Vocabulary Word | Definition |
continents | the largest land areas on earth |
hemisphere | a half of the Earth |
equator | the imaginary line between the Northern Hemisphere and The Southern Hemisphere |
relative location | Where a place is as compared to other places on Earth |
mountain range | A group of connected mountains |
Pacific Rim | A world region that includes the states and countries that border the Pacific Ocean |
crossroads | any place that connects people, goods, or ideas |
absolute location | exact position of a place on Earth |
lines of latitude | a set of lines on maps that run east and west |
parallels | another name for lines of latitude |
lines of longitude | a set of lines on maps that run north and south |
meridians | another name for lines of longitude |
prime meridien | starting point for the lines of longitude |
natural region | made up of places that share the same kinds of physical, or natural, features such as plains, mountains valleys, or deserts |
coastal plain | an area of low land that lies along the ocean |
fault | a crack in the Earth's surface along which underground layers of rock can move |
volcano | an opening in Earth's surface from which hot gases, ashes, and lava may pour |
lava | hot melted rock from inside the Earth |
fertile | good for growing crops |
irrigation | the use of canals, ditches or pipes to carry water to dry places |
sea level | land that is level with the surface of the ocean |
basin | a low, bowl shaped land area with higher ground all around it. |
plateau | an area of high, flat land |
inlet | a narrow strip of water leading into land from a larger body of water |
harbor | a place on a coast where ships can dock safely |
tributary | a smaller river that flows into a larger river |
river system | a river and its tributaries |
erosion | the wearing away of the Earth's surface |
channel | A path for a river to flow through |
floodplain | The low, flat land along a river |
delta | Land built up at a river's mouth |
reservoir | A lake made by people to collect and store water |
hydroelectric power | Electricity made by the power of fast moving water |
San Joaquin and Sacramento | California's two longest rivers |
temperature | The measure of how warm or cold something is |
precipitation | Water that falls to the Earth's surface in the form of rain, sleet or snow |
climate | The kind of weather a place has most often, year after year |
air mass | a large, moving body of air |
humidity | the amount of moisture in the air |
rain shadow | the drier side of the mountain |
drought | A long time with little or no rain |
Santa Ana winds | Hot, dry winds that form in the Great Basin and blow westward across Southern California |
canyon | A deep, narrow valley with steep sides |
product | something that people make or grow, usually to sell |
growing season | The length of time when the weather is warm enough for crops to grow |
mineral | a natural substance found in rocks |
manufacturing | the making of goods |
fuel | a natural resource used to make heat or energy |
petroleum | another name for oil - California's most valuable fuel resource |
nonrenewable resource | a resource that cannot be made again by people or by nature |
renewable resource | a resource that can be made again by people or by nature |
habitat | a place where animals find food or shelter |
extinct | having died out |
Central Valley | California's most fertile farmland |
California redwoods | the world's tallest trees |
Mount Whitney | California's highest mountain |