World Biomes and Geographic Phenomena
Biomes
Forest (Tropical)
Dense formations of tall trees with vines.
Forest
Open tree formations with shrubs and herbs. Located in warm (tropical, subtropical), cold continental, and cold oceanic climates.
Savanna
Tall herbaceous carpet with few tree groups. Presents scattered deep-rooted trees, shrubs, and woody shrubs.
Prairie
Dense herbaceous formations without trees. Located in temperate oceanic, temperate, and cold ocean transition areas.
Tundra
Vegetation of mosses and lichens. Located in cold and high-altitude snowy climates. In areas near the polar circles, the weather is very cold, and the soil (rock) is frozen almost all year. Only in summer, melting a thin surface layer allows, in a marshy environment, the growth of small plants (mosses and lichens).
Desert
Formations of thorny plants and shrubs. Located in warm desert climate zones. Characterized by scarce rainfall and strong daily temperature fluctuations.
Geographic Phenomena
Watershed
An area of land drained by a river system (a river and its tributaries). Boundaries are set by the watershed separating each river.
Latitude
The distance in degrees from any point on Earth’s surface to the Equator (0° latitude), which separates North and South. Maximum latitude (90°) is at the poles.
Longitude
The distance in degrees from a place to the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) or Greenwich Observatory (London). Longitude can be East or West.
Population
Mortality
Refers to deaths and is measured by the crude death rate (CDR): the number of deaths in a year per thousand inhabitants (expressed in per mil or ‰).
Fecundity
The average number of children a woman gives birth to throughout her life (low, moderate, high, very high).
Population Pyramid
Represents the age and sex structure of a population at a given time, showing gender distribution, age distribution, and population history.
Political and Economic Systems
Capitalism
A dominant economic system where companies or individuals produce and exchange goods and services through markets. Means of production are privately owned, producers and consumers are free to decide what to produce and buy, and the goal is to maximize profits.
Democracy
A political system characterized by citizen participation.
Nationalism
An ideology based on the belief that a state is essential for a people to realize their aspirations, and that common characteristics should allow them to organize into independent states.
Socialism
An ideology where production is a function of all members of society, and its benefits should be for everyone. The state should own the means of production and redistribute wealth to eliminate class differences.
Historical Periods and Movements
Humanism
A Renaissance cultural movement that placed humans at the center of philosophical reflections, contrasting with medieval theocentricity.
Renaissance
A period with an intellectual climate favoring knowledge development. The invention of the printing press aided knowledge dissemination, and medicine saw significant advances.
Early Modern Period
Monarchies strengthened, influenced by political thinkers like Machiavelli, who described how rulers could maintain and enhance their power.
Feudal Monarchy
Medieval kings ruled through a network of allegiance, with power having a divine origin.
Authoritarian Monarchy
A component of modern states emerging in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the Iberian Peninsula, Catholic Monarchs strengthened their power through reforms in state administration and military.
Protected Areas
National Park
A natural area, little changed by human activity, declared for its landscape, ecosystem, flora, fauna, or geomorphological formations. Example: Doñana National Park.
Natural Park
Similar to National Parks, but created by autonomous communities. Examples: Cabo de Gata-Nijar, Sierra de Baza, Despeñaperros.
Natural Places
Areas with exceptional values declared for the conservation of flora, fauna, or other natural components.
Urban and Rural Environments
Urban Environment
The result of human transformation of a territory for economic and cultural exchange. Nearly half the world’s population lives in urban environments.
Cities in Underdeveloped Countries
Experienced spectacular growth in the last 30 years, largely due to migration from rural areas.
Energy Sources
Power Sources
Essential for industrial production, influencing the location of industrial sites.
Nonrenewable Energy
Includes fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas, wood), nuclear, and hydropower.
Renewable Energy
Includes solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal.
Other Topics
Racism
Based on a hierarchy of “races” based on observable differences.
Unionism
A strategy organizing workers to achieve better working conditions.
Xenophobia
Suspicion, hatred, and rejection of different ethnic groups.
European Union
A supranational organization of 25 states aiming for a common market, social cohesion, and reduced internal imbalances.
EU Institutions
Parliament:
The highest representative body of European citizenship.Court:
Provides legal protection and interprets EU law.Court of Auditors:
Responsible for external financial control.Committee of the Regions:
An advisory body consulted on various issues.Economic and Social Committee:
An advisory body with employer, employee, and various interest groups.
Technology Park
A place where businesses with investments in innovation, technology, and research centers (often linked to universities) are located.
Taiga
Characterized by huge conifer forests spanning the northern hemisphere.
Climates
Hot Climates
Located between the Equator and the tropics.
Equatorial Climate:
Hot with abundant rainfall.Humid Tropical Climate:
Wet and dry seasons.Desert Climate:
Almost no rainfall and large temperature variations.
Temperate Climate
Occur in regions farther from the tropics, with four seasons (oceanic, continental, Mediterranean).