Geographic Terms Quiz

Geographic Terms

• Contiguous: Areas sharing a common border.
• Tributary: A smaller stream/river flowing into a larger one.
• Headwater: Part of a stream/river nearest its source.
• Colony: An area controlled by another country.
• Fall Line: A downward slope of land.
• Hurricane: A violent storm forming over the sea and moving onto land.
• Fossil Fuel: Natural fuel (coal, gas).
• Underground Railroad: Escape route for enslaved people during the Civil War.
• Dryland Farming: Farming technique in dry areas to conserve moisture.
• Rust Belt: Northeastern/Midwestern U.S. areas with declining industries.
• Sunbelt: Area receiving significant sunshine.
• Megalopolis: Large city/region.
• Peninsula: Land surrounded by water on three sides.
• Aqueduct: Structure carrying water from one place to another.
• Timberline: Elevation limit for tree growth on a mountain.
• Clear Cutting: Removing all trees from an area.
• Acid Rain: Precipitation with acidic components.
• Smog: Fog formed by air pollution.

Human Geography Terms

• Bilingual: Speaking two languages.
• Colony: An area under the control of another country.
• Immigrant: Person living in a country where they weren't born or don't hold citizenship.
• Migrant: Person moving to another country (short-term).
• Indigenous: Native to a particular area.
• Suburb: Area outside a city/town.
• Refugee: Person escaping war, ill-treatment, or disaster in their country.
• Province: Division of a country.
• Culture: Arts, traditions, and customs of a group.
• Cultural Hearth: Origin point of a culture.
• Push Factors: Reasons people leave an area.
• Pull Factors: Reasons people move to a place.
• Inuit: Indigenous people of northern Canada/Greenland/Alaska.
• Commodity: Marketable raw material, often agricultural.
• Diverse: Variety, a large selection.
• Ethnicity: Cultural group based on ancestry.
• Agribusiness: Commercial agriculture using technology.
• Colonization: Settling and changing an area.
• Maquiladora: Factory in Mexico exporting to other countries.
• Metropolitan Area: Region with significant social/economic influence.
• Mission: Institution (16th-19th century) primarily converting indigenous peoples.
• Asylum: Refuge given by a nation to a refugee.
• Secede: Withdrawing from a union.
• Reservation: Land set aside for indigenous peoples.
• Federal Republic: Government structure where citizens elect representatives.

Environmental & Socioeconomic Terms

• Convergence: Meeting of air streams.
• Divergence: Air streams moving apart.
• Epidemic: Disease affecting a community, often persistent.
• Pandemic: Disease affecting a large population (nation or more)
• Hurricane: A storm that moves onto land from the sea
• Service Industry: Business providing services.
• Foreclosure: Taking away property for nonpayment of mortgage.
• Norther: Cold wind over Texas and Florida.
• Jazz: African American music genre (19th-20th century).
• Megalopolis: Large, interconnected urban area.

Test your knowledge of important geographic terms and definitions. This quiz covers various concepts, from types of landforms to essential environmental terms. See how well you understand the language of geography!