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 rotating 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 shape 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 super chilled ocean waters |
convergence zone | an area of severe storms where the frigid water circulating around Antarctica meet the warmer waters of the Atlantic pacific and Indian oceans |
krill | small shrimplike creatures;food for whales and fish |
sultanae | 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 plains | a board expanse of land along riverbanks
consisting of rich fertile soil left by floods |
monsoon | a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influence large climate regions |
nationalism | ride 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 its determined by birth |
charpoy | a wooden bed frame with knotted string in place |
sari | a brightly colored cloth worn 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 the 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 peoples homes |
hydroelectric power | electricity that is generated by moving water |
irrigate | 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 lack of food or an unbalanced diet |
Deforestation | the process of stripping the land of its trees |