Culture Region

A place where many people share similar beliefs, history, and languages.

Latitude

Lines that run parallel to the equator.

Longitude

Lines that run between the North and South Poles and show distance east and west of the Prime Meridian.

Absolute Location

The exact spot on Earth where a place can be found.

Relative Location

The location of one place in relation to other places.

Prime Meridian

Tropics

The region of the world that lies near the Equator.

Northern Hemisphere &
Western Hemisphere

North America is located in which hemispheres?

Southern Hemisphere &

Eastern Hemisphere

Australia is located in which hemispheres?

Democracy

A government system where the leaders are elected by citizens.

Oligarchy

A government system in which a few powerful people rule.

Communism

An economic and political system in which property is owned collectively and labor is organized in a way that is supposed to benefit all people.  This was the type of government in the Soviet Union (USSR).

Hunter-Gatherers

People who find food by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild grains, fruits, and nuts.

Fertile Soil and Water

Necessary for human survival, it is easiest for people to live in an area with __________ ______ and __________.

Nonrenewable Resource

A resource that cannot be replaced or that can be replaced only over millions of years.

Renewable Resource

A resource that can be used and replaced over a relatively short period of time.

Nomads

People who travel in semiarid regions in search of food and water for themselves and their animals.

The Sahel

A region of dry grassland along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.

Judaism

The monotheistic religion founded by Abraham.  The followers are called Jews and hold the belief that they have a covenant with God. 

 Caste System

An inherited social class of traditional Hindu society that separates people from other classes by birth, occupation, or wealth.

Buddhism

A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama.  The religion was developed in ancient India and spread to China and much of the rest of Asia. 

The Five Pillars

For Muslims, the important teachings of Muhammad.

Christianity

A religion that developed out of Judaism and that is based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Fertile Crescent

A region consisting of what is now Iraq, northeast Syria, and part of southeast Turkey, shaped like a crescent and having fertile soil.

Cash Crop

A crop grown for sale.

 Subsistence Farming

A method of farming in which people grow food mainly to feed their households rather than to sell.

Hurricane

A fierce tropical storm with high winds and heavy rains.

Savanna

 A flat grassland in a tropical or subtropical region with scattered trees and shrubs.

Imports

A product brought into a country through trade or sale.

Exports

A product traded with or sold to another country.

Apartheid

An official policy of racial separation formerly practiced in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela

The leader of the African National Congress and the anti-apartheid movement.