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Latifundia
Large agricultural Latin American estates with strong commercial orientations.
Category: Glossary
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Latin America
Those parts of the American continent where the official language is Spanish or Portuguese; often mean Mexico and Central and South America.
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Latitude
A set of imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator is used in locating places north or south.
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Lava
Magma that has reached the earth’s surface.
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Law of Return
An Israeli law permitting all Jews living in Israel to have Israeli citizenship.
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Law of the Sea
A United Nations treaty or convention permitting coastal nations to have greater access to marine resources.
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Least developed countries
(LDCs) The world’s poorer countries.
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Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects animals and humans. Infection occurs through contact with water, food, or soil contaminated by animal urine.
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Life expectancy
The average number of years a person can expect to live.
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Life expectancy at birth
Life expectancy at birth includes the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year if mortality at each age remains consistent in the future.
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Lifeboat ethics
Garrett Hardin’s argument that, for ecological reasons, rich countries should not assist developing countries.
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Literacy rate
Literacy rate: the percentage of people over the age of 15 who can read and write a simple sentence.
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Lithosphere
The solid rock portion of the earth’s surface.
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Llanos
A large, grassy, treeless area in South America, used for grazing and farming.
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Location
Location, a central concept in geography, defines the position of places on Earth and influences patterns of climate, migration, trade, and historical development. For a detailed description, click on the article title.
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Lock
A waterway section with closed gates where water levels are raised or lowered, through which ships pass.
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Loess
Wind-blown silt and clay sediment that produces very fertile soil.
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Long March
The 1935-1936 flight of approximately 100,000 Communist troops under Mao Zedong from south-central China to the mountains of North China.
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Longitude
A set of imaginary lines go around the earth over the poles, dividing it east and west. The prime meridian is labeled the zero-degree line for longitude.
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Louisiana purchase
The territory, including the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, that the united states purchased from France in 1803.