Unit 6 Political System Vocabulary
1. Democracy – A type of government in which citizens hold political power either directly or through elected
representatives.
2. Dictatorship- A type of government in which an individual or a group holds complete political power.
3. Monarchy- A type of government in which a ruling family headed by a king or queen holds political power and
may or may not share the power with citizen bodies.
4. Nationalism- the belief that people should be loyal to their own nation, the people with whom they share land,
culture, and history.
5. Natural Boundaries-Boundaries that follow a feature of the landscape
6. Patriotism-love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it.
7. Political Unit- A unit with political responsibilities: Examples- country, state, city
8. Republic-a government in which citizens elect representatives to rule on their behalf.
9. Sovereign- a supreme ruler
10. Suffrage- the right to vote
11. Theocracy-A country governed by religious laws
12. Totalitarian-a government in which one person or group of people rule a country in which the people have no
say.
Unit 7 Culture Vocabulary
1. Acculturation – The cultural change that occurs when individuals in a society accept or adopt an innovation.
2. Cultural convergence – the growing similarity between national cultures, including the beliefs, values,
aspirations, and the preference of consumers.
3. Assimilation – a process whereby a minority group gradually gives up its own culture and adopts the culture of
the majority group.
4. Buddhism – a religion that originated in India about 500B.C. and spread to China, where it grew into a major
religion by A.D. 400.
5. Christianity – The religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
6. Cultural diffusion – the spreading out of culture, culture traits, or a cultural pattern from a central point.
7. Culture – the total knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by members of a group.
8. Customs –a practice followed by people of a particular group or religion
9. Formal region – has one or more common features that make it different from the surrounding areas.
10. Gender – The condition of being female or male.
11. Innovation- taking existing elements of society and creating something new to meet a need.
12. Islam- a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, and the biggest culture and
religious influence on North Africa.
13. Monotheism – belief in one god.
14. Muslim – A person who practices Islam
15. Polytheism – belief in many gods.
16. Spatial distribution – The distribution of ideas, products, culture, technology, innovation, languages to other
people.