Term | Definition |
Aborigine | an original inhabitant: one of the original inhabitants in Australia |
lagoon | a shallow body of water separated from the sea by coral reefs or sandbars |
Cyclone | a violent, rotating indstorm |
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 ground water |
geyser | a natural hot springs that shoots a column of water |
trust territory | a dependent colony or territory supervised by another country by communism 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 superchilled ocean waters |
Convergence Zone | an area of severe storms where the frigid waters circulating around Antarctica meet the warmer waters of the atlantic, pacific, and Indian oceans. |
krill | small, shrimp like creatures; food fo whales and fish. |
atoll | a ring shaped coral islands surrounding a lagoon. |
sultanate | A state ruled by a sultan |
nonaligned nations | a nation that adopted neutrality during the Cold War |
subcontinent | a large landmass forming A distinct part of a continent |
monsoons | a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influences large climate regions |
nationalism | pride in ones 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 is determined by birth |
charpoy | a wooden bed frame with knotted string i place of a matress |
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 home |
hydro electric 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 a lack of food or an unbalanced diet |
deforestation | the process of stripping the land of its trees |
alluvial plains | a broad expanse of land along riverbanks, consisting of rich, fertile soil left by floods |