Geography - Glossary
10th Social Science
Back waters:
The part of a river which are stagnant and do not reach the sea as they are pushed by the current.
Distributary:
A branch or outlet which leaves a main river and does not rejoin it, carrying its water to the sea or a lake.
Doab:
A land between the two converging rivers.
Estuary:
Mouth of a river where it enters the sea through a single channel with a hollow.
Perennial Rivers:
The rivers which flow throughout the year and have permanent source of water.
Pass:
A narrow gap through the mountains providing a route or passage way.
Peninsula:
The land area covered with ocean on three sides.
Subcontinent:
A large area of a continent that stands distinct from the rest of the continent and possesses almost all the characteristics of a continent.
Standard Time:
The local time of central meridian of ones country.
Tributary:
A river or stream which contributes its water to main river.
Climate:
The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Meteorology:
The branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a means of forecasting the weather.
Season:
Each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hou.
Weather:
The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time as regards heat, cloudiness, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Wildlife:
Wild animals collectively; the native fauna (and sometimes flora) of a region.
Soil:
Soil is the uppermost layer of the land surface composed of minerals, organic matter, living organisms and water
Khadar:
Newer alluvium soil found in valley flooded almost every year
Bhangar:
Older alluvium soil found in30 mts above flood level
Soil erosion:
Removal of top soil
Soil conservation:
Prevention of soil from erosion and protecting its fertility.
Irrigation:
Watering of plants through artificial means.
Multipurpose projects:
Construction of dams across rivers aimed at many purposes
Agriculture:
It is the process of producing food, feed, fibre and many other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated plants
Biogas:
The production of methane and carbon- di- oxide from plants and animal wastes.
Fossil fuel:
Any naturally occurring carbon or hydrocarbon coal, oil and natural gas.
Ore:
It is a deposit in the earth crust with one or more value minerals
Solar power:
Heat radiation from the sun converted into electricity.
Thermal power station:
An electricity generating plants which burns coal or oil.
Barter:
A direct exchange of goods between any two parties.No money is involved in the trade.
Foreign exchange:
The mechanism or process by which payments between any two places operating under different national currency systems are effected without passing of actual money or gold, etc.
Harbour:
An extensive stretch of deep water near the seashore where vessels can anchor securely. It is used for exports and imports of goods.
Port:
The commercial part of a harbour with the facility of loading and unloading of goods and space for the storage of cargo.
Bay:
A broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inwards
Beach:
A pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the sea between high- and low-water marks
Biogas:
The production of methane and carbon- di- oxide from plants and animal wastes
Commercial crops:
Crops which are cultivated to be sold to gain profit from sale.
Cyclone:
A cyclone is a large scale air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure.
Dams:
A barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir used to generate electricity, supply water and other uses.
Delta:
A triangular shaped alluvial tract formed at the mouth of a river.
Density of population:
The average number of inhabitants living per sq km area
Drought:
It is a natural disaster of below average precipitation in a given region resulting water shortage.
Drowning:
death caused by being underwater and not being able to breath.
Endemism:
The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation
Exports:
Goods dispatched from one country to another.
Flood:
A large amount of water that has spread from a river
Imports:
Goods bought into a country from another country.
Land slide:
sudden fall of mass of the rocks etc down side of the mountain
Literates:
The people with the ability to read and write.
Leaching:
It is a process in rainy seasons which all the soluble minerals are washed away by runoff water so the soil is infertile
Latitude:
The imaginary parallel lines which run east to west on the globe.
Longitude:
The imaginary vertical lines which run north to south on the globe.
Mangroves:
Salt tolerant evergreen forest ecosystem found mainly in tropical and sub-tropical coastal and/or inter-tidal regions.
Manchester:
An industrial city and metropolitan district in north-western England/items for the home made of cotton, linen, etc., such as sheets, pillowcases, or tablecloths.
Meteorology:
The science of weather.
Mixed farming:
It is a type of farming which involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock simultaneously in a land holding.
Monsoon:
Season
Natural resources:
Materials or substances occur in nature and are used for economic gain
Open Forest:
Lands with forest cover having a canopy density between 10 to 40 percent.
Plantation agriculture:
Well organized and managed farming with a single crop on a large scale. It is a capital intensive farming. Tea, coffee and rubber are the major plantation crops.
Plateau:
An extensive elevated area of relatively a flat land.
Population:
All the people living in a particular country, area, or place
Population census:
Official enumeration of population along with economic and social attributes of a region at a specified interval.
Protected Forest(PF):
An area notified under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or other State Forest Acts, having limited degree of protection. In protected forest all activities are permitted unless prohibited.
Regions:
An area, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.
Reserved Forest (RF):
An area constituted under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or other State Forest Acts, having full degree of protection. In Reserved forests all activities are prohibited unless permitted.
Reservoirs:
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
Sedimentary rock:
A rock which has been formed by the consolidation of sediments.
Sex ratio:
The number of females per 1000 males.
Stampede:
a situation in which a large number of animals or people running in the same direction in an uncontrolled way causing injuries and deaths
Strait:
A narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two other large areas of water.
Subsistence intenensive farming:
It is a type of farming in which crops grown are consumed by the family with little surplus to sell.
Unclassed Forest:
An area recorded as forest but not included in reserved or protected forest category.
UNESCO World Heritage Site:
Representing the main ecosystem of the planet in which genetic resisources would be protected, and where research on the ecosystem as well as monitoring and training work could be carried.