Geography Vocabulary List PDF

1. Geography- the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries (studying the natural environment-landforms, bodies of water...

1. Geography- the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries (studying the natural environment-landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural resources AND culture (people and how they live) 2. Natural resources-things found in nature that people use to produce goods and services. Colonists used natural resources in order to survive in the New World. Examples include forests (trees/lumber), water (rivers/oceans) , livestock, minerals, gold, silver, etc. 3. Ohio River-This river crosses through Kentucky and flows into the Mississippi River. It also forms the NORTHERN border of Kentucky. 4. Mississippi River-The second largest river in the U.S. The mouth of this famous river empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This is a major transportation route used to trade goods. 5. Atlantic Ocean-the ocean on the East coast of the U.S. (border for the colonies) The Atlantic Ocean was a natural resource colonists used to sustain their economy. They used the Ocean for fishing, shipbuilding, transportation, shipping/trade, and more. BIG RESOURCE FOR COLONISTS. 6. Pacific Ocean-the ocean on the west coast of the United States (by California). This is also the deepest ocean on the planet. 7. Cumberland Gap-an opening in the Appalachian Mountains that allowed settlers to move west. This was a major benefit for colonists and gave way for expansion. 8. Vegetation-any plant life that is found in the environment 9. Compass-the design on a map that shows directions-North, East, South, West 10. Human Features- man made features that define an area (ex: monuments, religion, culture, or specific buildings like The Statue of Liberty is a human feature that defines New York City in the Northeast region of the United States.) 11. Physical Features-a characteristic of a place’s natural environment (Ex: Grand Canyon, plains, mountains etc.) THIS is a FEATURE MADE BY NATURE- landforms, bodies of water, climate, etc. 12. Absolute Location-the exact place where something is located on a map. (We use lines of latitude and longitude to plot these exact points on maps) 13. Diverse (diversity)- showing a great deal of variety; very different. Example: “The Middle Colonies were the most culturally diverse because they accepted immigrants from all over the world, and citizens were treated fairly.” 14. Geographic Advantage- Relationships between people and the natural environment that are positive. Example: “A geographical advantage for the colony of Boston was the access to natural ports. This allowed for easy trade, and the shipbuilding industry to thrive.” 15. Appalachian Mountains-The second largest mountain range in the U.S. This mountain range is on the EAST coast of the United States, and formed the WESTERN border of the first 13 colonies. 16. Adapt- to adjust your environment using the natural resources around you. Colonists adapted to their new environment by using the natural resources available to them to survive. 17. Modify- cause to change or make different. Farmers modify their environment to produce crops. The colonies modified their environment by building settlements. 18. Impact- have a strong effect on someone or something. Colonists were impacted by the geography of their colonial region due to the access they had to natural resources in the area. If the soil was rocky, like in the New England colonies, crops would not grow well and colonists could not depend solely on farming to survive and build their economy. 19. Culture-