Asia Vocab Questions Flashcards
anime
Japanese style of animation that arose in the late 1900s and appears in comic books and cartoons
archipelago
group of islands
atoll
circular shaped islands made of coral
boycott
refuse to buy items from another country
caledon
highly prized style of pottery that has a greenish tint.
calligraphy
art of beautiful writing
caste
a social class a person is born into and cannot change
census
a count of the number of people living in an area or country
civil disobedience
use of non-violent protests to challenge a government or its laws
consumer goods
personal products people buy for goods
cordillera
region of parallel mountain chains
cottage industry
home or village based industry in which people make simple goods using their own equipment
cyclone
a storm with high winds and heavy rains
delta
area formed by soil deposits at the mouth of the river
demilitarized zone
area in which neighboring countries agree not to place any soldiers or weapons
dharma
‘duty’ in hinduism
dynasty
line of rulers from a single family that hold power for a long time
dzong
weather pattern in Mongolia in which a harsh winter follows a dry summer
exile
being forced to live outside one’s country for political reasons
free port
place where goods can be unloaded, stored and shipped again without payment of import taxes
gorge
like a canyon, a steep sided valley formed when a river cuts through land that is being lifted upward
green revolution
effort to use modern techniques and science to increase food production in poorer countries
haiku
form of Japanese poetry known for being short and following a specific structure
hangul
writing system developed in the 1400s to write the Korean language, in which characters represent sounds rather than ideas.
human rights
basic freedom and rights, such as freedom of speech, that all people should enjoy
intensive agriculture
kind of farming that involves growing crops on every available piece of unusable land
jute
plant with a tough fiber that is used for making rope, burlap bags and carpet backing
karma
belief in Hinduism that one’s actions in past lives determine the spiritual level into which one is reborn
kimono
traditional Japanese clothing, usually a long robe
lagoon
The lagoon had fish in it and was a shallow body of water in the center of an atoll.
land reform
Policy of South Korean government that broke large estates into small family farms and provided fertilizer for small farms
land slide
disaster that occurs when soil is washed down steep hills due to an earthquake or heavy rain.
loess
Fine grained fertile soil deposited by the wind.
mangrove
Tree that grows along coastal areas in tropical regions. Mangrove forests help maintain the health of coastal environments.
megalopolis
Huge urban area made made up of several large cities and nearby communities.
monsoon
seasonal winds that blow steadily from the same direction for several months at a time but change directions at other times of the year.
nationalize
Taking control of an industry or company by a government.
nirvana
State of perfect peace and an end to the cycle of rebirth; The goal of following the Eighthfold path of Buddhism.
novel
long fictional story
outsourcing
hiring workers in other countries to do a set of jobs.
pagoda
Tower with many stories built as a temple or memorial.
porcelain
High quality kind of pottery that can be very thin and is covered with a shiny coating.
precious gem
valuable stone
reincarnation
Belief that after a person dies, his or her soul is reborn in another body.
samuri
Powerful land-owning warrior in Japan
ship breaking
Practice of brining ashore a large ocean going ships that have been retired from service, then are cut into pieces and then sold.
sari
Traditional clothing for women in India; a long rectangular piece of cloth that can be draped around the body in several different ways.
shogun
Military leader who ruled Japan in early times.
sitar
A long necked instrument with seven strings on the outside, and ten inside the neck that provides Indian music with distinctive sound.
sphere of influence
An area of a country where a single foreign power has been granted exclusive trading rights.
sub-continent
Large landmass that is part of a continent
tatami
Straw mats that are traditionally used to cover floors in Japan.
teak
High quality wood used to make buildings and ships because it is strong and durable.
terraced field
Strips of land cut out of a hillside like stair steps on which crops are planted.
trade deficit
Situation that occurs when the value of a country’s imports are higher than the value of its exports.
tsunami
Huge ocean wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor
tungsten
Metal combined with iron to make steel, also used in rockets, electrics etc. to withstand hear.
varma
One of the four broad classes of human society under Hinduism
Yurt
Large circular structure made of animal skins that can be packed and moved from place to place as a home for Monguls.
