Term | Definition |
colony | a territory separated from but subject to a ruling power |
annex | to formally incorporate into a country or state the territory of another |
cede | to transfer or give up |
civil war | a conflict between opposing groups of citizens of the same country |
industrial revolution | the shift from human power to machine power |
continental climate | the type of climate found in the great central areas of continents in the northern hemisphere characterized by cold snowy winters and hot warm summers |
drainage basin | the entire area of land that is drained by a major river and is tributaries |
tributary | a river or stream that flows into a main river |
striation | marks characterizing glaciated areas of rock |
rain shadow | an area of reduced rainfall on the leeward side of the high mountains |
literacy | the ability to read and write |
suburb | a residential are outside an urban city |
standard of living | a persons or groups level of material well being, as measured by education housing, health care, and nutrition |
per capita | per person |
Gross national product | the total value of goods and services,produced within a country in a year including the domestic output of foreign firms and excluding the output of domestic firms in foreign countries |
canal | an artificial water way |
telecommunication | communication by electronic means |
free enterprise | an economic system that allows individuals to own, operate, and profit from their own business in an open, competitive market |
metropolitan area | a major city and its surrounding suburbs |
hierarchy | rank according to function |
hinterland | the area served by a metropolis |