Grade 7 Geography

Cards · 55

Latitude

Imaginary lines measuring distance north or south of the Equator. Example: The Equator sits at 0 degrees latitude.

Longitude

Imaginary lines measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. Example: The Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, is 0 degrees longitude.

Equator

The imaginary circle around Earth halfway between the North and South Poles. Example: Ecuador and Kenya lie directly on the Equator.

Prime Meridian

The reference line of 0 degrees longitude dividing Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Example: It passes through London, UK.

Hemisphere

One half of the Earth sphere. Example: Australia is located entirely within the Southern Hemisphere.

Tropic of Cancer

The parallel of latitude roughly 23.5 degrees north of the Equator. Example: It crosses Mexico, Egypt, and India.

Tropic of Capricorn

The parallel of latitude roughly 23.5 degrees south of the Equator. Example: It passes through northern Chile and southern Africa.

Plate Tectonics

The scientific theory that Earth outer crust is broken into moving slabs. Example: Plate motion causes the Pacific Ring of Fire earthquakes.

Pangea

A massive supercontinent that existed hundreds of millions of years ago. Example: South America and Africa were once joined in Pangea.

Subduction Zone

An area where one tectonic plate slides underneath another into the mantle. Example: The Cascadia subduction zone off the US Pacific Northwest.

Continental Drift

The slow movement of Earth continents across geological time. Example: India slowly colliding with Asia created the Himalayas.

Weathering

The mechanical or chemical breaking down of rocks into smaller fragments. Example: Freezing water cracking granite boulders in winter.

Erosion

The wearing away and transport of soil and rock by wind, water, or ice. Example: The Colorado River carving out the Grand Canyon.

Deposition

The settling or dropping of eroded sediment in a new location. Example: Sand dunes formed along the coast by wind.

Delta

A triangular wetland formed where a river empties into a larger body of water. Example: The Nile River Delta in northern Egypt.

Glacier

A dense, slow-moving mass of ice formed over centuries. Example: The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina.

Moraine

A ridge of rocks, dirt, and debris deposited by a retreating glacier. Example: Long Island in New York was partly formed by glacial moraines.

Fjord

A deep, narrow sea inlet flanked by steep cliffs carved by glaciers. Example: Geirangerfjord along the coast of Norway.

Archipelago

A chain or cluster of islands scattered across an open body of water. Example: The Indonesian archipelago contains over 17,000 islands.

Isthmus

A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas with water on both sides. Example: The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America.

Strait

A narrow waterway connecting two large bodies of water. Example: The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Plateau

A broad, flat landform elevated significantly above the surrounding terrain. Example: The Tibetan Plateau, known as the Roof of the World.

Peninsula

A piece of land bordered by water on three sides. Example: The state of Florida is a peninsula projecting into the Atlantic Ocean.

Canyon

A deep, steep-sided gorge typically cut by a river. Example: The Grand Canyon in Arizona carved by the Colorado River.

Estuary

A coastal water body where fresh water from rivers mixes with ocean saltwater. Example: Chesapeake Bay on the US east coast.

Tributary

A smaller stream or river that flows into a main river system. Example: The Missouri River is the longest tributary of the Mississippi River.

Drainage Basin

An entire area of land drained by a central river and all its tributaries. Example: The Amazon Basin covers much of northern South America.

Watershed

A ridge of high ground separating waters flowing to different rivers or oceans. Example: The Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains.

Aquifer

An underground layer of permeable rock or sediment holding fresh groundwater. Example: The Ogallala Aquifer under the Great Plains.

Biome

A large community of plants and animals adapted to a specific climate. Example: The African savanna characterized by grasses and scattered trees.

Tundra

A cold, treeless biome with a frozen subsoil layer called permafrost. Example: Northern Siberia in Russia.

Taiga

A high-latitude biome dominated by dense coniferous evergreen forests. Example: The vast boreal forest running across northern Canada.

Rainforest

A lush, dense forest biome receiving abundant rainfall year-round. Example: The Amazon Rainforest in South America.

Savanna

A rolling grassland biome with warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons. Example: The Serengeti Plain in Tanzania.

Desert

An extremely dry arid biome receiving very little annual precipitation. Example: The Sahara Desert across northern Africa.

Permafrost

Ground that remains completely frozen continuously for two or more years. Example: Tundra ground in northern Alaska and Canada.

Rain Shadow

A dry patch of land on the leeward side of a high mountain range. Example: The Great Basin Desert behind California Sierra Nevada.

Climate

The long-term atmospheric weather patterns of a specific region over decades. Example: The Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers and mild winters.

Weather

The day-to-day state of the atmosphere regarding heat, cloudiness, or precipitation. Example: A sudden afternoon thunderstorm in Orlando.

Urbanization

The population shift from rural countryside into towns and growing cities. Example: Rapid expansion of metropolitan Tokyo, Japan.

Population Density

The average number of people living within a specific square unit of land area. Example: Singapore has an extremely high population density.

Demographics

Statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it. Example: Measuring birth rates and age distributions in Japan.

Push Factor

A negative condition that drives people to leave their home region. Example: War and crop failure pushing families out of rural areas.

Pull Factor

A positive attraction that encourages people to move to a new region. Example: Good job opportunities and safety pulling migrants to cities.

Renewable Resource

A natural asset that can be regenerated or replaced in a human lifetime. Example: Solar energy captured by solar panels.

Non-Renewable Resource

A finite resource that cannot replenish at the speed it is consumed. Example: Crude petroleum extracted from underground deposits.

Deforestation

The permanent removal of trees to make land available for other uses. Example: Clearing forest land for cattle ranching in the Amazon.

Desertification

The gradual transformation of fertile land into desert due to drought or misuse. Example: The expanding borders of the Sahel south of the Sahara.

Sustainability

Managing natural resources responsibly so future generations can meet their needs. Example: Practicing regulated crop rotation and replanting forests.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total market value of all finished goods and services produced by a nation yearly. Example: The annual economic output of Germany.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A statistic measuring national achievement in health, education, and standard of living. Example: Norway consistently ranks near the top in HDI.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming that produces only enough food to feed the farmer own family. Example: Small-scale rice farming in rural Southeast Asia.

Commercial Agriculture

Large-scale farming designed primarily to sell crops or livestock for profit. Example: Extensive wheat fields across Kansas and Nebraska.

Globalization

The growing worldwide economic, cultural, and political interconnectedness. Example: Smartphones designed in California with parts manufactured worldwide.

Sovereign State

An independent country governed by its own authority without foreign control. Example: Canada is a sovereign state with defined borders.