Key Geography Terms and Definitions

Posted on Dec 1, 2024 in Geography

Geography Terms and Definitions

Physical Geography

Landforms

Archipelago

A group of islands clustered in a sea.

Folding Range

Mountain elevation ripple caused by sedimentary material during the Alpine orogeny.

Plateau

Flat or slightly inclined surface located at a certain altitude above sea level.

Isthmus

Narrow strip of land connecting a peninsula with a larger landmass.

Climate

Temperature Range

Temperature difference between the highest and lowest in a given period (daily, monthly, yearly).

Equinoxes

Period when the sun’s rays hit the Equator perpendicularly, resulting in equal day and night length (March 20-22 and September 22-23).

Isotherms

Lines connecting points of equal temperature.

Isohyets

Lines connecting points of equal precipitation.

Hydrology

Flow

Amount of water per unit of time (usually per second).

Watershed

Land whose waters flow into a main river and its tributaries.

Estuary

Mouth of a river flowing into the sea where freshwater and seawater mix.

Mapping

Scale

Relationship between distance on a map and its corresponding real-world length.

Map

Small-scale representation of an area (less than 1:10,000).

Latitude

Angular distance between any point on Earth and the Equator (0° parallel).

Longitude

Angular distance between any point on Earth and the Prime Meridian (0° meridian, Greenwich).

Meridian

Imaginary semicircles running from pole to pole.

Parallel

Imaginary circle perpendicular to the Earth’s axis.

Human Geography

Population

Census

Individual count of the population at a given time, collecting demographic, economic, and social data.

Population Density

Relationship between inhabitants and area (inhabitants/km²).

Birth Rate

Number of live births per thousand inhabitants per year.

Fertility Rate

Number of live births per thousand women of childbearing age (15-49) per year.

Settlements

Metropolitan Area

Large urban sprawl surrounding a major city, encompassing several municipalities with significant economic and social relationships.

Historical Old Town

Urbanized part of a city from its origins to nineteenth-century industrialization.

Urban Morphology

External appearance of a city.

Urban Plan

Large-scale map reflecting building space and open areas of a city.

Urban Sprawl

Extension of the city beyond its pre-industrial walls.

Scattered Habitat

Settlements separated by land, meadows, and forests.

Agriculture

Farming

Work done to obtain products from the land (agriculture, livestock, and forestry).

Intensive Agriculture

Agricultural practice with high investment in technology or labor, resulting in high productivity.

Fallow

Traditional practice of letting land rest for a variable period.

Crop Rotation

Traditional practice of alternating crops on agricultural land.

Industrial Crops

Crops requiring industrial processing before consumption.

Dehesa

Space with trees, usually cleared, used for mixed agriculture and livestock.

Latifundio

Large property exceeding 100 hectares.

Mesofundio

Medium-sized property between 10 and 100 hectares.

Smallholder

Small property less than 10 hectares.

Livestock Farming

Breeding of animals in open spaces with traditional techniques and low profitability.

Economy

Trade Balance

Document recording the difference between imports and exports.

Balance of Payments

Document recording a country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world.

Raw Materials

Resources from which products are derived or semi-processed.

Industrial Restructuring

Reforms enabling struggling industries to adapt to new technology and market conditions.

Tourism

Rural Tourism

Travel to agricultural areas for recreational purposes.

Cultural Tourism

Travel to areas for cultural interests.

Meteorology

Anticyclone

High-pressure field above 1014 mb. Winds circulate clockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Isobaric

Lines connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.

Biogeography

Steppe

Herbs mixed with low, thorny bushes (e.g., asparagus, hearts of palm) common in the Mediterranean climate.

Evapotranspiration

Moisture loss from the earth’s surface due to sun, plant transpiration, and soil evaporation.