AQA GCSE Geography key terms

An association between two variables: positive when they tend to increase together, and negative when one tends to decrease as the other increases.

An armchair-shaped mountain hollow with a steep back wall, deep basin and raised lip, formed by glacial erosion.

The movement of people from towns and cities to rural areas.

Writing that weighs evidence, explanations or methods by examining their strengths, limitations and implications.

A small agricultural holding, especially in the Highlands and islands of Scotland.

The amount of crop produced per unit area of farmland.

A cross-section taken across a river channel or its valley, at right angles to the direction of flow.

A drawing showing the shape of the land along a line, as though a vertical slice had been taken through the landscape.

The presence of different cultural traditions within a population, expressed through features such as food, music, festivals and religious practices.

The ideas, customs and activities associated with a society, including its music, films and sport.

A running total of frequencies up to a particular value or class boundary.

A barrier built across a river to hold back water and control its flow.

Examining data using comparisons, calculations and relationships to make findings more precise.

A restriction or weakness in evidence that limits what can reasonably be concluded from it.

The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year.

An arrangement in which some of a country’s debt is cancelled or redirected in return for funding or commitments to protect the environment.

The cancellation or reduction of debt, reducing the repayments a borrower must make.

Describes trees that shed their leaves seasonally, usually in autumn in temperate climates.

A tree that loses its leaves seasonally, usually in autumn in the UK.

An organism, such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead organic material and releases nutrients.

The removal of forest, often to make land available for farming or other uses.

The decline in the importance of manufacturing within an economy, particularly its share of employment.

The decline of manufacturing and other industrial activity in an area, often involving factory closures and job losses.

The quantity of a product that consumers want and are able to buy.

A model showing how birth rates, death rates and population growth change as societies develop and industrialise.

The laying down of transported material, for example when melting glacial ice releases its load.

The condition of land or buildings that have been abandoned and fallen into disrepair.

The removal of salt from seawater to produce freshwater.