GCSE CAIE Geography: Terminology Quick-Memorise Guide | GCSE CAIE 地理：词汇术语速记指南

📚 GCSE CAIE Geography: Terminology Quick-Memorise Guide | GCSE CAIE 地理：词汇术语速记指南

This guide compiles the essential vocabulary for CAIE GCSE Geography, grouped by topic for efficient revision. Each term is paired with a concise definition in English and its Chinese equivalent to help you build a bilingual geography glossary and reinforce key concepts quickly.

本指南汇编了 CAIE GCSE 地理考试的核心词汇，按主题分类便于高效复习。每个术语都配有简洁的英文定义和对应的中文解释，帮助你建立双语地理词汇表，快速巩固关键概念。

1. Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes | 板块构造与火山

Plate Boundary – The margin where two tectonic plates meet. Movement can be convergent, divergent or transform, generating earthquakes and volcanic activity.

板块边界 – 两个板块相遇的边缘。运动方式可以是汇聚、分离或转换，从而产生地震和火山活动。

Subduction – The process where a denser oceanic plate sinks beneath a less dense continental plate, forming deep ocean trenches and explosive volcanoes.

俯冲作用 – 较密的海洋板块俯冲到密度较小的大陆板块之下的过程，形成深海沟和爆炸性火山。

Magma vs Lava – Magma is molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface; lava is molten rock that has erupted onto the surface.

岩浆与熔岩 – 岩浆是地表以下的熔融岩石；熔岩是喷发到地表的熔融岩石。

Shield Volcano – A broad, gently sloping volcano built from fluid basaltic lava, with non-explosive eruptions.

盾状火山 – 由流动性玄武岩熔岩构成、宽阔且坡度平缓的火山，喷发较宁静。

Stratovolcano – A steep, conical volcano composed of alternating layers of lava and ash, known for explosive eruptions.

层状火山 – 由熔岩和火山灰交替堆积而成的陡峭锥形火山，以爆炸性喷发为特征。

Focus and Epicentre – The focus is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates; the epicentre is the point on the surface directly above the focus.

震源与震中 – 震源是地球内部地震发生的点；震中是震源正上方的地表点。

Richter Scale – A logarithmic scale measuring the magnitude (energy released) of an earthquake.

里氏震级 – 一种对数标度，用于测量地震的大小（释放的能量）。

Mercalli Scale – A scale grading the intensity of shaking and damage caused by an earthquake, from I (not felt) to XII (total destruction).

麦卡利震度 – 根据地震造成的摇晃和破坏程度进行分级的标度，从 I 级（无感）到 XII 级（完全毁坏）。

Tsunami – A series of huge sea waves caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or landslides.

海啸 – 由海底地震、火山喷发或滑坡引发的一系列巨大海浪。

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2. Rivers and Fluvial Processes | 河流与河流过程

Drainage Basin – The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries, also called a catchment area.

流域 – 一条河流及其支流排水的陆地区域，又称集水区。

Source and Mouth – The source is where a river begins (often in upland areas); the mouth is where it enters the sea or a lake.

河源与河口 – 河源是河流开始的地方（通常在高地）；河口是它流入海洋或湖泊的地方。

Confluence and Tributary – A confluence is where two rivers join; a tributary is a smaller stream feeding a larger river.

汇流点与支流 – 汇流点是两条河流交汇处；支流是汇入更大河流的小溪。

Erosion Processes – Hydraulic action (force of water), abrasion (scraping by load), attrition (rocks hitting each other) and solution (dissolving of minerals).

侵蚀作用 – 水力作用（水的冲击力）、磨蚀（搬运物质刮擦）、磨损（石块相互碰撞）和溶蚀（矿物溶解）。

Transportation – Traction (rolling of large boulders), saltation (bouncing of small stones), suspension (fine particles carried) and solution (dissolved material).

搬运作用 – 推移（大卵石滚动）、跃移（小石子跳跃）、悬移（细粒悬浮）和溶运（溶解物质）。

Deposition – The dropping of material when a river loses energy, common on the inside of meanders and at river mouths.

沉积作用 – 河流能量减弱时物质沉降，常发生在曲流内侧和河口。

Meander and Oxbow Lake – A meander is a bend in a river; an oxbow lake is a crescent-shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off from the main channel.

曲流与牛轭湖 – 曲流是河流弯曲处；牛轭湖是曲流被截断后与主河道分离形成的月牙形湖泊。

Floodplain and Levee – A floodplain is the flat area next to a river prone to flooding; levees are natural raised banks formed by repeated deposition during floods.

河漫滩与天然堤 – 河漫滩是河流旁易发洪水的平原；天然堤是洪水反复沉积形成的天然隆起河岸。

Delta – A landform at a river mouth created by sediment deposition where the river meets a body of standing water.

三角洲 – 河流注入静止水体时，因沉积物堆积而形成的河口地貌。

River Discharge – The volume of water passing a given point per second, measured in cubic metres per second (m³/s).

河流流量 – 每秒钟通过某点的水量，以立方米/秒（m³/s）计量。

Storm Hydrograph – A graph showing river discharge over time after a rainfall event; key features are the rising limb, peak discharge and lag time.

洪水过程线 – 显示降雨事件后河流流量随时间变化的图；关键要素有涨洪段、洪峰流量和滞后时间。

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3. Coastal Processes and Landforms | 海岸过程与地貌

Swash and Backwash – Swash is water rushing up the beach after a wave breaks; backwash is water flowing back to the sea. The balance determines beach erosion or deposition.

冲流与回流 – 冲流是波浪破碎后冲向海滩的水；回流是退回海中的水。两者的平衡决定海滩侵蚀或堆积。

Constructive Wave – A low-energy wave with stronger swash than backwash, building up the beach.

建设性波浪 – 低能量波浪，冲流强于回流，加积海滩。

Destructive Wave – A high-energy wave with stronger backwash than swash, removing material from the beach.

破坏性波浪 – 高能量波浪，回流强于冲流，侵蚀海滩物质。

Longshore Drift – The movement of sediment along a coastline caused by waves approaching at an angle.

沿岸漂移 – 波浪以一定角度接近海岸时，沉积物沿海岸线移动的过程。

Coastal Erosion Landforms – Caves, arches, stacks and stumps form sequentially through erosion of headlands at weaknesses such as joints.

海岸侵蚀地貌 – 海蚀洞、海蚀拱、海蚀柱和海蚀礁依次通过波浪侵蚀岬角薄弱部位（如节理）形成。

Headland and Bay – A headland is a resistant rock outcrop that protrudes into the sea; a bay is a curved indentation where softer rock has been eroded more rapidly.

岬角与海湾 – 岬角是突入海中的坚硬岩石露头；海湾是较软岩石被快速侵蚀后形成的弧状凹陷。

Spit, Bar and Tombolo – A spit is a long, narrow ridge of sand/shingle extending from the coast; a bar connects two headlands; a tombolo links an island to the mainland.

沙嘴、沙坝与连岛沙洲 – 沙嘴是从海岸伸出的狭长沙砾脊；沙坝连接两个岬角；连岛沙洲连接岛屿与大陆。

Hard and Soft Engineering – Hard engineering uses artificial structures (sea wall, groynes) to control the coast; soft engineering works with natural processes (beach nourishment, managed retreat).

硬工程与软工程 – 硬工程使用人工构筑物（海堤、丁坝）控制海岸；软工程顺应自然过程（滩涂补沙、有管理撤退）。

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4. Weather, Climate and Climate Change | 天气、气候与气候变化

Weather vs Climate – Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere; climate is the average weather pattern over at least 30 years.

天气与气候 – 天气是大气每天的即时状态；气候是至少30年的平均天气模式。

Relief Rainfall – Precipitation caused when moist air is forced to rise over hills or mountains, cooling and condensing.

地形雨 – 潮湿空气被迫抬升至山地或丘陵时，冷却凝结形成的降水。

Convectional Rainfall – Precipitation triggered when the ground heats the air, causing it to rise rapidly and condense into cumulonimbus clouds.

对流雨 – 地面加热空气，使其迅速上升并凝结成积雨云所引发的降水。

Frontal Rainfall – Precipitation formed when warm air is forced to rise over cold air along a front.

锋面雨 – 暖空气在锋面上被迫抬升至冷空气之上而形成的降水。

Air Mass – A large body of air with similar temperature and humidity; the movement and interaction of air masses shape regional weather.

气团 – 一大片温度和湿度相似的空气；气团的移动与相互作用塑造区域天气。

Tropical Storm – A rotating, low-pressure system with strong winds and heavy rain, known as hurricane (Atlantic), cyclone (Indian Ocean) or typhoon (Pacific).

热带风暴 – 旋转的低压系统，伴有强风和暴雨，大西洋称飓风，印度洋称气旋，太平洋称台风。

Eye and Eyewall – The eye is the calm, clear centre of a storm; the eyewall is the ring of intense convective activity around it, with the strongest winds.

风眼与眼壁 – 风眼是风暴中平静、晴朗的中心；眼壁是围绕其周围的强烈对流环，风速最强。

Greenhouse Effect – The natural trapping of heat in the atmosphere by gases (CO₂, methane, water vapour) keeping Earth warm enough for life.

温室效应 – 大气中的气体（CO₂、甲烷、水蒸气）自然截留热量，使地球保持适宜生命存在的温度。

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect – The additional warming caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, leading to global warming.

增强的温室效应 – 人类活动增加温室气体排放导致的额外升温，引发全球变暖。

Mitigation vs Adaptation – Mitigation reduces greenhouse gas emissions (renewable energy, reforestation); adaptation adjusts to actual or expected climate change impacts (sea walls, drought-resistant crops).

减缓与适应 – 减缓是减少温室气体排放（可再生能源、植树造林）；适应是针对气候变化影响做出调整（海堤、耐旱作物）。

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5. Ecosystems and Biomes | 生态系统与生物群系

Ecosystem – A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment (air, water, soil).

生态系统 – 生物群落与其非生物环境（空气、水、土壤）相互作用的统一体。

Biome – A large-scale global ecosystem defined by climate and dominant vegetation, e.g., tropical rainforest, desert, tundra.

生物群系 – 由气候和优势植被决定的大尺度全球生态系统，如热带雨林、沙漠、冻原。

Food Chain and Food Web – A food chain shows a simple feeding sequence (producer → primary consumer → secondary consumer); a food web is a complex network of interlinked chains.

食物链与食物网 – 食物链显示简单的摄食顺序（生产者→初级消费者→次级消费者）；食物网是相互关联的复杂食物链网络。

Producer, Consumer, Decomposer – Producers (plants) make their own food via photosynthesis; consumers eat other organisms; decomposers (bacteria, fungi) break down dead matter.

生产者、消费者、分解者 – 生产者（植物）通过光合作用制造食物；消费者取食其他生物；分解者（细菌、真菌）分解死有机质。

Nutrient Cycle – The movement of nutrients between the biomass, litter, and soil. In a tropical rainforest, rapid decomposition keeps most nutrients in the biomass.

养分循环 – 养分在生物量、枯枝落叶层和土壤之间的流动。热带雨林中分解迅速，养分多储存在生物量中。

Tropical Rainforest Layers – Emergent (tallest trees), canopy (dense leafy roof), understory (shrubs and young trees) and forest floor (dark, sparse vegetation).

热带雨林层次 – 露生层（最高大乔木）、树冠层（浓密叶幕）、林下层（灌木与幼树）和森林地表层（阴暗、植被稀少）。

Leaching and Deforestation – Leaching is the washing of nutrients out of the soil by heavy rain; deforestation is the large-scale removal of forest, often leading to soil erosion and biodiversity loss.

淋溶与毁林 – 淋溶是大雨将养分冲出土壤的过程；毁林是大规模砍伐森林，常导致土壤侵蚀和生物多样性丧失。

Sustainability – Using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising future generations, e.g., selective logging, ecotourism.

可持续性 – 在满足当代需求的同时不损害后代需求的方式使用资源，如择伐、生态旅游。

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6. Population Dynamics | 人口动态

Birth Rate and Death Rate – Birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people per year; death rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year.

出生率与死亡率 – 出生率是每年每千人的活产数；死亡率是每年每千人的死亡数。

Natural Increase – The difference between birth rate and death rate, expressed as a percentage.

自然增长率 – 出生率与死亡率之差，以百分比表示。

Migration Terms – Immigration is movement into a country; emigration is movement out. Net migration = immigration minus emigration.

迁移术语 – 迁入是移入一个国家；迁出是移出一个国家。净迁移 = 迁入量 − 迁出量。

Population Density and Distribution – Density is the number of people per square kilometre; distribution describes where people live across an area.

人口密度与人口分布 – 密度是每平方公里的人数；分布描述人口在地区内的居住格局。

Overpopulation and Underpopulation – Overpopulation occurs when resources cannot support the population; underpopulation means too few people to fully use available resources.

人口过剩与人口不足 – 人口过剩指资源不足以支撑人口；人口不足指人口太少，资源未能充分利用。

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) – A five-stage model showing population change over time as birth and death rates alter with development.

人口转变模型（DTM） – 展示随时间推移出生率和死亡率随发展变化的人口变化五阶段模型。

Dependency Ratio – The proportion of people under 15 and over 65 relative to the working-age population (15–64).

抚养比 – 15岁以下与65岁以上人口相对于劳动年龄人口（15–64）的比例。

Youthful vs Ageing Population – A youthful population has a high proportion of young dependants; an ageing population has a rising proportion of elderly, placing pressure on healthcare and pensions.

年轻人口与老龄化人口 – 年轻人口中年轻受扶养者比例高；老龄化人口老年人比例上升，给医疗和养老带来压力。

Pro-natalist and Anti-natalist Policies – Pro-natalist policies encourage births (e.g., France’s childcare support); anti-natalist policies aim to reduce birth rates (e.g., China’s former one-child policy).

鼓励生育与抑制生育政策 – 鼓励生育政策刺激出生率（如法国的育儿补贴）；抑制生育政策旨在降低出生率（如中国过去的独生子女政策）。

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7. Settlement and Urbanisation | 定居与城市化

Settlement Hierarchy – The ranking of settlements by size, population and range of services: from hamlet to village, town, city and conurbation.

聚落等级 – 按规模、人口和服务范围对聚落排序：从小村、村庄、镇、城市到大都市连绵区。

Threshold Population and Sphere of Influence – Threshold is the minimum number of customers needed for a service to be profitable; sphere of influence is the area served.

门槛人口与服务范围 – 门槛是某项服务盈利所需的最低顾客数量；服务范围是服务的辐射区域。

High-order vs Low-order Goods – High-order goods are comparison goods bought infrequently (furniture, jewellery); low-order goods are convenience goods bought often (bread, milk).

高档商品与低档商品 – 高档商品是不常购买的比较性商品（家具、珠宝）；低档商品是经常购买的便利品（面包、牛奶）。

Urbanisation and Counter-urbanisation – Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of people living in urban areas; counter-urbanisation is the movement of people out of cities into rural areas.

城市化与逆城市化 – 城市化是城镇人口比例增长的过程；逆城市化是人们从城市迁往乡村地区的现象。

Suburbanisation and Re-urbanisation – Suburbanisation is the spread of housing and businesses from the inner city to the suburbs; re-urbanisation is when former central areas attract new investment and residents.

郊区化与再城市化 – 郊区化是住房和商业从内城向郊区扩散；再城市化指衰落的市中心区域重新吸引投资和居民。

Megacity – A city with a population exceeding 10 million, such as Tokyo or Delhi.

超大城市 – 人口超过1000万的城市，如东京、德里。

Burgess Model and Hoyt Model – The Burgess model shows city land use in concentric rings (CBD, transition zone, etc.); the Hoyt sector model depicts land use in wedges along transport routes.

伯吉斯模型与霍伊特模型 – 伯吉斯模型以同心圆带显示城市土地利用（CBD、过渡带等）；霍伊特扇形模型沿交通干道呈楔形分布。

CBD and Inner City – CBD is the central business district with high land values and concentration of shops/offices; inner city is the older, often industrial zone surrounding the CBD, sometimes experiencing deprivation.

中央商务区与内城 – CBD是地价高昂、商店与办公楼聚集的中央商务区；内城是CBD周围较老、常为工业区的区域，有时面临贫困问题。

Urban Sprawl and Sustainable City – Urban sprawl is the uncontrolled spread of a city into the countryside; a sustainable city minimises environmental impact and promotes green transport and energy efficiency.

城市蔓延与可持续城市 – 城市蔓延是城市无序扩张到乡村地区；可持续城市尽量减少环境影响，推广绿色交通和提高能效。

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8. Economic Development and Industry | 经济发展与工业

Industrial Sectors – Primary (extracting raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), quaternary (research and information).

产业部门 – 第一产业（原材料开采）、第二产业（制造业）、第三产业（服务业）、第四产业（科研与信息）。

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Income (GNI) – GDP is the total value of goods/services produced in a country; GNI includes net income from abroad.

国内生产总值（GDP）与国民总收入（GNI） – GDP是一国生产商品与服务的总价值；GNI则包括来自国外的净收入。

Human Development Index (HDI) – A composite indicator using life expectancy, education and GNI per capita to measure a country’s development.

人类发展指数（HDI） – 综合预期寿命、教育和人均GNI的指标，用于衡量一国发展水平。

Development Gap – The difference in wealth and quality of life between more and less developed countries.

发展差距 – 较发达国家与欠发达国家在财富和生活质量上的差距。

HIC, LIC and NEE – High-income countries, low-income countries, and newly emerging economies (e.g., Brazil, India) with rapid industrialisation.

高收入国家、低收入国家与新兴经济体 – 高收入国家、低收入国家和快速工业化的新兴经济体（如巴西、印度）。

Transnational Corporation (TNC) – A large company operating in multiple countries, e.g., Apple, Nike. TNCs can bring jobs but may exploit local labour and resources.

跨国公司（TNC） – 在多个国家运营的大型公司，如苹果、耐克。跨国公司可带来就业，但也可能剥削当地劳动力和资源。

Globalisation – The increasing interconnectedness of economies, cultures and societies through trade, technology and communication.

全球化 – 通过贸易、技术和通信使经济、文化和社会日益相互联系的过程。

Appropriate Technology and Fair Trade – Appropriate

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