Geography Terms +
(geography includes mapmakers, scientists, explorers of the earth and provides a way to look at both the physical world and the people who live in various parts this globe)
continental (adjective)
1. A reference to forming or belonging to one of the seven land masses of the world: "Railroads are still being developed around the world to make continental traveling easier to do and to do it in less time."
2. When capitalized, related to the thirteen American colonies in or at about the same time as the Revolutionary War: "When George Washington turned 50 in February of 1782, he was commander of the Continental Army."
2. When capitalized, related to the thirteen American colonies in or at about the same time as the Revolutionary War: "When George Washington turned 50 in February of 1782, he was commander of the Continental Army."
"In 1783, the members of the Continental military were struggling to survive against the British forces."
Continental Divide
The main series of mountains in North America, primarily the crests of the Rocky Mountains, that form a watershed (ridge of land) that separates the rivers flowing east into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico from those flowing west into the Pacific Ocean.
continental drift
The theory that today's continents were formed by the breakup of prehistoric supercontinents and that they slowly drifted to their current positions.
continental shelf
The offshore extensions of continents.
continental suture
A mountain range formed by the convergence of continental plates; for example, the Himalayas, the Appalachians, and the Alps.
core area
A nation's or a culture's historic homeland.
Coriolis force, Coriolis effect
The force that causes winds, or any freely moving object or fluid, to deviate to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, as a result of the earth's rotation.
cultural divergence
The theory that explains the formation of early cultures as the result of groups dividing, migrating, and slowly changing in response to new ideas and environmental stress.
cultural realm
A region where a group's culture prevails.
cultural revivalism
The rediscovery of a former cultural identity in which members of a culture which has been overwhelmed by another dominant culture strive to regain their former culture.
culture
The way of life of a group which is transmitted between generations and includes a shared system of meanings, beliefs, values, and social relations.
It includes such things; such as, language, religion, clothing, music, laws, and entertainment.
culture hearth
A specific place where a distinctive culture originated.
cumulative causation
The spiral buildup of mutually reinforcing advantages which occurs in specific geographic settings as a result of the development of external economies and localization economies.
cyberspace
The world of electronic computerized spaces encompassed by the internet and related technologies; such as, the World Wide Web.
delta
A flat, low-lying area formed by sediment deposited by a stream entering a body of standing water.
