Interaction Between Humans & Environment

Pathogen

A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that could cause disease.

Metropole

A chief town or the parent state of a colony.

Pandemic

A disease that is prevalent across a whole country or the world.

Rural

Relating to the countryside rather than the town. Little to no pollution and is sparsely populated. Non-urban.

Savanna/savannah

A grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions with few trees (esp. in Africa and South America.)

Nomadic

A member of a people that has no permanent abode and instead moves about from place to place, usually seasonally. This task is completed in order to find fresh pasture for their livestock.

Monsoon

A seasonal wind in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia that brings heavy rains in the summer.

Tundra

A vast, flat, and treeless area located in the Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.

Epidemic

A widespread outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals in an area or a population at the same time.

Population

All the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.

Famine

An extreme scarcity of food. Could be caused by a crop failure or disaster.

Xenophobia

An intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Desert

Arid land that is typically covered with sand. Tends to be desolate, waterless, and lacking vegetation. Is also known to have a very warm climate.

Disease

Condition of a living animal or plant that impairs normal functioning and can be manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms: Sickness.

Push factors (as related to migration)

Conditions that drive people to leave their homes (ex. poverty, famine, drought, few jobs/opportunities, natural disasters, and religious/political persecution.)

Pull factors (as related to migration)

Generally a benefit that attracts people to a certain place (ex. jobs and opportunities, land, and religious/political freedom.)

Urban

Of, pertaining, or relating to a city, town, or densely populated region.

Emigration

The act of leaving one's country to permanently settle in another.

Deforestation

The action of clearing a wide area of trees (usually by cutting or burning.)

Immigration

The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.

Climate

The average condition of weather in an area over a period of several years, usually exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation.

Metropolis

The capital or chief city of a particular country, state, or region. Is a significant economic, political, and cultural center as well as a hub for international or regional communications.

Diaspora

The movement, migration, or scattering of people away from their established ancestral homeland (ex. the dispersion of Jews beyond Israel.)

Demography

The study of human populations. Statistics associated with demography include the geographical distribution of people, birth and death rates, socioeconomic status, and age and sex distributions.

Desertification

The transformation through which fertile land becomes desert, usually as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Technology

The use of science in areas such as industry and engineering to innovate and solve problems.

Erosion

To diminish or destroy by degrees (by wind, water, or other natural agents.)

Migration

To move from one country, place, or locality to another (ex. the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.)

Vaccination

Treatment that produces immunity against a disease. Killed or weakened bacteria and viruses are introduced to the body in order to stimulate antibody production.