📚 IGCSE CAIE Geography: Rapid Vocabulary & Terminology Guide | IGCSE CAIE 地理：词汇术语速记指南
In IGCSE CAIE Geography, precise terminology is not just for definitions; it is the key to unlocking marks in case studies, data response and extended writing. This guide groups high-frequency terms into memory-friendly themes so you can build accurate geographical vocabulary quickly.
在 IGCSE CAIE 地理中，精准术语不只是为了背定义，更是打开案例分析、图表题与论述题得分的关键。本指南将高频词汇按主题分组，帮助你快速建立准确的地理词汇体系。
1. Map and Location Skills | 地图与定位技能
Map skills form the foundation of IGCSE CAIE Geography papers. You must read grid references, interpret relief and use scale accurately before you can answer questions on any physical or human topic.
地图技能是 IGCSE CAIE 地理试卷的基础。在回答任何自然或人文主题问题前，你必须会读网格坐标、判断地形并准确使用比例尺。
Four-figure grid reference: locates a 1 km × 1 km square on an Ordnance Survey-style map; a six-figure reference gives a point within that square.
四位网格坐标：定位地图上 1 千米 × 1 千米的方格；六位坐标则给出方格内的具体点位。
Contour interval: the vertical height difference between adjacent contour lines; closely spaced contours mean a steep gradient.
等高距：相邻等高线之间的垂直高差；等高线密集表示坡度陡峭。
Scale: represented as a ratio, line scale or statement; 1:50 000 means 1 cm on the map equals 0.5 km on the ground.
比例尺：可用数字比例、直线比例或文字表示；1:50 000 表示图上 1 厘米等于实地 0.5 千米。
Bearing: the clockwise angle from north, written as a three-digit number, e.g. 090° is due east.
方位角：从正北顺时针测量的角度，写作三位数，如 090° 表示正东。
Relief: the shape and height of the land, shown by contours, spot heights and layer shading.
地形起伏：土地的形态与高度，通过等高线、高程点和分层设色表示。
2. River System Terms | 河流系统术语
River questions require accurate use of process vocabulary. Learn the difference between erosion, transportation and deposition, and connect each feature to the process that creates it.
河流题要求准确使用过程词汇。要区分侵蚀、搬运与沉积，并把每种地貌形态与其形成过程联系起来。
Drainage basin: the area drained by a river and its tributaries, bounded by a watershed.
流域：由一条河流及其支流排水的区域，边界为分水岭。
Confluence: the point where two rivers meet; a tributary is a smaller stream joining a larger river.
汇流点：两条河流交汇处；支流是汇入较大河流的小河。
Erosion processes: hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition and solution wear away the river bed and banks.
侵蚀作用：水力作用、磨蚀、磨耗与溶蚀会侵蚀河床与河岸。
Transportation: traction, saltation, suspension and solution move eroded material downstream.
搬运作用：推移、跃移、悬移与溶移将侵蚀物质向下游搬运。
Deposition: when a river loses energy and drops its load; it creates floodplains, levees and deltas.
沉积作用：当河流能量降低并卸下负载时发生，形成洪泛平原、天然堤和三角洲。
Oxbow lake: a horseshoe-shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off by deposition across its neck.
牛轭湖：曲流颈部被沉积物截断后形成的马蹄形湖泊。
Lag time: the delay between peak rainfall and peak river discharge; shorter lag time increases flood risk.
滞时：降雨峰值与河流流量峰值之间的时间差；滞时越短，洪水风险越高。
3. Coastal Process Terms | 海岸过程术语
Coastal landforms are produced by waves, erosion and deposition. Always link a feature such as a stack or spit to the process sequence rather than just labelling it.
海岸地貌由海浪、侵蚀与沉积共同塑造。遇到海蚀柱或沙嘴等地貌时，要联系形成过程顺序，而不是只写出名称。
Fetch: the open distance over which wind blows to generate waves; longer fetch often produces more powerful waves.
风区：风在海面吹过的开阔距离；风区越长，通常产生的波浪能量越大。
Swash and backwash: swash moves water up the beach, backwash returns it; strong backwash removes sand and makes a beach steeper.
冲流与回流：冲流将水推上海滩，回流将水带回；回流强会带走沙粒，使海滩变陡。
Longshore drift: zigzag movement of sediment along the coast caused by waves approaching at an angle.
沿岸漂移：波浪以一定角度接近海岸，造成泥沙沿海岸呈之字形移动。
Stack and stump: isolated rock towers left after arches collapse; continued erosion leaves a stump at low tide.
海蚀柱与海蚀残柱：海蚀拱塌陷后留下的孤立岩柱；继续侵蚀会在低潮位留下残柱。
Spit: a curved sand or shingle ridge extending out from the coastline, formed by longshore drift and deposition.
沙嘴：由沿岸漂移和沉积形成的从海岸伸出的弯曲沙砾脊。
4. Weather and Climate Terms | 天气与气候术语
Weather and climate questions often test your understanding of rainfall types and pressure systems. Use precise terms rather than saying ‘rain’ or ‘windy’.
天气与气候题常考降雨类型与气压系统。要使用精准术语，而不是只说 rain 或 windy。
Weather vs climate: weather is short-term atmospheric conditions; climate is the average weather over at least 30 years.
天气与气候：天气是短时间的大气状况；气候是至少 30 年的平均天气状态。
Convectional rainfall: heated ground warms air, which rises, cools, condenses and forms heavy showers.
对流雨：地面受热使空气增温上升，冷却凝结形成强阵雨。
Relief rainfall: moist air is forced to rise over hills, cools on the windward side and drops rain, leaving a rain shadow on the leeward side.
地形雨：湿润空气遇山被迫抬升，在迎风坡冷却降雨，背风坡形成雨影区。
Anticyclone: a high-pressure system with sinking air, clear skies and calm conditions.
反气旋：空气下沉的高压系统，天气晴朗、风力微弱。
Depression: a low-pressure system where warm and cold air meet, bringing cloud, wind and frontal rain.
气旋：暖空气与冷空气相遇形成的低压系统，带来云、风和锋面雨。
Temperature range: the difference between the highest and lowest temperature in a day, month or year.
温度较差：一天、一月或一年中最高气温与最低气温之差。
5. Population and Migration Terms | 人口与迁移术语
Population geography requires both demographic calculations and explanations. Learn the formula links and the push-pull factors that influence migration.
人口地理既要求人口统计计算，也要求原因解释。要掌握公式之间的联系，并理解影响迁移的推拉因素。
Birth rate: 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：每年每 1000 人中的活产婴儿数；死亡率是每年每 1000 人中的死亡人数。
Natural increase: birth rate minus death rate, usually expressed as a percentage; it excludes migration.
自然增长率：出生率减死亡率，通常以百分比表示；不包含迁移人口变化。
Population density: the number of people per square kilometre; population distribution describes where people live, not how many.
人口密度：每平方千米的人口数量；人口分布描述人口居住在哪里，而非数量多少。
Push-pull factors: push factors drive people away from an area; pull factors attract people to a new area.
推拉因素：推力因素促使人们离开某地；拉力因素吸引人们迁入新地区。
Population pyramid: a bar chart showing age and sex structure; a wide base indicates high birth rate and youthful population.
人口金字塔：显示年龄与性别结构的条形图；底部宽表示高出生率与年轻型人口。
Dependency ratio: the proportion of people under 15 and over 65 compared with the working-age population.
抚养比：15 岁以下和 65 岁以上人口占劳动年龄人口的比例。
6. Settlement and Urbanisation Terms | 定居与城市化术语
Settlement questions often ask how functions, hierarchies and land use change over time. Use urban models and precise urbanisation vocabulary to structure your answers.
定居题常问功能、等级和土地利用如何随时间变化。用城市模型和精准的城市化词汇来组织答案。
Settlement hierarchy: ranking settlements by size, services and sphere of influence from hamlet to city.
聚落等级：按规模、服务数量和影响范围将聚落从村庄到城市进行排序。
Sphere of influence: the area served by a settlement or service; larger settlements usually have larger spheres of influence.
影响范围：一个聚落或服务所覆盖的区域；大型聚落通常影响范围更大。
Threshold population: the minimum number of customers needed to keep a service profitable.
门槛人口：维持某项服务盈利所需的最低顾客数量。
Urbanisation: the increasing proportion of a population living in towns and cities; it is caused by rural-to-urban migration and natural increase.
城市化：城镇人口占全国人口比例不断增加的过程；由乡城迁移和城市自然增长共同驱动。
Counter-urbanisation: movement of people from urban areas to smaller towns or rural areas.
逆城市化：人口从城市迁往小城镇或农村地区的现象。
Central business district (CBD): the commercial and administrative core of a city, often with high land values and tall buildings.
中央商务区 (CBD)：城市的商业和行政核心，通常地价高、高层建筑密集。
Shanty town: an informal settlement with poor housing, limited services and insecure land tenure, common on the edge of many cities.
贫民窟：住房简陋、服务缺乏、土地权没有保障的非正规聚落，常见于许多城市边缘。
7. Agriculture and Industry Terms | 农业与工业术语
Economic geography is easier when you can classify activities by sector and farming type. Use precise labels such as subsistence, commercial or footloose to show understanding.
做好经济地理，首先要会对经济活动按部门和农业类型分类。使用自给、商品化或自由布局等精准标签来展示理解。
Primary industry: extracting raw materials, e.g. farming, fishing, mining; secondary industry makes goods, e.g. manufacturing.
第一产业：直接获取原材料，如农业、渔业、采矿业；第二产业生产制成品，如制造业。
Tertiary industry: providing services, e.g. teaching, retail, tourism; quaternary industry involves knowledge-based work and ICT.
第三产业：提供服务，如教育、零售、旅游；第四产业涉及知识型工作与信息通信技术。
Arable, pastoral and mixed farming: arable grows crops, pastoral keeps animals, mixed combines both.
种植业、畜牧业与混合农业：种植业种植作物，畜牧业饲养牲畜，混合农业两者兼营。
Subsistence farming: growing food mainly for the farmer’s family; commercial farming sells produce for profit.
自给农业：种植粮食主要供农户自家食用；商品化农业则以出售农产品盈利。
Irrigation: artificial supply of water to crops; it allows farming in areas with low or unreliable rainfall.
灌溉：人工为作物供水；使降雨稀少或不稳定地区也能耕作。
Footloose industry: an industry not tied to raw materials or heavy transport, so it can locate widely, such as electronics assembly.
自由布局工业：不依赖原料或重型运输的工业，区位选择灵活，如电子组装业。
8. Development and Resources Terms | 发展与资源术语
Development questions require you to compare countries using indicators and to evaluate sustainability. Link resources, energy and food security to the development gap.
发展题要求用指标比较国家，并评价可持续性。要把资源、能源、粮食安全与发展差距联系起来。
GDP and GNI: Gross Domestic Product measures the value of goods and services within a country; Gross National Income includes net income from abroad.
GDP 与 GNI：国内生产总值衡量一国境内商品和服务价值；国民总收入包含来自国外的净收入。
Human Development Index (HDI): a composite indicator combining life expectancy, education and income per head.
人类发展指数 (HDI)：综合预期寿命、教育和人均收入的复合指标。
Development gap: the widening 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之间在财富和生活质量上不断扩大的差异。
Sustainable development: meeting present needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
可持续发展：满足当代需求，同时不削弱后代满足其需求的能力。
Renewable resources: energy sources that are not used up, such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power; non-renewable resources include coal, oil and natural gas.
可再生资源：不会耗尽的能源，如太阳能、风能和水电；不可再生资源包括煤、石油和天然气。
Carbon footprint: the total greenhouse gases emitted by a person, organisation or product, usually measured in tonnes of CO₂.
碳足迹：一个人、组织或产品排放的温室气体总量，通常以吨二氧化碳计。
Water scarcity: when water demand exceeds available supply, or water quality is too poor for safe use.
水资源短缺：需水量超过可用供应量，或水质太差无法安全使用。
9. Natural Hazard Terms | 自然灾害术语
For tectonic and climatic hazards, definitions matter. Know the difference between a hazard and a disaster, and use the response terms prediction, preparation and protection accurately.
在构造和气候灾害题中，定义很重要。要区分 hazard 和 disaster，并准确使用预测、准备与防护等应对术语。
Hazard: a natural event that has the potential to threaten life, property or the environment.
自然灾害：可能威胁生命、财产或环境的自然事件。
Disaster: a hazard that causes widespread damage, casualties or disruption beyond local coping capacity.
灾害：造成广泛破坏、人员伤亡或超出当地应对能力的重大灾害事件。
Plate boundary: the edge where tectonic plates meet; destructive, constructive and conservative boundaries produce different hazards and landforms.
板块边界：构造板块相互接触的边缘；消亡型、生长型和转换型边界产生不同的灾害与地貌。
Focus and epicentre: the focus is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake starts; the epicentre is directly above on the surface.
震源与震中：震源是地震在地球内部发生的位置；震中是震源正上方的地表位置。
Magnitude: the energy released by an earthquake; the Richter scale is commonly used, with each whole number about 10 times greater shaking amplitude.
震级：地震释放的能量；常用里氏震级表示，每升高一级，地震波振幅约增大到原来的 10 倍。
Tsunami: a series of huge waves caused by undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or landslides.
海啸：由海底地震、火山喷发或水下滑坡引发的一系列巨浪。
Prediction, preparation and protection: predicting events helps warning, preparation reduces vulnerability and protection strengthens buildings and infrastructure.
预测、准备与防护：预测事件有助于预警，准备可降低脆弱性，防护则加强建筑与基础设施安全。
10. Exam Memory and Command Terms | 考试记忆与指令词
Vocabulary is only useful if you can use it under time pressure. Build active recall habits and decode command words before writing any answer.
只有在限时压力下能运用词汇，词汇才有价值。养成主动回忆习惯，并在作答前先解读指令词。
Describe: state what something is like or what happens; do not explain causes unless asked.
描述：说明某事物是什么样或发生了什么；除非题目要求，不要解释原因。
Explain: give reasons or causes, often using because or as a result of.
解释：给出原因或成因，常用 because 或 as a result of 连接。
Evaluate: weigh up advantages and disadvantages or strengths and weaknesses, then give an overall judgement.
评价：权衡利弊或优缺点，最后给出总体判断。
Compare: identify similarities and differences; use comparative phrases such as higher than or whereas.
比较：找出相似点与不同点；使用 higher than 或 whereas 等比较表达。
Justify: support a choice or argument with evidence, not just opinion.
论证：用证据支撑某一选择或论点，而不仅仅是个人观点。
Memory tip: create flashcards with the term on one side and a short definition plus a case study example on the other side. Test yourself out loud under timed conditions.
记忆技巧：制作抽认卡，正面写术语，背面写简短定义和一个案例示例。定时大声自测。
Memory tip: use acronyms for process sequences, such as E-T-D for erosion, transportation and deposition, and draw a small diagram to activate visual memory.
记忆技巧：
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