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ch. 24-27 vocabulary
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 | An 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 scrub |
savanna | A tropical grassland with scattered trees, located in the warm lands near the Equator |
oral history | History passed down by word of mouth |
nomadic herding | The practice of moving flocks to 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 by soil that is dropped as the river slows and enters the sea |
fellaheen | Egyptian peasants |
sandstorm | A windstorm that blows hot air, dust, and grit |
bazaar | An open-air market; a street lined with shops and stalls |
basin irrigation | In Egypt, a system by which water and silt were controlled by embankments and time-released to irrigate farmlands |
reservoir | 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 businesses |
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 safety |
medina | The old section of a North African city, usually centered around a mosque |
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 stripping 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 her country to escape danger or unfair treatment |
landlocked | Almost or entirely surrounded by land; cut off from the sea |
inland delta | An area of lakes, creeks, and swamps away from the ocean |
coup | The sudden overthrow of a ruler or government, often involving violent force or threat of force |
ancestor worship | The belief that respecting and honoring ones ancestors will cause them to live on in the spirit world after death |
animism | The religious belief that such things as the 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 Nation that provides loans to countries for development projects |
structural adjustment program | A program to reform the structure of an economy |
watershed | A dividing ridge between two basins |
mercenary | A professional soldier hired by 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 |
malnutrition | Disease caused by lack of food or an unbalanced diet |
strategic value | Importance of a place or thing for nations planning military actions |
ethnocracy | A system of government in which one ethnic group rules over others |
villagization | A political movement by which rural people are forced to move to towns and work on collective farms |
apartheid | Formerly in the Republic of South Africa, the policy of strict racial segregation |
segregation | The separation of races |
sanction | An action taken by the international community |
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 |