Chapter 3 - Climate and Vegetation

Question 0

Two lines of latitude—the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn—mark the points farthest north and south that the sun’s rays shine directly overhead at noon. The day on which this occurs is called a ______.

Answer 0

Solstice

Question 1

_______ occur frequently in the southern and eastern United States during summer and fall. During these seasons, storm systems with strong winds form over warm ocean water.

Answer 1

Hurricanes

Question 2

Twice a year on the _______, the days and nights all over the world are equal in length.

Answer 2

equinox

Question 3

_______ is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and time.

Answer 3

Weather

Question 4

_______ is the term for weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time.

Answer 4

Climate

Question 5

____ determines whether there will be precipitation— falling water droplets in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail.

Answer 5

Water vapor

Question 6

_____ heats slowly but also loses heat slowly.

Answer 6

Water

Question 7

______ heats rapidly but loses heat quickly as well.

Answer 7

Land

Question 8

As ______ above sea level increases, the air becomes thinner and loses its ability to hold moisture.

Answer 8

elevation

Question 9

________ depends on the amount of water vapor in the air and the movement of that air.

Answer 9

precipitation

Question 10

The land on the leeward side of hills or mountains is called ____________ because it gets little rain from the descending dry air.

Answer 10

Rain shadow

Question 11

_____, _____, _____, _____, and ____ are examples of extreme weather.

Answer 11

Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards,

droughts, and floods

Question 12

Storms that form over warm, tropical ocean waters are called _____—also known as _____ in Asia.

Answer 12

hurricanes; typhoons

Question 13

A _____, or twister, is a powerful funnel-shaped column of spiraling air.

Answer 13

tornado

Question 14

In the United States, these violent funnel clouds occur frequently between May and October in a region known as “_______”

Answer 14

Tornado Alley

Question 15

A ______ is a heavy snowstorm with winds of more than 35 miles per hour and reduced visibility.

Answer 15

blizzard

Question 16

A ______ is a long period of time without rain or with very minimal rainfall.

Answer 16

drought

Question 17

Wind and ocean currents help distribute the sun’s heat from one part of the world to another through _____, the transfer of heat in the atmosphere by upward motion of the air

Answer 17

Convection

Question 18

Another factor in determining the climate of a region is ____or distance above sea level.

Answer 18

elevation

Question 19

Landforms also affect the climate. This is especially true of mountain areas. Remember that moisture-laden winds cool as they move up the side of a mountain, eventually releasing rain or snow. By the time the winds reach the other side of the mountain, they are dry and become warmer as they flow down the mountain.

Answer 19

Topography

Question 20

The warming of the waters off the west coast of South America—known as ________—is a natural change in the climate. About every two to seven years, prevailing easterly winds that blow over the central Pacific Ocean slow or reverse direction, changing the ocean temperature and affecting the weather worldwide. Normally, these easterlies bring seasonal rains and push warm ocean water toward Asia and Australia. In ________ years, however, the winds push warm water and heavy rains toward the Americas. This can cause floods and mudslides there, while Australia and Asia experience drought conditions.

Answer 20

El Nino

Question 21

When the reverse occurs—that is, when the winds blow the warmer water to the lands on the western Pacific rim—the event is called _______. ________ causes increases in precipitation in places such as India and increased dryness along the Pacific coasts of the Americas.

Answer 21

La Niña

Question 22

Most climate scientists argue that global warming is caused by the ________________. The layer of gases released by the burning of coal and oil traps some solar energy, causing higher temperatures in the same way that a greenhouse traps solar energy.

Answer 22

Greenhouse effect

Question 23

The flat, treeless lands forming a ring around the Arctic Ocean are called _______. The climate subregion is also called _______.

Answer 23

Tundra

Question 24

The land in the Northern Hemisphere has __________ — that is, the subsoil is constantly frozen.

Answer 24

premafrost

Question 25

The ecosystem of a region is referred to as a _______.

Answer 25

biome

Question 26

An _______ is an interdependent community of plants and animals.

Answer 26

ecosystem

Question 27

Broadleaf trees, such as ________, _____, ________, and ___________, are also called deciduous trees.

Answer 27

maple, oak, birch, and cottonwood

Question 28

The _______ is located in the tropical zone and is covered with a heavy concentration of broadleaf trees.

Answer 28

Rain forest

Question 29

Needleleaf trees are also called _____________ because they are cone bearing. They are found in huge stands in northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Answer 29

coniferous trees

Question 30

In the tropical grassland region, the flat, grassy, mostly treeless plains are called __________.

Answer 30

Savannas

Question 31

In the Northern Hemisphere, the terms _______ or _______ are used to identify temperate grasslands

Answer 31

Steppe; prarie

Question 32

What makes us similar to some people in the world but different from most others?

Answer 32

Culture

Question 33

______ is the total of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by the members of a specific group.

Answer 33

Culture

Question 34

________ acts as a blueprint for how a group of people should behave if they want to fit in with the group. It ties us to one group and separates us from other groups—and helps us to solve the problems that all humans faces.

Answer 34

Culture

Question 35

What are the eight factors of culture?

Answer 35

• Food and shelter -education
• religion -security/protection
• relationships to family and others -political and social organization
• language -Creative expression

Question 36

Taking existing technology and resourcesand creating something new to meet a need is called __________.

Answer 36

innovation

Question 37

Good ideas or inventions are hard to keep secret—they spread when people from different societies, or their ideas and inventions, come into contact with one another. This spread of ideas, inventions, or patterns of behavior is called _______.

Answer 37

diffusion

Question 38

_________ occurs when a society changes because it accepts or adopts an innovation.

Answer 38

Acculturation

Question 39

________ is the number of live births per thousand population

Answer 39

Birth rate

Question 40

The ___________ shows the average number of children a woman of childbearing years would have in her lifetime, if she had children at the current rate for her country.

Answer 40

fertility rate

Question 41

The _________ —also called the death rate—is the number of deaths per thousand people

Answer 41

Mortality rate

Question 42

The __________________ shows the number of deaths among infants under ageone per thousand live births.

Answer 42

infant mortality rate

Question 43

The differenceis the rate of ________________, or population growth rate.

Answer 43

natural increase

Question 44

Another way to analyze populations is to use a _______________ , a graphic device that shows sex and age distribution of a population.

Answer 44

population pyramid

Question 45

Reasons for migrating are sometimes referred to as ________________.

Answer 45

Push-pull factors

Question 46

To understand how heavily populated an area is, geographers use a figure called __________________.

Answer 46

population density

Question 47

______________ is the number of organisms a piece of land can support.

Answer 47

Carrying capacity

Question 48

Generally, weuse the ______________ to describe an independent unit that occupies a specific territoryand has full control of its internal and external affairs.

Answer 48

political term state

Question 49

_______ refers to a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity.

Answer 49

Nation

Question 50

Many countries of the world are _________.

Answer 50

nation-states

Question 51

_____________ hold political power, either directly or through elected representatives. Example: the United States.

Answer 51

Democracy Citizens

Question 52

__________ A ruling family headed by a king or queen holds political power and may or may not share the power with citizen bodies. Example: the United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia.

Answer 52

Monarchy

Question 53

___________:An individual or group holds complete political power. Example: North Korea

Answer 53

Dictatorship

Question 54

____________: In this government and economic system, nearly all political power and means of production are held by the government in the name of all the people.

Answer 54

Communism

Question 55

A _____________—one surrounded by other land and with no direct outlet to the sea—must find ways to build connections to the rest of the world to get goods in and out of the country.

Answer 55

land lock country

Question 56

In the centuries since, cities have grown so important that geographers have developed the field of _____________ —the study of how people use space in cities.

Answer 56

urban geography

Question 57

_______ are not just areas with large populations—they are also centers of business and culture.

Answer 57

Cities

Question 58

The built-up area around the central city may include ________ , which are political units touching the borders of the central city or touching other suburbs that touch the city

Answer 58

suburbs

Question 59

Smaller cities or towns with open land between them and the central city are called _______.

Answer 59

exurbs

Question 60

The city, its suburbs, and exurbs link together economically to form a functional area called a _____________.

Answer 60

metropolitan area

Question 61

An example of a _________ is the corridor in the northeastern United States including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

Answer 61

megalopis

Question 62

The dramatic rise in the number of cities and the changes in lifestyle that result is called __________.

Answer 62

urbanization

Question 63

________, including single-family housing and apartment buildings

Answer 63

residential

Question 64

____________, areas reserved for manufacturing of goods

Answer 64

industrial

Question 65

___________, used for private business and the buying and selling of retail products

Answer 65

commercial

Question 66

The center area of the city is called the _____________ (CBD).

Answer 66

central business district

Question 67

The way people produce and exchange goods and services is called an __________.

Answer 67

economic system

Question 68

____________________ and services are traded without exchanging money. Also called “barter.”

Answer 68

Traditional Economy Goods

Question 69

____________________ of goods and services is determined by a central government, which usually owns the means of production. Production does not necessarily reflect the consumer demand. Also called a planned economy.

Answer 69

command economy production

Question 70

_____________________________ of goods and services is determined by the demand from consumers. Also called a demand economy or capitalism

Answer 70

market economy production