The EXACT way or direction to get to something (north,south,east,west)

The belief that God's existence cannot be known.

Conflict over resources that may not be divided by the border, such as natural gas reserves beneath the soil.

Founded by Jakob Ammann in Bern, Switzerland, northeastern France, and southwest Germany.

Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.

A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather displays a mix of the two types.

Encourage couples to limit number of children they have. Example China and one child policy.

A system of legal racial segregation enforced by the National Party government in South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority black inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and minority rule by whites was maintained.

The population of a country or region expressed as an average per unit area. The figure is derived by dividing the population of the areal unit by the number of square kilometers or miles that make up the unit.

Assault carried out by mainly Turkish military forces against Armenian population in Anatolia in 1915; over a million Armenians perished and thousands fled to Russia and the Middle East.

One of the two main ethnic groups within the Jewish culture. This branch eventually settled in Central Europe after having been driven out of Jerusalem early in the first millenium A.D.

Belief that there is no god.

A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.

A religious group which is self sufficient, meaning their interaction with other religious communities is confined to little more than loose cooperation and shared ideas. Islam and Protestant denominations can be good examples.

The tracking of sound shifts and hardening of consonants "backward" toward the original language

Distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too strong (especially in Europe).

A geopolitical term, originally used to describe the process of fragmentation or division of a region or state into smaller regions or states that are often hostile or non-cooperative with each other; ... also, can't organize area into states because of longstanding antagonisms

Name the people of the Pyrenees who have their own language and whose homeland straddles the border between France and Spain and is near the Bay of Biscay. Their struggle for an independent state has periodically involved violence and terror attacks.

(1884-1885) During European Imperialism, various European leaders met in Berlin, Germany to discuss plans for dividing Africa peacefully. These leaders had little regard for African independence, and had no representation for native Africans.

Global political structure where two powers exist (e.g. US and Russia after World War II).

Rapid change in the racial composition of residential blocks in American cities that occurs when real estate agents and others stir up fears of neighborhood decline after encouraging people of color to move to previously white neighborhoods. In the resulting outmigration, real estate agents profit through the turnover of properties.

When the Serbians attacked the Bosnian Muslims and the safe areas were set up, but failed and peacekeepers couldn't control.

A vertical plane between states that cuts through the rocks below, and the airspace above the surface.

Large-scale emigration by talented people.

The dialect of English associated With upper-class Britons living in the London area and now considered standard in the United Kingdom

1954 Supreme Court decision that overturned the "separate but equal" policy.

A religion in which Buddha's teachings that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire and suffering ceases when desire ceases. Enlightenment obtained through right conduct, wisdom, and meditation releases one from desire, suffering, and rebirth (reincarnation).

A neutral state between two warring states (e.g. Mongolia, between Russia and China).

Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot attempt to transform Cambodia into a Communist society led to the genocide of over 2 million people.

The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources.

Depicts the sizes of countries according to population rather than land area.

The science of making maps.

A Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life, a set of rigid social categories that determined not only a person's occupation and economic potential, but also his or her position in society

A valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. The Constitution requires that the government conduct an "actual enumeration" of the population every 10 years.

Forces that tend to divide a country.

An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance a state.

The migration event in which individuals follow the migratory path of preceding friends or family members to an existing community.

A thematic map that uses tones or colors to represent spatial data as average values per unit area.

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior. Currently the world's largest religion.

A sovereign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland.

A global think tank that published the report"Limits to Growth" in 1972 that predicted economic growth could not continue indefinitely due to a lack of natural resources, specifically oil. The report came out a year before the oil shock of 1973.

A map that is an individual's internal, geographic understanding of a place, and is formed when people perceive information about their surroundings and then process that information into a mental image that reflects both the physical environment and that individual's social, cultural, and psychological framework.

A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit.

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.

Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

A settlement of people living in a new territory controlled by their home country

A political and economic system where factors of production are collectively owned and directed by the state (e.g. Russia, China, North Korea).

A state that posses a roughly circular shape from which the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions (e.g. Poland).

Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, by compact, create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.

A philosophy that depends to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct.

The distance-controlled spreading of an idea, innovation, or some other item through a local population by contact from person to person—analogous to the communication of a contagious illness

Migration back to an original area in which people had left (e.g., migration increases after natural disasters, yet many eventually return after a time)

A language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated

The total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

The total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

The transmission of ideas and products from one culture to another.

Also called nature-society geography, the study of the interactions between societies and the natural environments in which they live

The visible imprint of of human activity and culture on the landscape. The layers of buildings, forms, and artifacts sequentially imprinted on the landscape by the activities of various human occupants. Postulated by Carl Sauer.

A Communist program started in 1966 with the goal of getting rid of the "Four Olds" - old ideology, thought, habits, and customs. Mao Zedong established the Red Guards to carry out this task. It was ended in 1976, ending a chaotic decade of the imprisonment and death of countless innocents.

Behaviors and belief systems that members of a long-standing social group share and pass along to successive generations.

Migration with a closed route and is repeated annually or seasonally. Usually lasts a few weeks to a couple months.

Chinese philosophy based on the teachings of Laozi; taught that people should turn to nature and give up their worldly concerns.

The Janjaweed Arab militia attack and destroy Sudanese villages in an attempt to ethnically cleanse the region.

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives

Phenomenon of continued population increase, despite reduced reproductive rates.

The process of change in a society's population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population.

The study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, occupation, and other statistics

A division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body.

In geography, the frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area.

The number of people under the age of 15 and over age 64, compares to the number of people active in the labor force.

The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin. Typically, the farther away one group is from another, the less likely the two groups are to interact. (Electronic devices such as the internet and e-mail have aided in eliminating barriers to interaction between people who are far from each other).

A theory that if one nation comes under Communist control, then neighboring nations will also come under Communist control.

A map that uses dots to show the precise locations of specific observations or occurrences.

The number of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant rate of natural increase

First documented epidemiological study; mapped cases of cholera.

Church established in the Byzantine Empire after the split from the Roman Catholic Church; Greek & Russian Orthodox Churches descend from this. Rejects the Pope.

A distinct dialect in the English language. A way that many blacks in America have preserved their linguistic heritage. Is a combination of ebony and phonics.

The portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement.

A state with a long, narrow shape (e.g. Chile).

To leave one country or region to settle in another

A territory whose geographical boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory (e.g. Lesotho inside S. Africa).

An approach made by Humboldt and Ritter, 19th century geographers, which concentrated on how the physical environment caused social development, applying laws from the natural sciences to understanding relationships between the physical environment and human actions

Affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.

A shift in the disease pattern of a population as mortality fell during the first stages of the demographic transition. Acute infectious diseases were reduced, whereas chronic, degenerative diseases increased. It also meant a gradual upward shift in the age distribution of deaths.

The head librarian at Alexandria during the third century B.C.; he was one of the first cartographers. Performed a remarkably accurate computation of the earth's circumference. He is also credited with coining the term "geography."

Created the laws of migration that state that most migrants move a short distance, move to an urban area, are adults, take the process in steps, and create a migration in the opposite direction.

A made-up Latin-based language, which its European proponents in the early twentieth century hoped would become a global language

Contradicted Malthus' theory by saying population increase leads to intensification in agricultural development. With every increase in population, a new innovation will come that will improve food production, resulting in enough food to feed the population (carrying capacity won't be exceeded).

Effort to eradicate a people and its culture by means of mass killing and the destruction of historical buildings and cultural materials. Ethnic cleansing was used by both sides in the conflicts that accompanied the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

A group of people who share a common social and cultural heritage based on shared traditions, national origin, physical, and biological characteristics.

A religion in which a person is likely to be born into, rather than convert to. Such religions usually do not have missionaries or are not seeking new believers. Judaism, Hinduism and Shinto would all be examples.

The tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence; identification and loyalty a person may feel for his or her own nation.

Government policy designed to favor one race over another.

Supranational organization of 28 member-states in Europe that have integrated for improved economic and political cooperation.

A bounded territory that is part of a particular state but is separated from it by the territory of a different state (e.g. Kaliningrad).

A zone that extends 200 miles off a country's coast in which they alone have mineral and fishing rights.

The spread of an innovation or an idea through a population in an area in such a way that the number of those influenced grows continuously larger.

Government policy that encourages large families and raises the rate of population growth.

Growth in which some quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases at a constant rate per unit of time. An example is the growth sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and so on; when the increase in quantity over time is plotted, this type of growth yields a curve shaped like the letter J.

Movement from one country to another; can be voluntary (involving people seeking better conditions and opportunities), involuntary (involving those who have been taken as slaves or prisoners, or driven from their homelands by war, political unrest, religious persecution, or environment disasters), or imposed (not entirely forced but made advisable by the circumstances)

Languages that were once in use but are no longer spoken or read in daily activities by anyone in the world

Ability to produce offspring.

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government (e.g. United States).

The intentional killing of baby girls due to the preference for male babies and from the low value associated with the birth of females.

Belief of Islam: 1. There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his messenger 2. Pray 5 times a day 3. Give charity to the poor 4. Fast during the month of Ramadan 5. Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca

Culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups. Ex: The Amish

People removed from their countries and forced to live in other countries because of war, natural disaster, and government. (Atlantic Slave Trade, Jewish Diaspora)

A type of region marked by a certain degree of homogeneity in one or more phenomena; also called uniform region or homogeneous region

The central teachings of Buddhism; to live is to suffer; suffering is caused by desire; the cessation of suffering can be achieved; the solution is the Noble Eightfold Path.

A state that is not contiguous whole but rather separated parts (e.g. Indonesia).

A German trained in Biology and Chemistry who originated geopolitical theory in the late 1800's; greatly influenced by the theories of social Darwinism. He stated seven laws of state growth; the model portrays the state as behaving like a biological organism; thus, its growth and change are seen as "natural" and inevitable; pioneered the belief of environmental determinism.

An area where borders are shifting and weak and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land.

Area organized around a node or focal point. The characteristic chosen to define this kind of region dominates at a central focus or node and diminishes in importance outward. This region is tied to the central point by transportation or communication systems or by economic associations.

A religious movement characterized by a return to fundamental principles, usually including resistance to modernization and an emphasis on certainty through literal interpretation of scriptures.

A socially and culturally constructed set of distinctions between masculine and feminine sets of behaviors that is promoted and expected by society.

The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethical group.

A more general concept that refers to a conceptual hierarchy of spaces, from small to large, that reflects actual levels of organization in the real world.

Straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and/or cultural differences (e.g. the border between the US and Canada).

Branch of political geography treating national power, foreign policy, and international relations as influenced by geographic considerations of location, space, resources, and demography.

Indo-European family; classified into three groups: East, or Gothic, which is extinct, North, and West

The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party of power.

During the middle Ages, a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews; now used to denote a section of a city in which members of any minority group live because of social, legal, or economic pressure.

A computer system that stores, organizes, analyses and displays geographic data.

The idea that the world is becoming increasingly interconnected on a global scale such that smaller scales of political and economic life are becoming obsolete.

The time in that time zone encompassing the prime meridian or 0 degree longitude, also known as universal time(UT).

Language that died because the its people switched to speaking Latin after their conversion to Christianity.

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

Size of circle conveys number of occurrences of event in an area.

A mathematical formula that describes the level of interaction between two places, based on the size of their populations and their distance from each other.

African-Americans migrating from South to North. Segregation based on state laws....Jim Crow Laws.

Workers who migrate to the more developed countries in search of higher-paying jobs. Ex: North Africa to Europe.

Developed the Heartland Theory of Geopolitics - land based power would control the world after controlling eastern Europe, the "pivot area".

The region from which innovative ideas originate. This relates to the important concept of the spreading of ideas from one area to another (diffusion).

A geopolitical hypothesis, proposed by British geographer Halford Mackinder during the first two decades of the twentieth century, that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain sufficient strength to eventually dominate the world. Mackinder further proposed that since Eastern Europe controlled access to the Eurasian interior, its ruler would command the vast "heartland" to the east

The ancient Jewish language of the Torah and other scriptural writings and the national language of Israel. Today undergoing a revival.

The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places.

A religion in which central authority exercises a high degree of control.

A general term for a wide variety of beliefs and ritual practices that have developed in the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. Has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist, and south Indian religious concepts and practices. It spread along the trade routes to Southeast Asia.

Ethnic group that spans many races and nations of origin. Whites, blacks, Asian racial groups from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Central or South America.

The group that forms the majority in Rwanda and Burundi

Abolished the national-origins quotas and providing for the admission each year of 170,000 immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000 from the Western Hemisphere

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically, or socially. This led to the creation of a number of European empires which extended around the world.

Language family including the Germanic and Romance languages that is spoken by 50% of the world's people.

A figure that describes the number of babies that die within the first year of their lives in a given population

Boundaries between the world's major faiths.

Migration flow within a country, such as ongoing westward and southward movements in the United States.

An arc that for the most part follows 180° longitude, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross the International Date Line heading east (toward America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. When you go west (toward Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day.

Refugees who have crossed one or more international boundaries duting their dislocation, searching for asylum in a different country.

Punishments in the form of economic and/or diplomatic limits or even isolation.

Movement from one region to another. Ex: rural to urban

An environmental or cultural feature of the landscape that hinders migration.

The existence of a closer, less expensive opportunity for obtaining a good or service, or for a migration destination. These opportunities lessen the attractiveness of more distant place

Boundaries within a single major faith.

This type of refugee stays within the borders of his/her country in his/her migration. This generally occurs as a result of civil war.

Permanent movement within one region of a country.

A policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a state aimed at a community of its nationals living in a neighboring state.

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Paradise and Hell, and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs, but such a boundary is rarely a simple line. Ex, the usage of the terms Pop and Soda in the United States.

A language unrelated to any other language, not attached to a language family, ie Basque

A religion that branched off from Hinduism and was founded by Mahavira; its belief is that everything has a soul, and its purpose was to cleanse the soul. Some were extreme aesthetics.

Any of the laws legalizing racial segregation of blacks and whites that were enacted in Southern states beginning in the 1880s and enforced through the 1950's

A religion with a belief in one god. It originated with Abraham and the Hebrew people. Yahweh was responsible for the world and everything within it. They preserved their early history in the Old Testament.

An impartial force or principle of cause and effect that accounts for each person's good and bad actions and determines their position of rebirth based upon each person's actions in their previous lifetime.

A region on the northern border of India and in northeastern Pakistan. Formerly a state of India, it has been disputed between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947. The northwestern part is controlled by Pakistan, most of it forming the state of Azad Kashmir, while the remainder is incorporated into the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Southern African language group characterized by the use of "clicking" sounds

A self-governing province in Serbia that has sought independence. Filled with ethnic Albanians, they have been persecuted by Serbia.

Ethnic group that lives in parts of Iraq and Turkey. They often suffer persecution in both countries, and are currently under the protection of the United Nations in Iraq.

Nomadic Warrior Thesis. Marija Gimbutas. First Proto-Indo-European speakers were Kurgans. Homeland was steppes near border between present-day Russia and Kazakhstan. Around 4300 B.C. Nomadic herders. Among first to domesticate horses and cattle. Using their domesticated horses, Kurgan warriors made weapons and conquered much of Europe and South Asia

A state that is completely surrounded by land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility and from international trade routes (e.g. Bolivia).

A collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed several thousand years ago. Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families, and archaeological evidence can confirm that these derived from the same family. (EX: Romance)

The collapsing of two languages into one resulting from the consistent spatial interaction of peoples with different languages

When the language breaks into dialects due to the lack of spatial interaction among speakers of the language, continued isolation creates discrete new languages.

A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history. (EX: Indo-European)

A collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relativity recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary.

Maps that cover smaller areas with greater detail.

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the Equator.

CREATED BY ERNST RAVENSTEIN: 1) Every migration flow generates a return or counter-migration. 2) The majority of migrants move a short distance. 3) Migrants who move longer distances tend to choose big-city destinations. 4) Urban residents are less migratory than inhabitants of rural areas. 5) Families are less likely to make international moves than adults.

Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people.

Arithmetic growth; increases at a constant amount per unit time (1, 2, 3, 4, ...).

A language of international communication. Spoken across a broad area outside the native country. Ex: English as a global language and Mandarin in East Asia.

A language that is written as well as spoken; system of written communication

Single letters or numbers that are used to represent words or noises associated with an action e.g. x = kiss zzz = sleeping.

The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the Prime Meridian (0°).

"Great Vehicle" branch of Buddhism followed in China, Japan, and Central Asia. The focus is on reverence for Buddha and for bodhisattvas, enlightened persons who have postponed nirvana to help others attain enlightenment.

Theory which asserts that population is controlled through positive checks (war, famine, disease) and preventative checks (measures to reduce fertility).

A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it.

The scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map

The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

German cartographer who named new land "America."

The practice of overlaying data from one source on top on one of the mapping services.

A Sanskrit term meaning illusion or the physical world which surrounds us, blinding us to reality.

Statement in UNCLOS declaring that when there is not enough water for each country on opposite sides of the sea to have 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone, the two or more countries involved will divide the water evenly.

Medical technology invented in Europe and North America that is diffused to the poorer countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Improved medical practices have eliminated many of the traditional causes of death in poorer countries and enabled more people to live longer and healthier lives.

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought.

A map projection that fairly accurately shows shape and direction, but distorts distance and size of land masses.

Lines of longitude.

A state that encompasses a very small area (e.g. Vatican City).

The movement of persons from one country or locality to another

The tendency for certain types of people (influenced by age, education and familiar ties) to move.

The Hindu concept of the spirit's 'liberation' from the endless cycle of rebirths.

Countries in which only one language is spoken. Few countries fit this definition anymore. i.e. Japan, Venezuela, Iceland.

Belief in one God.

A term used to describe religious, ideological, and cultural aspects of the various denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is practiced around the world, but is concentrated in Utah. Founded by Joseph Smith.

Arab geographer who published a book showing the parts of the world known to Muslims

A state that has more than one dominant region in terms of economics or politics.

A society that has people belonging to more than one ethnic group, in contrast to societies which are ethnically homogeneous.

Countries in which more than one language is spoken.

A sovereign state which is viewed as comprising two or more nations.

Nations which are present in multiple states (e.g. Kurds in Northern Iraq, South Eastern Turkey, North West Iran, Northern Armenia, Eastern Azerbaijan).

Situation in which speakers of different language varieties are able to understand and communicate with one another

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country.

Identity with a group of people that share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a personal allegiance to a particular place as a result of being born there

Very restrictive immigration legislation passed in 1924, which lowered immigration to 2 percent of each nationality as found in the 1890 census. This lowered immigration dramatically and, quite intentionally, almost eliminated immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe.

A modern concept of a government that controls an area and represents the people of that area, often idealized as a homogeneous people that share a common language and feeling of nationality.

Alliance between the US and various European nations intended to provide collective security from the spread of communism.

The actual decline in population due to less than replacement births or extensive diseases. When the death rate exceeds the birth rate.

Also called economic imperialism, this is the domination of newly independent countries by foreign business interests that causes colonial-style economies to continue, which often caused monoculture (a country only producing one main export like sugar, oil, etc).

Contemporary believers in Thomas Malthus's original ideas. They call for sustainable population growth to be achieved through birth control teachings and regional attention to birth patterns.

Postulated the Rimland Theory where the Eurasian rim not the Heartland is/was the key to global power.

Constitute one of the world's major language families, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct language

A way of life, forced by a scarcity of resources, in which groups of people continually migrate to find pastures and water.

In multilingual countries the language selected, often by the educated and politically powerful elite, to promote internal cohesion; usually the language of the courts and government.

A policy implemented by the Chinese government as a method of controlling the population. Introduced in 1979 in response to an explosive population growth, and mandated that couples from China's Han majority could only have one child.

Friedrich Ratzel's geopolitical theory that states are living organisms that hunger for land and, like organisms, want to grow larger by acquiring more nourishment in the form of land.

A situation in which the number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living.

A follower of a polytheistic religion in ancient times.

An outbreak of a disease that spreads worldwide.

Lines of latitude.

The Population Bomb (1968 warned that overpopulation would drain resources and kill millions by the 1980s).

A state that completely surrounds another state. (e.g. South Africa).

A cylindrical map that attempts to retain the accurate size of all the worlds land masses.

The number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture; relates to how much land is being used by how many people.

A form of spoken communication with greatly reduced grammatical structure and limited vocabulary that is used by speakers of mutually unintelligible languages to communicate with each other. Ex: Hawaiian

Journey to a sacred place undertaken as an act of religious devotion; the purpose may be to venerate a certain saint or ask some spiritual favor, beg for a physical cure or perform an act of penance, or express thanks or fulfill a promise.

(1896) Supreme Court decision that created the "separate but equal" doctrine. As a result many states across the South had "Jim Crow Laws." Separate water fountains, restrooms, entrances, segregated seating at movie theatres, etc. Most importantly, segregated schools.

Belief in many gods.

Culture found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics.

A dramatic increase in world population since 1900. The crucial element triggering this explosion has been a dramatic decrease in the death rate, particularly for infants and children, in most of the world.

Events that increase deaths, including epidemics of infectious and parasitic diseases, war, famine and natural disasters.

Geographic viewpoint—a response to determinism—that holds that human decision making, not the environment, is the crucial factor in cultural development.

A society who speaks in their own language, but doesn't record it in any way

In Malthusian theory, the effects of delayed marriage, sexual abstinence, and birth control in controlling excess population growth.

An imaginary line passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, which marks the 0° line of longitude.

Policies that encourage the bearing of children.

Compact states with a large projecting extension (e.g. Thailand).

A belief system in which followers have an obligation to convert people to their religion.

A division from the Catholic church that brought up a reformation within Western Christianity. They protested against the established Roman Catholic Church. It began in earnest when Martin Luther called in 1517 for a reopening of the debate on the sale of indulgences and the authority to absolve sin and remit one from purgatory. The reformers made use of inexpensive pamphlets because of the printing press which was still relatively new. This caused a swift movement of both ideas and documents, including The 95 Theses . In 1524,they erupted into revolt and as they grew more violent they were denounced by Luther. With his support, the nobles suppressed the rebellion, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving thousands more homeless. The followers were also called Lutherans.

Linguistic hypothesis proposing the existence of an ancestral Indo-European language that is the hearth of the ancient Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit languages which would link modern languages from scandinavia to North Africa and from North America through parts of Asia to Australia.

Alexandrian astronomer who proposed a geocentric system of astronomy that was undisputed until Copernicus

Attractions that draw migrants to a certain place, such as a pleasant climate and employment or educational opportunities.

Incentives for potential migrants to leave a place, such as a harsh climate, economic recession, or political turmoil.

The French-speaking people of the province of Quebec in Canada

Limited the number of immigrants allowed into the United States. It favored immigrants from Northern and western Europe.

A categorization of humans based on skin color and other physical characteristics. Racial categories are social and political construction because they are based on ideas that some biological differences (esp. skin color) are more important than others (e.g. height, etc), even though the later might have more significance in terms of human activity. With its roots in 16th century England, the term is closely associated with European colonialism because of the impact of the development on global understandings of racial differences.

Real estate agents advising customers to purchase homes in neighborhoods depending on their race.

Belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Population growth measured as the excess of live births over deaths. Does not reflect either emigrant or immigrant movements.

A discriminatory real estate practice in North America in which members of minority groups are prevented from obtaining money to purchase homes or property in predominantly white neighborhoods. The practice derived its name from the red lines depicted on cadastral maps used by real estate agents and developers. Today, redlining is officially illegal.

A map that works well for locating and navigating between places.

People who are forced to migrate from their home country and cannot return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion.

A territory that encompasses many places that share similar attributes (may be physical, cultural, or both) in comparison with the attributes of places elsewhere.

Directions such as left, right, forward, backward, up, and down

A measure of distance that includes the costs of overcoming the friction of absolute distance separating two places. Often relative distance describes the amount of social, cultural, or economic, connectivity between two places.

A boundary no longer observed but that still affects the present-day area (e.g. border between West and East Germany in Berlin).

A large and fundamental division within a religion.

Place names based on religious influences. For example, many towns and cities have been named for Christian missions that once stood there.

The diffusion of ideas, innovations, behaviors, and so on, from one place to another through migration.

Money migrants send back to family and friends in their home countries, often in cash, forming an important part of the economy in many poorer countries.

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods.

Hypothesis that three areas in and near the first agricultural hearth, the Fertile Crescent, gave rise to three language families: Europe's Indo-European languages (from Anatolia - present-day Turkey); North Africa and Arabian languages (from the western arc of the Fertile Crescent); and the languages in present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India (from the eastern arc of the Fertile Crescent)

Average number of children a couple must bear to replace themselves. The average for a country of the world usually is slightly higher than two children per couple (2.1 in the United States and 2.5 in some developing countries) mostly because some children die before reaching their reproductive years.

Government policy designed to reduce the rate of natural increase (ex: China's One Child Policy); sometimes, this can lead to too much of a decline in population

Nicholas Spykman's theory that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasia would provide the base for world conquest.

Projection that attempts to balance several possible projection errors. It does not maintain completely accurate area, shape, distance, or direction, but it minimizes errors in each.

Branch of Christianity based in Rome, Italy and led by the Pope. Largest group within Christianity, it is popular in Latin America, southern Europe and areas of Africa that used to be French, Spanish or Portuguese colonies.

The part of Indo-European family; clustered in Southwestern Europe and Latin America (French, Spanish, Italian)

April 1994-Early July 1994; Belgain and German colonizers come, give power to Tutsis who discriminate against Hutus; after colonizers leave, Hutus gain power and slaughter all Tutsis and moderate Hutus; 900,000 killed in three months; international community did nothing

Former Belgian colony with two ethnic groups that were forced to identify by ethnicities; Tutsi minority favored, Hutus resentful; when Rwanda achieved independence, Hutus took over, leading to a cycle of voice that ended with the genocide of the Tutsis.

These places hold special importance for followers of specific faiths. They may be burial grounds, temples, or other locations believed to possess holy qualities or spiritual value.

In Hinduism, the term given to the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

A state that is formally independent but heavily influenced by another state (e.g. Bulgaria during the Soviet Union).

A relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of the faith.

An indifference to religion and a belief that religion should be excluded from civic affairs and public education.

The ability of an ethnic-group to decide how it wishes to be governed, as an independent nation or as part of another country.

Jews of Spain, Morocco, and the Mediterranean region.

It is the legal framework within which public and some private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Muslim principles.

A region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals (e.g., Israel or Kashmir today; Eastern Europe during the Cold War,...).

a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs.

An ancient, indigenous religion native to Japan, characterized by veneration of nature spirits and ancestors and by a lack of formal dogma.

Founder of Buddhism.

A monotheistic religion founded in northern India by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam.

A language composed of the Chinese and Tibeto-Burman languages. They are 2nd behind Indo-European in number of native speakers.

Shows fewer details, and focuses on a larger area (region, world).

A principle of international relations that holds that final authority over social, economic, and political matters should rest with the legitimate rulers of independent states.

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

Languages that are recognized by the government and the intellectual elite as the norm for use in schools, government, media, and other aspects of public life.

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.

Used to imply that a group, usually a minority ethnic group, is a nation but does does not have a State of its own (ex. Kurds, Palestinians)

When the crude birth rate equals the crude death rate and the natural increase rate approaches zero. (aka Zero population growth; Often applied to countries in stage 4 of the demographic transition model)

Migration to a distant destination that occurs in stages, for example, from farm to nearby village and later to a town and city.

An idea promotes a local experiment or change in culture and changes the idea to something that a culture can accept (at first, the change is not acceptable, so they change it so it is acceptable).

A branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad.

A political boundary placed by powerful outsiders on a developed human landscape. Usually ignores pre-existing cultural-spatial patterns (e.g. the Berlin Conference).

The term applied to associations created by three or more states for their mutual benefit and achievement of shared objectives.

A Bantu language widely used as a lingua franca in East Africa and having official status in several countries

A blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith.

A phrase that states that the shape of a state influences how effectively the government can rule its territory.

The systematic use of violence by a group in order to intimidate a population or coerce a government into granting its demands.

A state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of a group of religious leaders (e.g. Iran).

"Way of the Elders" branch of Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. Theravada remains close to the original principles set forth by the Buddha; it downplays the importance of gods and emphasizes austerity and the individual's search for enlightenment.

Author of "Essay on the Principal of Population" (1798) who claimed that population grows at an exponential rate while food production increases arithmetically, and thereby that, eventually, population growth would outpace food production.

15 degrees bands of longitude and assigned to standardize time.

The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years.

Ended Thirty Years War in 1648; granted right to individual rulers within the Holy Roman Empire to choose their own religion (either Protestant or Catholic) and initiated the concept of sovereignty.

The minority ethnic tribe in Rwanda who were victims of the 1994 genocide

United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Seas. The international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973 and 1982. Purpose: To establish a comprehensive set of rules governing the oceans and to replace previous U.N. Conventions on the Law of the Sea, one in 1958 (UNCLOS I) and another in 1960 (UNCLOS II), that were believed to be inadequate.

Circumstances of too few people to sufficiently develop the resources of a country or region to improve the level of living of its inhabitants. It does not refer to resources but to having enough people to support the local economic system. If there are not enough tax payers, then the area cannot continue.

A sovereign state governed as a single entity. The central government is supreme, and the administrative divisions exercise only powers that the central government has delegated to them.

An international peacekeeping organization to which most nations in the world belong, founded in 1945 to promote world peace, security, and economic development. Currently there are 193 members.

A belief system that espouses the idea that there is one true religion that is universal in scope. Adherents of universalizing religious systems often believe that their religion represents universal truths, and in some cases great effort is undertaken in evangelism and missionary work.

An area that people believe to exsist as part of their cultural identity (perceptual region).

Population movement in which people relocate in response to perceived opportunity, not because they are forced to move.

A name for Belgian citizens in the southern part of the country who are likely to speak French.

It is both replacing characters of color with white characters in movies and TV (like Ben Affleck, a white actor, playing Latino CIA agent Tony Mendez in Argo) and also lightening black people's skin in advertisements.

Realized that European languages share basic similarities to Sanskrit that weren't based on shared words. He thus deduced the existence of an Indo-European language and people.

A religion originating in ancient Iran. It centered on a single benevolent deity-Ahuramazda, Emphasizing truth-telling, purity, and reverence for nature, the religion demanded that humans choose sides between good and evil.