6th Grade Social Studies Midterm Vocab

a theory used to explain how continents move

average weather over many years

ancient civilization in Africa that controlled trade on the Red Sea

an area of moderate climate in the US with tall grasses

Greece's most famous city-state

this theme of geography is used to find where it is

it takes earth 24 hours to do this one full time

nations taking over other nations and making them colonies

used to interpret actual distances compared to distances on a map

theme of geography used to understand how we affect the world & how the world affects us

czar that was the most cruel to the serfs

also known as the polar zones

these are also called lines of longitude

someone who practices Islam

plants that grow in a place naturally

climate located in the Arctic circle; it is cold and only low shrubs, mosses, and lichens grow

a system of government that gives more power to the people

landform rising to a narrow peak more than 2000 feet above sea level

a round map of the earth (like a ball)

unit of measurement for latitude and longitude

landform that has rounded tops and is usually lower than a mountain

change in the accuracy of shapes and distances

a way to organize society when there is no central government

North, South, East, & West

last czar of Russia

oval-shaped path the earth makes around the sun

water falling to the ground as rain, ice, etc.

cold water current from Antarctica that keeps the west coast of South America cool

Why did the Russian people eventually revolt against the czars?

uppermost branches of a forest create this

this theme of geography is used to make comparisons between places

How did Islam spread throughout Africa?

a process that breaks rocks down into tiny pieces

All of these are an alternative to non-renewable fossil-fuels, EXCEPT

this is also called a legend, it shows what the symbols on a map mean

the area between the polar circle and tropics

a flat map of the earth

ancient civilization that grew around the Nile River in Africa

shapes and types of land

this theme of geography is used to describe its human and physical features

small pieces of rock carried to new places (by wind, glaciers, etc.)

Two important changes during the Age of Revolution  (the period that followed the Renaissance)

this theme of geography is used to help understand the relationship among places

a special line of latitude that is in the middle of the globe

the current that carries warm water up the Atlantic coast of US all the way to Britain

a special line of longitude that runs from through Greenwich, England.  0 degrees longitude

Why did iron tools, herding and farming end up in Southern Africa?

it takes earth a year (365 and 1/2 days) to do this once around the sun

why it is colder on Mount Everest than in Death Valley

the area between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn (near the Equator)

a region of flat land

a model on a map that shows the cardinal directions

east-west circles around the globe

day-to-day changes in the air

the holy book of Islam

an imaginary line upon which the earth turns

geographers use these to pinpoint a place from east to west

the study of earth

France's king during the Renaissance

how hot or cold the air is

the earth's crust broken into huge pieces called...

these are also called parallels

a large, mostly flat area that rise above the surrounding land