Important Geography Terms for High School Students
                    (terms taken from About.Com)

absolute location

A point on the earth's surface expressed by a coordinate system such as latitude and longitude

aquifer

An underground reservoir of water which can be extracted for surface use

archipelago

A chain or set of islands grouped together

atoll

A circular coral reef that encloses a shallow lagoon

biosphere

        The plant and animal life on the earth

caldera

A bowl-shaped circular depression caused by the destruction of the peak of a volcano. Crater Lake, Oregon is a caldera and not a crater

cartogram

A "map" that is a diagram used to present statistical information. A common cartogram shows the countries of the world with the size of the country representing its population.

cartography

The art and science of making maps

census

An investigation or count of a population

climate

The long term trends in weather conditions for an area

colonialism

The system by which one country controls and dominates a subordinate territory politically and economically.

continental drift

The current theory that the continents of the earth move across the earth on giant tectonic plates

continental shelf

The extension of the continents into the ocean; continental shelf land would be exposed if sea level dropped

contour map

A map which shows points of equal elevation as a line

culture

The belief systems, attitudes, languages, social relationships, institutions, and material goods transmitted within a society

cultural geography

The branch of geography dealing with human culture and its impact on the earth

demography

The study of population statistics and trends, such as births, deaths, and disease

density

The number of items per unit area, such as persons per square kilometer

desert

An area with little precipitation or where evaporation exceeds precipitation, and thus includes sparse vegetation.

diffusion

The spread of ideas, disease, technology, etc. among places

ecology

The study of the interrelationships between life forms and their environment

El Niņo Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

A periodic warming of the ocean waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean which affects global weather patterns

epicenter

The point on the earth's surface directly above the hypocenter, where the energy of an earthquake is first released.

equator

Zero degrees latitude, divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres

equinox

The beginning of autumn and spring, the two days each year when the sun is directly overhead at the equator

erosion

Forces that shape the earth's surface. Includes water, wind, and ice

estuary

The wide end of a river when it meets the sea; salty tidal water mixes with the fresh water of the river here

fault

A fracture in rock where there has been movement and displacement

fauna

Animal life

first world

An outdated term that refers to the developed countries of the world

fjord

A coastal valley which was sculpted by glacial action

floodplain

A flat, low-lying area near a river or stream which is subject to flooding

flora

Plant life

geography

Literally, writing about the earth, Greek. The study of the earth's physical and human features. See "What is Geography?" and "Definitions of Geography" on this site

geologic time

The calendar of the earth's history since its birth 4.6 billion years ago; geologic time is divided into eras, epochs, and periods

geology

Science of the earth's crust, strata, origin of rocks, etc.

glacier
 

A large mass of ice thad moves over the land, carving and eroding surfaces as it moves

global positioning system (GPS)

A system of satellites and ground units which enable a user to determine their absolute location

global warming

The theory that temperature of the atmosphere an increasing due to the increase in gasses such as carbon dioxide

globe

A spherical model of the earth's surface that includes a map of the earth; also known as a terrestrial globe

greenhouse effect

The analogy used to describe the ability of gasses in the atmosphere to absorb heat from the earth's surface

hemisphere

Half of the earth's surface. There are four hemispheres, Northern and Southern (divided by the equator) and the Eastern and Western (divided by the Prime Meridian and 180°)

humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air

hurricane

A tropical story that contains winds of at least 74 miles per hour (119km/h). Also known as a cyclone in the northern Indian Ocean and a typhoon in the western Pacific Ocean.

hydrologic cycle

The circulation of water between the atmosphere, streams and land, the ocean, and back to the atmosphere.

hydrosphere

The water of the earth

International Date Line

An imaginary line near 180° longitude that exists to separate the two simultaneous days that exist on the planet that the same time

jet stream

The high-altitude high-speed air current in the tropopause

La Niņa

A periodic cooling of the ocean waters in the Pacific Ocean which affects global weather patterns

lagoon

A small, shallow body of water between a barrier island or a coral reef and the mainland, also a small body of water surrounded by an atoll

latitude

Angular degrees based on the equator; the equator is 0° latitude and the North Pole is 90° North while the South Pole is 90° south

lava

Magma that reaches the earth's surface through a volcanic vent or fissure

lingua franca

The language used by a population as their common language

llithosphere

The soil and rock layer of the earth.

longitude

Angular degrees based on the Prime Merdidian (0°) at Greenwich, London; degrees are east or west of Greenwich and meet in the Pacific Ocean at 180°

magma

Molten rock that lies beneath the surface of the earth; once exposed, magma becomes lava

map

A graphic representation of the earth's surface

map projection

A mathematical formula which assists in representing the curved surface of the earth onto the flat surface of a map

map scale

The relationship between distance on a map and the distance on the earth's surface

megalopolis

Several adjacent metropolitan areas with form a huge urban area. Conurbation

meridian

A line of longitude

mesa

A large flat-topped but steep-sided landform; they shrink to become buttes

meteorology

The scientific study of the atmosphere

monsoon

A wind system in Southeast Asia which changes direction seasonally, creating wet and dry seasons

morphology

The shape of a state or nation

nation

A culturally homogeneous group of people which share a common language, institutions, religion, and historical experience.

occidental

Western

oriental

Eastern

Pangea

A huge landmass consisting of almost all the continental land on the earth which then divided and slowly became the continents we know today

parallel

A line of latitude

permafrost

Permanently frozen water in soil

physical geography

The branch of geography dealing with the natural features of the earth

plate tectonics

The surface of the earth is composed of many large plates which slowly move around the planet, meeting and diverging, creating a variety of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains at their margins

precipitation

Any form of water that falls from the atmosphere to the surface of the earth (e.g. rain, snow, sleet, and hail)

primate city

A city which is greater than two times the next largest city in a nation (or contains over one-third of a nation's population). Usually very expressive of the national culture and often the capital city.

prime meridian

Zero degrees longitude. Also known as the Greenwich meridian because it was established at the Greenwich observatory near London

region

An area which is marked common characteristics

relative location

A location of a place in relation to another place (i.e. south or downhill)

scale

The relationship between distance on a map and on the earth's surface

second world

An outdated term that referred to the countries allied with the former Soviet Union

sustainable development

Development that does not exploit resources more rapidly than the renewal of those resources.

third world

An outdated term that refers to the less developed or developing countries of the world

topographic map

A detailed, large scale contour map showing human and physical features

urban

The built-up, non-rural area in a region

weather

The short term atmospheric conditions. See climate