Glossary of Key Geographical Terms - Revision Aid

Please scroll to the bottom of the page, or use the links below to find a comprehensive glossary of Geographical terms which I have added.

The glossary provides key words and definitions, which may be of use for teachers within their lessons or for students revising for examinations.

The glossary is divided in topic sections for ease of use.
They are:

Agriculture

Coasts

Development

Ecosystems

Glaciers

Industry

Population

Rivers

Rocks & landscapes

Settlements

Tectonics

Tourism & Resources

Weather & Climate

Hope this resource is useful!

Geography Glossary by Topics:

Agriculture

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching agriculture.

Arable: growing crops.

Comercial Farming: farming for a profit. Can be arable, pastoral or mixed.

Extensive Farming: farms are large in comparison to the money injected into it or labour used on it.

Farm: system with inputs, throughputs (or processes), outputs and feedback.

Feedback: what is put back into the system, for example money.

Human/Cultural Inputs: money, labour and skills.

Intensive Farming: fairly small area of land, aim to have very high output, through massive inputs of capital and labour.

Negative Outputs: waste products and soil erosion.

Pastoral: rearing animals.

Physical Inputs: water, raw materials and land.

Positive Outputs: finished products, such as meat, milk, and money gained.

Processes/Throughputs: milking, harvesting and shearing.

Shifting Cultivation: farmers are nomadic, they move around the country using a piece of land for a while and then moving on.

Subsistence Farming: only produce enough to feed themselves and their family, without having any more to sell for profit.

Back to Main Glossary

Coasts

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching coasts in geography.

Bars: ridge of sand that blocks off a bay or river mouth.

Beaches: created by constructive waves.

Constructive Waves: stronger swash than backwash, causing the beach to be built up by deposited material.

Destructive Waves: stronger backwash than swash, removes material from the beach.

Fetch: determines how powerful a wave may be. It is the distance that the wave has travelled.

Gabien Groynes: large steel mesh cages filled with large rocks.

Longshore Drift: material is moved along the coastline by the waves.

Rip Rap/Rock Armour: large boulders, used as a sea wall

Salt Marshes: material often accumulated in the area of standing water occurs behind a spit.

Sea Walls: aim to completely block waves and their effects. Often built in front of seaside resorts.

Sea-Level Change: caused by water freezing during the Ice Age.

Spits: long, narrow ridge of sand attached at one end to the coast.

Sub-Aerial Processes: impact of rainwater, wind and frost on the cliffs.

Tombolos: bar of deposited material linking the mainland to an island.

Waves: formed by wind blowing across surface of the water, creating ripples, which grow into waves.

Wooden Groynes: wooden fences built at right angles to coastline. Aim to stop movement of material along the beach

Back to Main Glossary

Development

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching development in geography.

Adult Literacy: percentage of population who are literate.

Bottom-up Aid: small-scale aid projects without government interference.

Conditional Aid: given by donor country to a receptor country to finance projects in that country.

Diseases: bilharzia, cholera and malaria.

GNP: Gross National Product.

Gross National Product: looks at wealth of a country and compares it to others.

HDI: H uman D evelopment I ndex.

Infant Mortality Rate: no. of children who die before 1 years old, measured per 1000 born.

Interdependence: LEDC's and MEDC's rely on each other.

Life Expectancy: average age someone living in that country will live to.

Long-term Aid: aims to help the country in future.

Multilateral Aid: central international organisations such as World Bank and world health organisation.

Natural Hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes and floods.

Population per Doctor: total population ÷ no. of doctors in the country.

Short-term Aid: known as emergency aid.

The Brandt Report: "North-South: a programme for survival".

Top-down Aid: large-scale aid given to the government of the developing country.

Back to Main Glossary

Ecosystems

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching ecosystems in geography.

Abiotic: elements that are non-living.

Biotic: elements that are living.

Coniferous (Boreal) Woodlands: coniferous trees are evergreens; they have leaves all year round and therefore can always photosynthesise

Consumers: organisms within the biotic element, which feed on other organisms.

Deciduous Woodland: deciduous trees drop their leaves in the autumn.

Deserts: soils are alkaline and are very dry with little humus.

Ecosystems: entire living communities of plants and animals.

Producers: organisms within the biotic element, convert sunlight into energy through the process of photosynthesis.

Tropical Rainforests: soils are called latsols. Boast a huge variety of vegetation and animal life.

Back to Main Glossary

Glaciers

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching glaciers in geography.

Ablation: melting of ice, mainly during summer months.

Accumulation: build up of the glacier due to snow being compacted into ice.

Boulde Clay/Till: mixed angular material found on valley floor, deposited by the glacier as it melts. Made up of sand, stones and clay.

Calving: splitting of the end of the glacier into smaller sections.

Deposited Features: boulder clay/till, drumlins, erratics and moraines.

Drumlins: smooth mounds of deposited material formed parallel to the direction of the movement of the glacier.

Erosional Features: arêtes, corries, glacier trough, hanging valleys, pyramid peaks, ribbon lakes, truncated spurs and U-shaped valleys.

Erratics: large boulders carried by the glacier and deposited in an area of differing rock type

Glaciers: originate from heavy snowfalls over a prolonged period of time.

Ice Sheets: large masses of ice, which cover an entire land surface.

Moraines: terminal moraine, lateral moraine, medial moraine, ground moraine and recessional moraine.

Negative Regime: rate of accumulation is less than rate of ablation; glacier will retreat.

Snout: lower end of the glacier.

Industry

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching industry in geography.

Agglomeration: concentration of different parts of the same industry in one area.

Brownfield Sites: reclaimed industrial or residential land that is cleared.

Capital: money invested in companies.

Communications: an all-encompassing word for all transport methods.

Footloose Industry: not tied to a location by its need for raw material.

Greenfield Sites: rural land, outside cities, cleared for industry.

Industrial System: inputs, throughputs/processes, outputs and feedback.

Labour: workforce.

Market: where the company will sell its product.

Primary Industries: produce raw material.

Quaternary Industries: research and development

Secondary Industries: manufacturing.

Tertiary Industries: provide services.

Back to Main Glossary

Population

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching population in geography.

Birth Rate: number of births per 1000 people in the population per year in a country.

Death Rate: number of deaths per 1000 people in the population per year in a country.

Demographic Model: four-stage model of a country's population.

Emigration: migration of people out of a country.

En-route Factors: intervening obstacles that might hinder migration.

Immigration: migration of people into a country.

Migration: permanent or semi-permanent movement of people to live and work in another area or country.

Natural Increase: relationship between birth rate and death rate.

Population Density: describes the pattern of where people live in the world.

Population Growth: difference between (BR + immigration) and (DR + emigration).

Pull Factors: things that entice someone to a new place.

Push Factors: things encouraging someone to move from a place.

Rural to Urban Migration: movement of people from rural areas to urban areas.

Back to Main Glossary

Rivers

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching rivers in geography.

Abrasion: erosion of river bottom and riverbank by material carried by the river.

Alluvial Deposits: deposited sand and silt.

Attrition: rocks and pebbles carried by the river crash against each other, becoming smaller, rounded pebbles.

Condensation: cooling of a gas so it changes into a liquid.

Corrosion: chemical erosion of rocks of the riverbank by the slightly acidic water.

Cross Profile: of a river looks at the shape of the river channel.

Delta: build up of sediment at the point where a river meets a sea or lake.

Drainage Basin: area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

Estuary: point at which a river begins to meet the sea.

Evapo-transpiration: combination of evaporation and transpiration.

Flood Plain: area of alluvial deposits found beside the river in its lower course.

Flood/Storm Hydrogram: shows the discharge of a river.

Flooding: occurs due to a sudden increase into the amount of water travelling down a river.

Fluvial Processes: erosion, transportation and deposition.

Hydraulic Action: water forces air to be trapped and pressured into cracks in the rocks.

Hydrology: study of water.

Infiltration: downward movement of water that seeps into the soil or a porous rock.

Interlocking Spurs: river cuts deep V-shaped valleys in its upper course.

Levees: naturally formed banks along the sides of a river channel.

Long Profile: of a river looks at its full length.

Meanders: bends in the river. Faster water on the outside bend has cut into the bank, eroding it and creating a river cliff.

Mouth: end of the river where it meets the sea or a lake.

Overland Flow: when water flows over the surface of the ground.

Percolation: movement of water though the soil or underlying porous rock.

Precipitation: water falling to Earth in any form e.g. rain, sleet, hail, snow and dew.

River Profiles: long profile and cross profile.

River Regime: difference in the discharge of the river throughout the year.

Saltation: smaller rocks are bounced along the riverbed.

Solution: material is dissolved within the water and carried along by it.

Suspension: water carries smaller particles of material.

Throughflow: movement of water within the soil sideways, towards the river.

Traction: force of the water rolls rocks along the bottom of the river.

Transpiration: water loss from vegetation in to the atmosphere.

Tributaries: small rivers running into the main one.

Waterfalls: formed where a band of harder rock lies over a softer one.

Watershed: imaginary dividing line between neighouring drainage systems.

Rocks and Landscapes

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching rocks & landscapes in Geography.

Chalk: called cretaceous limestone. An example of porous rock.

Clay: product of weathering and river erosion. Porous and becomes impermeable when wet.

Exfoliation: heating of outer layer of rock during day, causing expansion, at night rock contracts. Expanding and contracting leads to layers of rock pealing away.

Extrusive Rocks: formed by being thrown out during a volcanic eruption.

Freeze Thaw: water enters cracks in rock during day, overnight temperatures drop and water freezes, as it freezes it expands, cracking the rock.

Hydrolysis: dissolves and disintegrates rock.

Igneous Rocks: originate from magma in the mantle, can be extrusive or intrusive.

Intrusive Rocks: formed under the surface of the Earth.

Metamorphic Rocks: rocks that have changed in shape or form, by heat/pressure. Can be igneous/sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks: small sediments accumulate on sea floors in layers and compress over millions of years.

Back to Main Glossary

Settlements

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching settlements in Geography.

Aspect: direction in which the land faces.

CBD: Central Business District.

Confluence: point where 2 rivers join and flow together.

Dry Point Site: slightly raised from the surrounding area.

Function: describes main activities that occur in the settlement.

Greenbelts: prevent continued growth of cities of England and Scotland.

LEDCs: Less Economically Developed Countries.

MEDCs: More Economically Developed Countries.

Multi-functional: settlement that performs a range of different functions.

Range: maximum distance someone would travel to obtain that good or service.

Route Centres: called Nodal Points. Where two routes meet.

Rural-urban Fringe: land at the edge of an urban area.

Settlement: part of the urban hierarchy.

Shanty Towns: illegal squatter settlements.

Site: describes physical nature of settlement location.

Situation: description of settlement in relation to the other settlements and physical features around it.

Sphere of Influence: describes area served by a settlement, for a particular function.

Threshold Population: minimum number of people needed, to allow that shop/service to be successful.

Urban Hierarchy: pyramid shaped diagram.

Urban Model for LEDCs: Waugh's.

Urban Models MEDCs: Burgess's, Hoyt's and Harris & Ullmans.

Wet Point Site: has access to water, usually through being beside a river.

Back to Main Glossary

Tectonics

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching tectonics in Geography.

Collision Plate Boundaries: two plates push into each other, force material into huge fold mountain ranges.

Conservative Plate Boundaries: cause earthquakes, can be fairly violent and frequent.

Constructive Plate Boundaries: cause volcanoes, earthquakes and mid-ocean ridges to form.

Convection Current: hot currents of molten rock, slowly move within the mantle, causes plates above to move.

Destructive Plate Boundaries: cause violent volcanoes and earthquakes, deep-ocean trenches and fold mountains.

Earthquakes: occur along faults, caused by the sudden jerking movements of the fault, either laterally or vertically.

Effects of Earthquake: primary effects or secondary effects.

Epicentre: point directly above the focus.

Focus: point at which an earthquake begins below the Earth's surface.

Fold Mountains Uses: farming, tourism, forestry, industry and hydroelectric power production

Mercalli Scale: measures damage caused by an earthquake.

Plate Types: oceanic (dense, thin) and continental (light but thick).

Richter Scale: measures magnitude of an earthquake using a seismograph.

Tetonic Plates: move due to convection currents in the mantle.

Vents: cracks in the crust where volcanoes take place.

Volcanic Cones: acid lava cones, composite cones and shield cones.

Volcanoes: molten rock (magma) is allowed to escape to the surface of the Earth

Back to Main Glossary

Tourism & Resources

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching tourism & resources in Geography.

Ecotourism/Green Tourism: protects natural environments while allowing tourists.

Fossil Fuels: first group of non-renewable resources.

HEP: Hydro Electric Power.

Industrialised: countries more developed.

Minerals: other group of non-renewable resources, such as diamonds and iron ore.

Non-renewable Resources: eventually run out, finite.

Recycling: bottle banks, paper and tin recycling.

Renewable Resources: never run out, naturally/through good management.

Back to Main Glossary

Weather & Climate

This glossary provides teachers with definitions of key words and terms used in teaching weather & climate in Geography.

Altitude: temperature falls the higher you are.

Anticyclones: areas of high pressure. Bring warm, stable conditions, with clear skies and lots of sunshine.

Carbon Dioxide: produced by power stations, vehicles, and animals breathing.

Climate: describes temperature, precipitation and other weather conditions of a certain area.

Climate Graphs: useful in comparing annual temperature and rainfall of places around the world.

Convectional Rainfall: occurs when warm land surfaces heats air above it, causing it to rise, cool and condense.

Depressions: areas of low pressure that bring clouds and rain to the UK.

Distance From Sea: sea takes longer to heat up but retains that heat far better than the land.

Droughts: below average rainfall for a period of time, causing water supplies to dry up and run out.

Frontal Rainfall: occurs when two air masses meet, with warmer air being forced to rise over cooler air. The rising air cools and condenses.

Global Warming: heating of the atmosphere due to release of greenhouse gases.

Latitude: lines of latitude are those that run horizontally around the world.

Ocean Currents: affect areas beside the sea. Can be either warm or cold currents.

Ozone: gas in the atmosphere that prevents harmful ultra-violet rays from affecting us.

Prevailing Winds: when travels over a warm surface will bring warm weather, if it travels over a cold surface will bring cold weather.

Rainfall: plotted on climate graphs as a bar chart, coloured blue.

Relief Rainfall: occurs when moist air reaches the coast and is forced to rise over mountains and hills. The rising air cools and condenses.

Temperature: plotted on the climate graph as a line graph, coloured red.

Tropical Storms: known as hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons.

Weather: describes day-to-day changes in temperature, wind and precipitation.

Back to Main Glossary

• Year 7 Resources	• Year 8 Resources
• Year 9 Resources	• Year 10 Resources
•Year 11 Resources	•AS/A2 Resources

• Year 7 Resources	• Year 8 Resources	• Year 9 Resources
• Year 10 Resources	•Year 11 Resources	•AS/A2 Resources

* Geography Resources *

Resources by Year Group: Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 AS/A2

Glossary of Key Geographical Terms - Revision Aid

Please click the links below to navigate to each year group's resources.

• Year 7 Resources • Year 8 Resources
• Year 9 Resources • Year 10 Resources
•Year 11 Resources •AS/A2 Resources

Geography Website Links

Geography Teaching Links:

Field Work Website Links:

• Year 7 Resources • Year 8 Resources • Year 9 Resources

• Year 10 Resources •Year 11 Resources •AS/A2 Resources

Geography Glossary by Topics:

Agriculture

Maintained by Miss Riley
Geography Department
Bruntcliffe School, Morley, Leeds
All rights reserved © 2007

* Geography Resources *

Resources by Year Group:Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 AS/A2

Glossary of Key Geographical Terms - Revision Aid

Please click the links below to navigate to each year group's resources.

• Year 7 Resources• Year 8 Resources • Year 9 Resources• Year 10 Resources •Year 11 Resources•AS/A2 Resources

Geography Website Links

Geography Teaching Links:

Field Work Website Links:

• Year 7 Resources • Year 8 Resources • Year 9 Resources • Year 10 Resources •Year 11 Resources •AS/A2 Resources

Geography Glossary by Topics:

Agriculture

Maintained by Miss RileyGeography DepartmentBruntcliffe School, Morley, Leeds All rights reserved © 2007

Resources by Year Group: Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 AS/A2

• Year 7 Resources • Year 8 Resources
• Year 9 Resources • Year 10 Resources
•Year 11 Resources •AS/A2 Resources

• Year 7 Resources • Year 8 Resources • Year 9 Resources

• Year 10 Resources •Year 11 Resources •AS/A2 Resources

Maintained by Miss Riley
Geography Department
Bruntcliffe School, Morley, Leeds
All rights reserved © 2007