Page 569 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

opportunity cost. Benefits that a person loses as a result of choosing one alternative over another (e.g., staying in school versus taking a job). Opportunity costs are often, but not always, economic.
Parliament of Canada.* The supreme legislature of Canada, consisting of the Queen (represented by the Governor General), the Senate, and the House of Commons.
parliamentary democracy.* A British system
of government in which the executive (prime minister/premier and cabinet) sit in the elected chamber (House of Commons/Legislature) and are accountable to the elected representatives of the people. Canada is a parliamentary democracy.
peacekeeping. Intervention, often by international forces (military, police, and/or civilian) in coun- tries or regions that are experiencing conflict, with the goal of maintaining peace and security and helping create a social and political environ- ment that leads to lasting peace. International peacekeeping missions are generally conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.
per capita income. The average amount of money earned per person per year in a country or region.
physical feature. An aspect of a place or area that derives from the physical environment (e.g., water bodies – lakes, rivers, oceans, seas, swamps; landforms – mountains, valleys, hills, plateaus; soil types; vegetation).
physical region. A geographic area characterized by similar landforms, climate, soil, and vegetation.
plate tectonics. The movement of the thin outer layer of Earth’s crust on which the oceans and continents rest. This movement, which is driven mainly by convection currents in material beneath the crust, by gravity, and by Earth’s rotation, results in the buckling (fold mountains), tearing (earthquakes), and erupting (volcanoes) of Earth’s surface. See also tectonic forces.
points (mapping). Individual marks on a map, including GIS maps, that provide the location of geographic features that can be represented by a single point (e.g., a mountain peak, a city on a map of the world, washrooms on a trail, point of interest on a road).
political region. A geographical area that shares a government and has its own leaders and sets of laws.
polygons (mapping). Irregular 2D shapes used in mapping, including GIS maps, to represent the boundaries of geographical features that cover a particular area of Earth’s surface (e.g., lakes, national park boundaries, buildings, or land uses). Polygons can show perimeters and area.
population density. The average number of people in a particular area, calculated by dividing the number of people by a unit of space (e.g., per square kilometre).
population distribution. The way in which a population is spread across a geographical area.
population pyramid. A horizontal bar graph that indicates the number of people in different age groups and the balance between males and females in the population. These graphs can be used for a city, country, or other political region.
powwow. A spiritual and social gathering that takes place among First Nations and includes songs, dances, rituals, ceremonies, and/or competitions. In Canada, powwows were outlawed by the federal government from the late nineteenth century until the 1950s.
premier. The head of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.
primary industries/primary sector. Industries that harvest or extract raw materials or natural resources (e.g., agriculture, ranching, forestry, fishing, mining). See also economic sector.
prime meridian. Longitude zero degrees; an imaginary line running north and south, which by international agreement runs through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England. See also longitude.
GLOSSARY
567