlands |
resrvoir | a natural or artificial lake used to collect water for human needs |
perennial irrigation | an irrigation system that provides necessary water to the land throughout the year |
capital | Wealth in the form of money or property owned or used in business |
wadi | a usually dry riverbed or gully that temporarily holds water from a sudden downpour |
caravan | a large group of merchants who join together to travel in saftey |
medina | the old section of North African city usually centered aorund the world |
souk | A market in an Arab community. |
shifting agriculture | the practice of farming a site until the soil is exhausted then moving on to a new site |
forage | food for grazing animals |
deforestation | the process of striping the land of its trees |
desertification | the transformation of arable land into desert either naturally or through human intervention |
refugee | a person who flees his or hers country to escape danger or unfair treatment |
landlocked | almost or entirely surrounded by land; vut off from the sea |
island delta | an area of lakes, creeks and swamps away from the ocean |
coup | the sudden overthrown of a ruler or government often involving violent force or the threat of force |
ancestor worship | the belief that respecting and honoring ones ancestors will cause them to live on the spirit world after death |
animism | the religious belief that such things as sky, rivers,and trees contain gods or spirits. |
world bank | an agency of the United Nations that provides loans to countries for development projects |
international monetary fund | an agency of the United Nations that provides loans to countries fro the development projects |
structural adjustment program | a program to reform the structure of an economy |
watershed | a diving ridge between two basins |
mercenary | a professional soldier hired b a foreign country |
barter | the exchange of goods without money |
harambee | a policy of cooperation adopted in Kenya after independence to encourage economic growth |
pyrethrum | a pesticide produced from certain flowers |
mainutrition | disease caused by s lack of food or an unbalanced diet |
strategic value | importance of a place or thing for nations planning military actions |
echnocracy | a system of government in which one ethnic group rules over the other |
villagization | a political movement by which rural people are forced to move to towns and work on collective farms |
aparthied | formerly in the Republic of South Africa the policy of strict racial segregation |
segregation | the separations of the races |
sanction | an action taken by the international community to publish a country for unacceptable behaviors |
enclave | a country completely surrounded by another country |
white flight | the departure of white people from a region |
land redistribution | a policy by which land is taken from those who own large amounts and redistributed to those who have little or none |