Edexcel GCSE Geography A key terms

Changing forest land into land used for crops or livestock.

Cutting tree stems close to ground level and allowing new shoots to regrow from the remaining stump before a later harvest.

An area where investment, economic activity, infrastructure and employment opportunities are concentrated.

The deflection of moving air and water caused by the Earth's rotation: to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.

An armchair-shaped hollow eroded by a glacier, with a steep back wall, a basin and a lip.

An index ranking countries and territories by perceived public-sector corruption, scored from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The movement of people from urban areas to smaller settlements or rural areas beyond the city's built-up edge.

A landform consisting of a resistant bedrock crag and a sheltered, tapering tail of less resistant material extending downstream.

The amount of a crop harvested from a given area of land.

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

The area occupied by water in a slice across a river channel, measured in square metres (m²).

The reduction or cancellation of debt, lowering the amount a borrower must repay.

The movement of businesses and other activities away from a city’s centre towards its suburbs or surrounding areas.

Describes trees that shed their leaves seasonally and grow new leaves in the next growing season.

An ecosystem dominated by trees that shed their leaves seasonally, usually in autumn in temperate regions.

The breakdown of dead organic material by organisms such as bacteria and fungi, releasing nutrients.

The clearing or removal of forest.

The proportion of a population living in urban areas at a particular time, usually expressed as a percentage.

A decline in the importance of manufacturing and other industrial employment in an economy.

The study and dating of annual tree rings, which can also provide evidence of past growing conditions.

The number of children and older people relative to the working-age population, usually expressed per 100 working-age people.

The laying down of sediment carried by water.

Removing dissolved salts from seawater or other salty water to produce freshwater.

The degradation of land in dry regions, reducing its ability to support vegetation and farming.

A country with a high level of economic development and generally high living standards.

Changes to land or buildings to meet needs such as housing, employment, farming or infrastructure.

A statistic used to assess an aspect of a population’s living standards or quality of life.