Social Studies Words to Know for the BIG TEST

Social Studies Words to Know for the BIG TEST

AgricultureFarming

Areaan amount of space

CapitalMoney (that can be used for a business)

Century100 years (Note: The 20th century means 1900s.)

Civilizationan (advanced) group of people

ClimateThe usual weather conditions of a region

CoastThe land next to the ocean or sea

Commandmenta law (a command)

Communisman economic system where everyone’s money is collected by the government and the

government decides what and how much of a product is produced.

ConsumerSomeone who consumes (someone who buys something)

Culturethe way of life of a group of people

Demandhow much something is wanted (or demanded)

DemocracyRule by the people (the people can vote)

EconomicThink “dealing with money”

EconomyThink “money”

EnvironmentOne’s surroundings / nature.

Exchangetrade

Faithreligion

GovernmentThe person or group of people ruling over an area.

GDP per capitaGross Domestic Product per capita (same meaning as “per capita income”)

*Gulf Streaman ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean

IndustryTrade or manufacturing in general

Laborpeople working

Labor force(total amount or percentage of) people working

Life expectancyHow many years the average person lives (in a given area)

Literacy rateThe percentage of people (in a country) that can read

Marketwhere things are sold and bought

Marketplacewhere things are sold and bought

Monsoona seasonal wind (of the Indian Ocean)

Middle EastSouthwest Asia and North Africa

MiningGetting minerals from the ground

Nationa country (for example: The United States, Germany, Mexico, Canada, and France)

Point of viewa way of seeing (the world)

(a) Plainan area of flat land

*Produceto make something

*ProducerSomeone who makes something

*ProductSomething made

*Productionthe making of something

*PopulationThe number of people

Regiona geographical area

River valleya valley with a river running through it (Note: river valleys are where the first

civilizations emerged)

Ruralcountryside (opposite of Urban)

Servicework done for someone

*Supplythe amount of something

Tectonicthe earth’s crust

TradeExchange of goods (things)

TraderOne who trades (exchanges goods)

Urbancity (opposite of Rural)

ValleyLow land between hills or mountains that often has a river running through it.

General Words to Know for the BIG TEST

Abundancea lot of something

According toAs per a particular source

Accuratecorrect

Adjustchange

Arisescomes about

Barriersomething that blocks something or someone else.

BasedAccording to

Benefitadvantage

Chain reactionOne thing affects another thing that in turn affects something else

Characteristica (unique) part

Combineto put together (two things)

Conclusionan answer

ContributeTo add to

Datanumbers / information

*Dense / densitya lot of something in an area

Dependsonis determined by

Describeto tell about

Developto improve

Developmentimprovement

Devastateto destroy

Distributionhow something is distributed (handed out)

Dominatethe main one

Efficientcan do with the least waste of time and effort

Excerpta small portion of a written work.

Expressto say

*FactorSomething that contributes to a result

Fertilecan easily grow

(a) firma company

Foundto establish

Generalizeto infer (to be able to understand somewhat based on limited information)

Illustrateshows

Independentable to do by oneself

Indicateto show

Individuala person

Influenceto have an effect on

Implementto begin

Interpretationto understand (in a particular way)

Invade/InvasionTo attack (and go into another country)

Majoritya greater portion

Miningto get minerals like stone, diamonds, coal, etc. out of the earth.

Occurrenceto come about

Offerto give

Ought toshould

Patternsomething that repeats

Possessionsthings owned

Protectto defend

Provideto give

Qualityhow well something is made

Reduceto decrease

Referenceto referred to (meant by)

Representsomething or someone that stands for something or someone else

Resourcea source of supply

Retaliateto return like for like (especially to return evil for evil)

Routea trail / a way

Rubblebroken bits and pieces of something

Settlementa place where people live

Shortagenot enough of something

Sparsenot much of (in an area)

Specializeto have a specialty (to be good at something)

Statementsomething said

Suggestto indicate (indirectly)

*Supportto help

*Supportto agree with

Throughoutfrom beginning to end

TypicallyUsually

Varietymany different kinds

Big Long Social Studies Words to Know for the BIG TEST

Developed country a rich country

Developing countrya poor country

*Entrepreneurship Starting new companies

*Free enterprise system(free) market economy

Infant mortality rate The number of babies that die at birth (per 1,000 babies)

*Limited governmentRuler(s) have limited power (For example: any form of Democracy)

Natural resourceLand, forest, mineral deposits, etc. of a country

Per capita income The average income per person

Physical processenvironmental factor

*Population density number of people per square mile (or square kilometer, etc.)

Standard of LivingThe level (of being rich or poor) that one is able to live

Traditional economyEconomic decisions are based on tradition.

Underdeveloped

(or developing) nationa poor nation

*Unlimited government Ruler(s) have unlimited power (For example: military government, absolute

monarchy, dictatorship, autocracy, one-party state)