NCEA Level 2 Geography flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Grid reference

A coordinate locating a point on a topographic map, given as eastings then northings; four figures locate an area, six figures locate a precise point.

Contour line

A line on a map joining points of equal height above sea level; the spacing between lines shows the steepness of the slope.

Map scale

The ratio between distance on a map and distance on the ground; a 1:50,000 scale means one centimetre on the map equals 500 metres on the ground.

Bearing

A direction measured in degrees clockwise from north, expressed as three digits, such as 045 degrees for northeast.

Cross-section

A profile drawn from a map along a line between two points, showing the shape of the land surface and the steepness of slopes.

Geographic concept: processes

The natural and human actions, such as erosion, tectonic movement, migration, or urbanisation, that shape environments and produce change over time.

Geographic concept: patterns

The regular or repeated arrangement of features in space, such as settlement distribution, land use zones, or vegetation belts, and the reasons for that arrangement.

Geographic concept: interaction

The two-way relationship between people and their environment, where people modify environments and environments shape human activity and wellbeing.

Geographic concept: perspectives

The different viewpoints, values, and interests that individuals and groups hold about an environment or issue, which influence how they respond to it.

Geographic concept: change

The alteration of environments, patterns, or processes over time, including short-term events and long-term trends, and the rates at which they occur.

Sustainability

Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions.

Describe versus explain

Describing states what and where something is; explaining gives reasons and processes and links cause to effect, which is required for Merit.

Evaluate

To weigh evidence and viewpoints, judge strengths and weaknesses, and reach a justified conclusion; this level of thinking is required for Excellence.

Primary data

Information collected first-hand by the researcher, such as field surveys, measurements, observations, or interviews, gathered for the specific geographic inquiry.

Secondary data

Information collected by others and reused, such as census statistics, maps, reports, or news articles, used to support a geographic inquiry.

Contemporary geographic issue

A current, contested problem with spatial dimensions in which different groups hold different viewpoints and possible responses can be evaluated.

Fieldwork

Collecting data in the real environment, such as measuring river flow, surveying land use, or recording traffic counts, to answer a geographic question.

Sampling technique

A method for choosing representative sites or respondents, such as random, systematic, or stratified sampling, used to reduce bias in field data.

Natural landscape

An environment shaped mainly by natural processes, such as mountains, coasts, or river valleys, studied through the processes that formed its features.

Tectonic process

Movement and interaction of the Earth's plates, producing features such as fold mountains, faults, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Erosion

The wearing away and removal of rock or soil by agents such as water, wind, ice, or gravity, which shapes landforms over time.

Deposition

The laying down of eroded material when an agent such as a river, glacier, or wind loses energy, building features such as deltas and moraines.

Weathering

The breakdown of rock in place by physical, chemical, or biological processes, without the material being transported away.

Fluvial landform

A feature shaped by river action, such as a V-shaped valley, meander, floodplain, or delta, created by erosion and deposition.

Coastal process

The action of waves, currents, tides, and sea-level change in shaping coasts through erosion, transportation, and deposition.

Urbanisation

The increasing proportion of a population living in towns and cities, driven by rural-urban migration and natural increase, and producing land use change.

Land use pattern

The spatial arrangement of activities such as housing, industry, retail, and recreation across an area, shaped by accessibility, cost, and planning.

Settlement pattern

The distribution of settlements across a region, described as clustered, dispersed, or linear, and explained by physical and human factors.

Rural-urban migration

The movement of people from countryside to cities, driven by push factors such as limited employment and pull factors such as jobs and services.

Spatial variation

Differences in the characteristics of places or phenomena across space, such as uneven income, population density, or environmental quality.

Stakeholder viewpoint

The position held by a group with an interest in an issue, such as residents, iwi, councils, or developers, shaped by their values and needs.

Response to an issue

An action taken to address a geographic issue, such as regulation, planning, community action, or technological change, judged by its effectiveness and consequences.