GEOGRAPHY TERMS
ANTIPODES
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A region or place on the opposite
side of a point on the earth.
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ANTICYCLONES
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Winds which blow outward from the
center.
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APHELION
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Position of the earth in its orbit
when is at the maximum distance from the sun.
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ARCHIPELAGO
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A cluster of islands, e.g., Pearl
Islands in the Gulf of Panama.
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ATOLL
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Coral reef resembling a horse
shoe, enclosing a lagoon.
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AXIS
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An imaginary line joining north
and south poles.
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AVALANCHE
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A vast mass of snow mixed with
earth or stones.
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BIOSPHERE
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Animate or inanimate organic
kingdom on earth.
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CANYON
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A deep valley cut by a river
through a mountain region, e,g., the Grand Canyon of the Colarado river in
the USA.
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CONTINENTAL SHELF
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Land adjoining a continent
submerged in the sea.
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CYCLONES
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A low pressure system area in
which the wind blows spirally inward.
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CROP ROTATION
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Growing different crops needing different
minerals for their growth in the same piece of land in order to get more
yield.
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DATE LINE
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An imaginary line pointing
north-south approximating to the Meridian 180 (east or west) where the date
changes by one day the moment it is crossed.
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DELTA
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Alluvial deposit shaped like Greek
letter, formed at the mouth of the river, where it falls into the sea, e.g.,
the Sunderban delta.
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DEW
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Condensed atmospheric water
vapours due to the cooling of the air.
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DRY FARMING
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Growing of crops in low rainfall
areas by moisture conservation, crop rotation but without irrigation.
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EQUATOR
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An imaginary line dividing the
earth into two equal parts.
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EQUINOXES
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The day on which nights and days
are of equal duration, e.g., March 22 and September 23.
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EROSION
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Wearing away of the earth's land
surface by rain, wind, water, etc. rendering the land infertile.
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ECLIPSE
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When one earthly body obscures
another one partially or completely.
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FOG
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When the atmospheric moisture touches
cold earth and condenses on dust particles.
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FROST
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When the atmospheric moisture
deposits in the shape of icy flakes on the exposed objects or near the ground
due to below freezing point temperature.
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HIGH SEAS
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The parts of the sea which do not
come under the territorial jurisdiction of the nations.
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ICEBERG
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Huge mass of ice separated from
glacier in the polar regions. These masses of ice float in the oceans with 9
parts submerged in the ocean and one part visible.
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ISOBARS
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Lines on the map connecting the
places of the same pressure.
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ISOTHERMS
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Lines on the map joining the
places of the same temperature.
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ISTHMUS
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Narrow neck of land joining two
land areas.
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KUNDAN
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Anew variety of wheat which gives
high yields in both rained and irrigated tracts and responds well to low dose
of water and fertiliser.
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LAGOON
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A shallow stream of water at the
mouth of a river enclosed bu dunes of river silt.
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LIGHT YEAR
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The distance traveled by light in
one year. It is equal to 9.4*10612 km.
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LOCAL TIME
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Time calculated from the sun at
noon at any place of earth.
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MERIDIAN
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Imaginary line joining north and
south poles and cutting the equator at right angles.
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MIST
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It is just like fog but contain
more moisture.
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OASIS
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A part of the desert where water
and vegetation are found.
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ORBIT
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The path of the heavenly bodies.
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PYGMALLION POINT
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The southernmost point of India,
700 km away from mainland India.
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PRAIRIES
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Smooth, treeless, green plain of
Central and North America.
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REEF
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Jutting of rock or shingle or sand
at just above or below sea level.
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SAVANNA
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Land covered with natural grass.
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SIDEREAL DAY
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Time taken by the earth to rotate once
round its axis.
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SNOW LINE
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Altitudinal line along which the
area remains snow clad.
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SPRING TIDES
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Higher tides in the ocean caused
by the sun and the moon together. When the sun, the earth and the moon are
positioned in a straight line.
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NEAP TIDES
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Tides caused by the differences of
the forces exerted by the moon and the sun when both are at right angles to
each other.
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TORNADO
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A brisk and violent storm
generally having rotator motion.
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TUNDRAS
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Peripheral area of Arctic ocean.
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TYCOON
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Violent hurricane in China Sea.
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WEATHER SATELLITE
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Artificial satellite designed to
forecast weather.
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WESTERLIES
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Constant winds blowing from
south-west in the northern hemisphere and north-west in south hemisphere.
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