UNIT 1: VOCABULARY

ABATTOIR: a place where animals are killed for their meat.

BORDER: a line separating two countries, administrative divisions, or other areas.

COUNCILLOR: a member of a local government council, such as a city council.

CURRENCY: a system of money in general use in a particular country.

DUTY: a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility.

EXECUTIVE POWER: the branch of government exercising authority in and holding responsibility for the governance of a state. The executive executes and enforces law.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS): Computer system that relates different elements of geographical data.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: study of how humans use our physical surroundings and the resulting forms of spatial organisation.

LEGISLATIVE POWER: the capacity of a legislative chamber to encourage or compel actions by others.

MAYOR: an official elected to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough.

MUNICIPALITY: a town or district that has local government.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: study of the Earth's physical environment and ecosystems.

REFERENDUM: the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative.

REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY: study of the relationship between a particular society and its physical surroundings.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: a form of democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives as opposed to a direct democracy.

RIGHT: a moral or legal entitlement to have or do something.

STATE: a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

STATELESS NATION: an ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state and is not the majority population in any nation state.

UN (United Nations): a supranational organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

WELFARE: statutory procedure designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need.