Y8 | Geography Flashcards
The Physical World
What our planet is like, the work of rivers, the sea and ice.
The Human World
How and where people live, develop and earn a living.
The Environmental World
Habitats, such as mountains, forests, oceans and how they develop and change.
Cartography
The drawing of maps.
Continent
One of several large land masses of the world. (There are 7 main continents)
Country
A region or area that makes up a continent.
Latitude
The line of latitude that divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemisphere is known as the Equator. Lines of latitude to the north are labelled N, lines to the south are labelled S.
Longitude
The line of longitude that divides the Earth into the eastern and western hemisphere is known as the Prime Meridian. Lines of longitude to the east of the Prime Meridian are labelled E and those to the west are labelled W.
Tropics
The tropic of Cancer is 23.5°N. The tropic of Capricorn is 23.5°S.
Think like a geographer:
Where is this place?
What is it like?
Why is it like this?
How is it changing?
Who is affected by the changes?
How do I feel about it?
Four-Figure Grid References
A four-figure grid reference points you towards a particular square on a map. On OS maps these squares represent one square kilometre.
Six-Figure Grid References
A six-figure grid reference points you towards a specific point within a square on a map.
Spot Height
Shows the height of a specific point and is marked on an OS map using a black dot and the number in metres.
Contour Line
A line on a map joining equal height above or below sea level.
Map Key
This tells the reader what the map symbols mean.
Scale
The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground.
OS is the national mapping agency in the UK. Scale is shown on the map in 3 ways:
As a line called a linear scale
As a statement of scale
As a ratio–a scale of 1: 50,000 means that 1 unit on the map represents 50,000 of the same unit on the ground.
A large-scale map shows a lot of detail but not much area; a small scale map shows a lot of area but not much detail.
Climate
The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Communism
A theory or social organisation in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.
Coniferous Forest
A type of biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest.
Country
Humans have divided continents up into political units called countries. Europe contains 50 countries.
Constructive Margin
Tectonic plate margin where rising magma adds new material to plates that are diverging or moving apart.
Europe
One of the seven continents.
Volga River
The longest river in Europe. The river flows through central Russia and in to the Caspian Sea. It is widely regarded as the national river of Russia.
Lake Baikal
An ancient, massive lake in the mountainous region of Siberia. Considered the largest lake in the world.
Precipitation
Rain, snow, sleet or hail that falls to or condenses on the ground.
Rift Valley
A linear-shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geological rift or fault.
Siberia
A vast Russian province encompassing most of northern Asia, with terrain spanning tundra, coniferous forest and mountain
ranges.
Tectonic Plate
A rigid segment of the Earth’s crust which can ‘float’ across the heavier, semi-molten rock below. Continental plates are less
dense, but thicker than oceanic plates.
Tundra
A type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons.
Ural Mountains
A mountain range that runs north to south through western Russia. They form the boundary between Europe and Asia.
Russia facts
Russia is largest country in world
Main river is the VOLGA
URAL mountains creates boundary between European Russia and Siberia
Russia highest mountain is Mt Elbrus
Russia is rich in NATRUAL RESOURCES
15 cities in Russia have a population of 1 million or more
Moscow facts
Moscow is Russia’s capital city. It has a population of 11 million.
Moscow has more billionaires than any other city in the world
9 million commuters ride the Moscow Metro every day – more than London & New York combined!
Wealthy Russians hire ambulances to beat the Moscow traffic jams.
Volga facts
Source Valdai Hills - 350m above sea level
Rybinsk Reservoir was formed by the construction of the Rybinsk Hydroelectric Dam in 1935. The filling of the reservoir began in 1941 and by the time it was completed in 1947, 150,000 people had to be moved and the town of Mologa, along with 663 villages had completely disappeared under the water of the reservoir.
Yaroslavl is one of the most fascinating cities found along the banks of the Volga. Home to many cathedrals and works of art, Yaroslavl is classed as a World Heritage Site
Volgograd Between 1925-1961 Volgograd was known as Stalingrad, named after Joseph Stalin – leader and dictator of the Soviet Union at the time. The city became famous for its resistance during the Battle of Stalingrad against the German Army in World War II. It is often regarded as the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare.
Volga Delta At 160km wide, the Volga has the largest delta in Europe. It is criss-crossed by hundreds of smaller rivers and streams. It is the only place in Russia where pelicans and flamingos can be found.
How long is the River Volga?
Volga River: At 2,294 miles long, the Volga is Europe’s longest river
Caspian sea facts
The Volga flows out into the Caspian Sea – the largest enclosed area of water on earth. The northern part of the Caspian Sea is also one of the lowest points on Earth. The Caspian Sea is bounded by Russia to the north west, Kazakhstan to the north east, Azerbaijan to the west, Iran to the south and Turkmenistan to the south east.
Lake Baikal facts
Lake Baikal is taken from the Mongolian word ‘Baykal’, meaning ‘Nature Lake’.
The largest freshwater lake in the world – containing 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater.
At its maximum depth of 1,642m, Baikal is the
At 25 million years old, it is considered the world’s oldest lake.
It is also considered the world’s clearest lake
Describe STEPPE biome
Biome of grassland, few trees, fertile soil. Good farming area
Describe MOUNTAIN FOREST biome
Higher you go – the colder it gets. Thin soil
Describe TUNDRA biome
Covered in snow and ice in winter Summer – surface soil defrosts
Low plants / shrubs grow
Permafrost
Describe TAIGA biome
Coniferous forces – tress like larch and pine
Trees with shallow roots
Covers 60% of Russia
Describe Temperate Forest biome
Mixture of trees – deciduous trees and
coniferous
Middle East facts
Most of Middle East is HOT DESERT
The Arabian Desert includes the Rub’ al Khali – the largest sand desert in the world
Middle East covers an area of 13 million km2
High population densities around areas of FRESH WATER (Rivers and lakes)
Suez Canal links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea
60% of the population are Arabs
Islam is the religion in the majority of Middle Eastern Countries. Significant numbers of Christians in Lebanon, Egypt and Israel
The three largest rivers of the middle east are?
The Nile, The Euphrates and The Tigris
Where is Qatar?
To the East of Saudi Arabia and north of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the Persian Gulf
Arête
A sharp, knife-like ridge formed between two corries cutting back by processes of erosion and freeze thaw.
Bulldozing
Ice pushes material of all shapes and sizes as it moves
slowly forward.
Corrie
(Also called cirque) Armchair-shaped hollow in the mountainside formed by glacial erosion, rotational slip and
freeze-thaw weathering. This is where the valley glacier begins. When the ice melts, it can leave a small circular lake called a tarn.
