This Cheat Sheet provides a handy list of terms you'll need to know as you study geography.
Geography terms
Axis: An imaginary pole through the middle of Earth (from the South Pole to the North Pole), around which it rotates.
Carrying capacity: The number of people that can be supported in an area by available resources.
Continental shelf: The raised ocean bottom along the margins of continents.
Diffusion: The spread of phenomena, such as cultural traits, across space.
Equator: An imaginary line that is equidistant between the two poles.
Global Positioning System (GPS): A system of satellites and receivers used to determine accurate locations on Earth.
Gradation: The wearing down of Earth’s surface.
Graticule: Earth’s grid system composed of lines of latitude and longitude.
High-pressure system: A region of cool descending air, usually characterized by clear skies and low humidity.
Latitude: Lines on Earth’s grid that run east to west.
Longitude: Lines on Earth’s grid that run north to south.
Low-pressure system: A region of warm ascending air, usually characterized by clouds and storms.
Natural increase: Population change that occurs when birth rates exceed death rates.
North and South Poles: The points where the axis intersects Earth’s surface.
Plate tectonics: The scientific theory that the hard outer portion of Earth is divided into plates that move relative to each other.
Prime Meridian: The zero-degree line of longitude.
