Term | Definition |
aborigine | crossed a land bridge from southeast Asia to Australia about 50 thousand years ago |
lagoon | a shallow body of water with an outlet to the ocean, between itself and the mainland |
cyclone | the Australian term for hurricanes |
outback | Australians often refer to the harsh wilderness region of the central and western plains and plateaus as the |
artesian well | these wells are bored deep into the earth to tap a layer of porous material filled with groundwater |
atolls | around a lagoon of shallow water |
geyser | hot springs that shoot jets of steam and heated water into the air, fuel an active tourist industry |
trust territory | or territories supervised by other nations |
crevasse | travelers must beware of large cracks |
ice shelf | Antarctica's ice sheets and glaciers are so deeply frozen that the slowly creeping ice extends out over the ocean in several places and forms massive permanent extensions of ice |
pack ice | Antarctica icebergs mix with ice formed in the super chilled waters |
convergence zone | the area where the frigid waters around Antarctica meet the warmer waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans |
krill | Nutrient-rich, deep waters rise to the surface, feeding millions of small shrimp like creatures |
sultanate | a state ruled by a sultan |
nonalignes nations | a nation that adopted neutrality during the cold war |
subcontinent | a large landmass forming a distinct part of a continent |
alluvial plains | a broad expanse of land along riverbanks, consisting of rich, fertile soil left by floods |
monsoons | a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influences large climate regions |
nationalism | pride in on'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 is determined by birth |
charpoy | a wooden bed frame with knotted string in place of a mattress |
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 people's 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 a lack of food or an unbalanced diet |
deforestation | the process of stripping the land of its trees |