1. Unit 3: Geography Geography of the Western Hemisphere Illustrated Glossary

2. adapt
to change in order to fit new conditions

3. archipelago
a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean

4. bay
an inlet of a body of water (as the sea) that is usually smaller than a gulf

5. bodies of water
Water in different sizes and shapes naturally found on the Earth’s surface. Oceans, seas, bays, lakes, rivers, and ponds are examples of bodies of water.

6. a boundary especially of a country or state
border
a boundary especially of a country or state

7. climate
local weather conditions of an area like temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, wind and other conditions

8. the land next to the ocean
coast
the land next to the ocean

9. a symbol that shows the directions: north, south, east, and west
Compass Rose
a symbol that shows the directions: north, south, east, and west

10. communication
ways people send and receive messages thereby linking people and places

11. a very large body of land
continent
a very large body of land

12. the unit of measurement used for latitude and longitude
degrees
the unit of measurement used for latitude and longitude

13. delta
a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta. A delta is often (but not always) shaped like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped like a triangle).

14. desert
an area with less than ten inches of rain per year and a rocky sandy surface

15. eastern hemisphere
the half of Earth east of the Prime Meridian

16. environment
the geographic characteristics that surround and affect the way people live

17. environment concerns/issues
interests people have about the care of the natural environment.

18. forest
an area where coniferous and deciduous trees are the most dominant plant. Deciduous trees share their leaves in the fall. Coniferous trees include trees that have pinecones, such as fir and spruce.

19. geography
study of Earth and how people live on Earth and use its resources

20. geographic characteristics
human
physical
things that distinguish one place from another. These are divided into two groups: physical and human

21. geography: physical characteristics
description of the natural environment of the place They include physical features (landforms and bodies of water), weather and climate, soil, vegetation, and animal life.

22. geography: human characteristics
description of the people of a place past or present, their human-made features (buildings etc.), languages, religions, economic activities, and political systems

23. grasslands
flat or rolling areas of land covered with grasses If located in North America, they are called prairies. In South America they are called pampas.

24. gulf
a large body of water that cuts deep into the land

25. hemisphere
half of the globe of half of the earth The four hemispheres are northern, southern, eastern, and western.

26. human/environmental interaction
explains how people live in their environment

27. isthmus
a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses. An isthmus has water on two sides.

28. a piece of land that has water all around it
island
a piece of land that has water all around it

29. landforms
the different shapes of Earth’s surface Mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, valleys, peninsulas, and islands are examples of landforms

30. South America
the entire Western Hemisphere south of the United States

31. a body of salt or fresh water that is surrounded by land
lake
a body of salt or fresh water that is surrounded by land

32. a natural feature of the earth's surface
landform
msfell.weebly.com
a natural feature of the earth's surface

33. latitude/longitude
imaginary lines on a map or globe that measure distance north and south of the equator and distance east and west of the prime meridian

34. legend/key
explains the meaning of the symbols on the map

35. an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses
marsh
an area of soft wet land usually overgrown by grasses

36. Mesoamerica
Southern part of North America extending from southern border of Mexico to northwestern Columbia.

37. migrate/migration/immigration
to move from one country or region to another with the intent of staying at the place for a long period of time

38. modify
to change to meet the wants of people

39. mountains
a land form that is very high and steep. They usually are wide at the bottom and rise to a narrow peak or ridge. Geographers classify a mountain as land that rises at least 2000 feet above sea level. A number of mountains next to each other make up a mountain range

40. natural environment
the physical setting of a place including the land, air ,water, plants, and animals

41. North America
continent comprising Greenland, United States, Mexico, Central America

42. northern hemisphere
the half of the earth north of the equator

43. ocean
a large body of saltwater

44. the vast fertile grassy plains of southern South America
pampas
sharonandjack-lasamericas.blogspot.com
the vast fertile grassy plains of southern South America

45. physical map
a map that shows landforms
This is a physical map of the United States.

46. large areas of flat lands
plains
large areas of flat lands

47. plateau
high, flat land

48. political map
a map that shows location and borders of countries and communities

49. Prime Meridian
the line of longitude from the South Pole to the North Pole measured in degrees. It divides Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

50. the number of people living per square mile
population density
the number of people living per square mile

51. a large open area of grassland
prarie
a large open area of grassland

52. an administrative district or division of a country
province
an administrative district or division of a country

53. rainforest
a dense, either tropical or temperate forest that receives lots of rain year round

54. a broad geographic area
region
a broad geographic area

55. resources
things that people can use, such as oil, lumber, and water that come from nature

56. flow of water that goes to an ocean or lake
river
flow of water that goes to an ocean or lake

57. scale
the measurement on a map or globe that shows the distance between places

58. settlement
an arrangement of places where people live, including rural and urban centers

59. South America
continent comprising land from Panama to Cape Horn

60. the half of the earth south of the equator
southern hemisphere
the half of the earth south of the equator

61. a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
strait
a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water

62. technology
skills methods, tools, machines and other things used of perform activities. Technology changes over time and affects the way we live work, and play.

63. transportation
ways goods and people move from place to place thereby linking communities

64. tropics
the area on the earth between the 23 ½ degrees N and 23 ½ S lines of latitude, where the climate is almost always hot

65. tundra
a cold, dry region covered with snow for more than half the year; vast treeless plain where the subsoil is always frozen

66. valley
area of low land with mountains or hills on either side, often having a river or stream along the bottom

67. vegetation
all the plant life found in an area

68. Western Hemisphere
the half of the earth comprising North and South America and their surrounding waters west of the Prime Meridian