Edexcel GCSE Geography A key terms

Descriptive information, such as observations of housing conditions or residents’ accounts of their experiences.

People’s wellbeing, including their health, housing, income, access to services and the quality of their surroundings.

Numerical evidence obtained by counting or measuring, such as the number of premises in each land-use category.

Information expressed as numbers, such as income, journey times or the number of people sharing a toilet.

The geological period covering approximately the last 2.6 million years, characterised by repeated glacial and interglacial periods.

Knowledge-based economic activity involving research, information technology and the development of new ideas.

Waste containing radioactive material that requires secure management and storage to protect people and the environment.

The general direction of change in rainfall across a period of years, rather than an individual wet or dry year.

A relatively dry area on the sheltered side of hills or mountains, where air has lost moisture while rising over the windward slopes.

The change in a quantity over a specified time interval, often expressed per year or per decade.

How quickly the proportion of a population living in urban areas changes over time.

Wastewater that has been treated so that it can be reused.

The renewal of an area through improvements to its buildings, environment, economy and services.

The pressure of water demand on available renewable water supply, commonly measured as the ratio of demand to supply.

A landscape whose main features were formed by processes operating in the past, such as glacial erosion, but which remains after those conditions have changed.

The height and shape of the land.

Rainfall produced when moist air is forced to rise over high ground, cools and its water vapour condenses.

Money sent by people working abroad to people in their home country.

Energy obtained from sources replenished naturally on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind and flowing water.

An energy source that is naturally replenished as it is used, rather than being exhausted like a finite fuel supply.

A resource replenished by natural processes on a human timescale; biological resources can still be depleted if used faster than they are replaced.

Water supplies replenished through natural processes, such as rainfall feeding rivers and recharging groundwater.

The extent to which collected data reflects the wider population, places or times being investigated.

An artificial lake used to store water, often created by building a dam across a river.

The ability of people and communities to cope with a hazard, recover and prepare for future events.

Something people use to meet their needs, such as food, timber, water or fuel.

The use of resources such as food, water, energy and construction materials by people and economic activities.