AQA GCSE Geography key terms

A range used to group numerical observations, such as depths from 10 cm up to, but not including, 20 cm.

A steep rock face at the coast, shaped by marine erosion, weathering and collapse.

The long-term pattern of weather in a place, usually described using averages and variability over at least 30 years.

A long-term change in patterns of temperature, rainfall and other features of climate.

The establishment of control over a territory and its people by another country.

Generating electricity and using the heat produced at the same time, for example to heat nearby homes or workplaces.

Farming mainly to produce crops or livestock for sale.

A voluntary association of 56 countries, most with historical links to the British Empire, which cooperate on matters such as development, trade, democracy and human rights.

A settlement where many residents travel to work in another settlement, often a nearby city.

Regular travel between home and a workplace elsewhere.

A final answer to a question, justified by the evidence and reasoning presented.

A fee charged for driving within a designated area, intended to discourage car use and reduce traffic.

How well places are linked, affecting how easily people and goods can travel between them.

Careful management and use of a resource to reduce waste and protect supplies for the future.

A plate boundary where plates slide past one another without creating or destroying crust.

A plate boundary where plates move apart and magma cools to form new crust.

A wave whose swash is stronger than its backwash, tending to deposit sediment and build up a beach.

An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by eating other organisms.

The effect of distance from the sea on climate: inland locations generally have a greater difference between summer and winter temperatures.

Numerical data that can take any value within a range, such as temperature or river depth.

A line joining points at the same height above sea level.

A low barrier of earth or stones built along a contour, across a slope, to slow runoff and retain soil and water.

The vertical difference in height between successive contour lines.

A line on a map joining points of equal height above sea level.

Settings with meaningfully different geographical characteristics, such as a coastal environment and an urban neighbourhood.

A comparison group that does not receive the treatment or intervention being investigated.

A large, continuous built-up area formed when expanding towns or cities join together.