Alliances - a formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes
Aristocracy- A social class of people that hold hereditary titles granted by a monarch.
Barter – The process of trading goods and services for other goods and services without the use of money.
Bi-lingual- able to speak two languages with the facility of a native speaker.
BiologicalWarfare - warfare that makes use of bacteria, viruses, toxins, etc., to disable or destroy people, domestic animals, and food crops.
Bushido- The Samurai warrior code of Feudal Japan
Capitalism - an economic system that is based on the private ownership of property and the resources of production
Climate Change – a long term change in the Earth’s climate
Communism - a political and economic system in which factors of production are collectively owned and directed by the state
Conquistador- A Spanish explorer and soldier determined to conquer new land for profit and the glory of the Church.
Deforestation- the clearing or destruction of forests, generally for the purposes of timber extraction, agricultural expansion, cattle raising and in drier climates an increase demand for firewood.
Democracy- A form of government in which citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives and that they are allowed to participate equally—either directly or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws.
Demographics - the statistical data of a population
Desertification– a process by which desert-like conditions are created by a loss of plant cover and soil due to human activity and climatic changes in arid and semi-arid regions
Dictator- A form of government in which one person possesses absolute power without constitutional limits. Usually taken by force.
Dynasty – A series of rulers from the same ruling family. The most famous examples of these occurred in China.
Empire- A large group of lands and peoples controlled by a central authority, either a monarch or an oligarchy.
Enlightenment – a movement that stressed the use of reason to challenge ideas and beliefs
Epidemic - an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time
Ethnic Cleansing- the removal or extermination of a racial or cultural group.
Fascism- A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of political opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism
Genocide- the extermination of a cultural or racial group
Globalization- An elimination of barriers to trade, communication, and cultural exchange. The theory is that worldwide openness will promote the inherent wealth of all nations.
Global Warming- theory that Earth’s atmosphere is warming up as a result of air pollution, causing ecological problems
GPS- A system of satellites, computers, and receivers that is able to determine the latitude and longitude
Holocaust – a mass slaughter of people. Used especially to refer to the killing of Jews and other European citizens during World War 2.
Imperialism - the act of a stronger nation taking over a weaker one for land, money, resources, and/or people
Industrialization – period of social and economic change that transforms a group from agriculture based to industrial based
Innovation - the creation and implementation of new ideas, methods, or devices
Interdependence- a relationship between individuals or groups in which both groups are reliant on each other
Laissez-faire- The belief that the government should not be involved in economic affairs
Missionary – a person who is sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or foreign country.
Monarchy- A political system in which the leader, usually a king or queen, is decided by hereditary title.
Monotheism- A religion that worships one god only. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are examples
Nationalism - an extreme love and adoration of ones country that leads to contempt to other nations
Natural Disasters - a process taking place in the natural environment that destroys human life, property, or both
Natural Resources- anything from the natural environment that people use to meet their needs. They are “gifts of nature” that are present without human intervention.
Negotiation – to arrange for or bring about through conference, discussion, and compromise
Non-Profit Organiztion- An organization that exists for charitable or educational purposes, not for economic gain.
Oligarchy- A system of government where power is held by a small group of people, often members of the military.
Polytheism A religion that worships many gods
Population Distribution– the pattern of where people live
Primary Source- A source, such as a letter or a law, written in the time period that you are studying.
Push/Pull Factors - forces or conditions that serve to drive people either towards or away from place i.e. environmental conditions and demographic trends.
Quality of Life - socio-economic wellbeing and life satisfaction
Reason – the power to comprehend, infer, question, and reflect
Refugees - a person who has fled or been expelled from his or her country of origin because of natural disaster, war or military occupation, or fear of religious, racial, or political persecution
Renaissance - time of rebirth. Europeans experienced a reawakening of interest in the classics--government, literature, art, and thought.
Renewable Resources- a natural resource that can be quickly replaced by nature
Revolutions - a complete or drastic change of government or society and the rules which are followed by that government or society
Scientific Revolution- the period of great advances in the sciences, roughly 1500-1700
Social Darwinism- The belief that conflict between groups in society leads to social progress as superior groups outcompete inferior ones
Socialism - any one of various systems in which the means of producing goods are owned by the community or the government rather than by private individuals with all people sharing in the work and the goods produced.
Urbanization - massive and rapid growth of the population of a city or town as a result of increased migration. The migration is usually from a rural, non-industrialized area