SOCIAL STUDIES 10

ASSIGNMENT 1 - GLOSSARY 1.1

GLOSSARY 1.1 TERMS (27)
geographic perspective: a point of view of looking at and understanding the world
latitude: distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees up to 90 degrees
longitude: distance east or west of the prime meridian measured in degrees up to 180 degrees
GPS: stands for Global Positioning System, which is a radio navigation system that uses satellite signals to
determine the exact location and time, in all weather conditions, anywhere in the world
sustainable: able to be maintained at a certain level without draining natural resources or causing severe
ecological damage
globalization: the process of interaction and integration by which the worlds citizens are becoming
increasingly connected to and dependent of one another
GIS: stands for Geographic Information System: a system used for storing, editing, and presenting
geographical information, such as maps
geology: the science that deals with the history, structure, and composition of the Earth
topography: the detailed mapping or description of the features of a region or area
sedimentary rock: rock formed by or from layered deposits of sediment by water, ice, or wind
igneous rock: rock solidified from hot molten material (magma or molten lava)
metamorphic rock: rock changed from its original form through heat and pressure
fold mountains: mountains formed by the folding of the Earths crust
fossil fuels: natural fuels derived from the decomposition of living organisms
evaporite: a sedimentary rock formed by the evaporation of seawater

plate: a massive, irregularly shaped slab of rock of the Earth's crust (lithosphere) that moves, floats, and
sometimes interacts with other plates resulting in continental drift, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains,
and oceanic trenches
plate tectonics: a theory that the Earths lithosphere is composed of large crustal plates which float/move
on the asthenosphere, allowing them to interact with each other
climate: the prevailing weather conditions in a region or area over a period of time
continental climate: a climate characterized by temperature extremes and low precipitation, such as
Canadas interior
precipitation climate: a climate of any form of water, liquid or solid, falling from the sky, such as rain,
snow, hail, and fog
maritime climate: a climate of mild temperatures and high precipitation, such as Canadas Coastal Areas
ecosystem: a biological community of organisms interacting with their environment
runoff: the part of the water cycle where water flows over the surface of the land instead of being
absorbed into groundwater or evaporating
cultural landscapes: human-modified environments such as fields, buildings, highways, mines, etc.
culture: the beliefs, values, knowledge, arts, way of life, etc. of a particular society or group
urbanization: the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger and grow to become
an area with a large concentrated population
boom and bust: a situation in which a period of prosperity and growth is abruptly followed by a period of
recession