Geography key terms

Unsorted sediment deposited directly by a glacier, ranging from fine clay to large boulders.

Wood used as a material, for example in building construction.

An assessment against specified standards that can identify timber from forests managed according to environmental, social and economic requirements.

The felling and removal of trees for their wood.

A sequence of measurements taken at different dates, used to investigate change over time.

A critical threshold beyond which a system may undergo a large, potentially irreversible change.

A transnational corporation: a business that operates in more than one country.

A ridge of deposited sediment connecting an island to the mainland.

Development in which governments or transnational corporations lead decisions and organise projects.

An approach in which government or other powerful organisations plan and direct improvements.

A large-scale approach in which governments or other powerful organisations make decisions and direct investment.

The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime if current age-specific fertility rates continued.

The route followed by the centre of a tropical cyclone as it moves.

Transportation in which large stones and boulders roll along the river bed.

The exchange of goods and services between people, businesses or countries.

A situation in which the value of a country’s imports exceeds the value of its exports over a stated period.

A situation in which gaining one benefit involves accepting a disadvantage or giving up another benefit.

The prevailing tropical winds that blow towards the equatorial low-pressure belt: from the north-east in the Northern Hemisphere and the south-east in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fuels such as wood, charcoal and dried animal dung used particularly for cooking and heating.

A build-up of vehicles that slows traffic because demand for road space exceeds the road's capacity.

A written record of spoken responses, such as an interview.

A record of features along a selected line through an area, showing changes in features such as vegetation, settlement or land-use. These can be displayed alongside a cross-section.

A business with operations in more than one country.

The release of water vapour from plants into the atmosphere, mainly through their leaves.

The movement of sediment or dissolved material from one place to another.

The movement of material by a river.

The physical networks and facilities that enable people and goods to move, including roads, railways, ports and airports.