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Summary Geographic and environment terms/definitions
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Summary of Geographic and environment terms/definitions
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1Glossary
of
Geographical and Environmental
Terms
for Unisa Geography Students
Verklarende Woordelys
van
Geografiese en Omgewingsterme
vir Unisa se Geografie-Studente
Author: Sux Zietsman PhD (Pr Sci Nat)
Outeur: Sux Zietsman PhD (Pr Sci Nat)
All opinions expressed in this glossary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect
those of the Department of Geography at Unisa. The author takes full responsibility for all
scientific errors that might appear in the text.
Alle menings in hierdie verklarende woordelys is dié van die outeur en verteenwoordig nie noodwendig die
mening van die Departement van Geografie by Unisa nie. Die outeur aanvaar verantwoordelikheid vir alle
wetenskaplike onjuisthede wat in die teks mag voorkom.
The glossary of terms presented in this document is a work in
progress.
The intention is to develop the terminology in all official languages
as part of the multi-lingualism drive in the Department of
Geography, Unisa.
2015
, 2
Introduction
This glossary contains a selection of geographical and environmental terms used in
your study material. It is organised alphabetically. Each term is briefly defined,
described and/or explained. Numerous well-known examples are given to enhance
the definitions, descriptions and explanations. With the aid of these examples the
terms could be converted from abstract concepts to the realities of the world you live
in. A deliberate attempt was made to cite many examples because this increases
the chance that an example with which you are familiar might be mentioned.
Preference was given to examples from South Africa and Southern Africa, because
most of Unisa‟a students live in these regions. Where applicable, references to other
terms in the glossary have been provided. No references to other literature are cited
in the text although a multitude of seminal and authoritative works have been
consulted to define or describe each term; however, no definition or description has
in its entirety been lifted from one or more sources. References to the literature have
deliberately been omitted in order to avoid cluttering and to make the text more
readable. A list of some of the sources consulted appears at the back of the
glossary. The Afrikaans terminology is given in a different type face directly
underneath the English description or definition.
This glossary is accompanied by three appendices: Appendix A is a cross-reference
list to be used by students who study through the medium of English, Appendix B is
a cross-reference list for students who study through the medium of Afrikaans, and
Appendix C is an English-Afrikaans terminology list.
Inleiding
Hierdie Afrikaanse lys van geografiese en omgewingsterme is nie alfabeties gerangskik nie
omrede die Engelse terme wat hier vertaal, gedefiniëer en/of verduidelik is, alfabeties
gerangskik is. Direk onder die Engelse omskrywing van elke term verskyn die Afrikaanse
term met „n definisie, beskrywing of verduideliking. Waar toepaslik is verwysings na ander
terme in die woordelys verskaf. Hierdie kruisverwysings gebruik die Engelse weergawe van
die terme, omdat die hele woordelys alfabeties volgens die Engelse terme georden is.
Algemeen-bekende voorbeelde word gebruik om die definisies, beskrywings en
verduidelikings te illustreer. Die voorbeelde help om abstrakte konsepte na die alledaagse
realiteite te omskep. Daar is doelbewus gepoog om talle voorbeelde te noem aangesien dit
die moontlikheid vergroot dat „n voorbeeld wat aan jou bekend is, genoem word. Voorkeur
is gegee aan voorbeelde uit Suid-Afrika en Suider Afrika aangesien die meeste van Unisa se
studente in hierdie gebiede woon. Die Afrikaanse teks is in „n ander lettertipe geset om dit
maklik van die Engelse teks te onderskei. Geen bronverwysings word in die teks verstrek
nie. Alhoewel „n magdom toonaangewende literatuur geraadpleeg is, is geen definisie of
beskrywing in geheel, of selfs gedeeltelik, direk aan enige spesifieke bron of bronne ontleen
nie. Bronverwysings is doelbewus uit die teks weggelaat om verwarring te vermy en die teks
meer leesbaar te maak. „n Lys van sommige van die bronne wat geraadpleeg is, verskyn aan
die einde van die woordelys.
Hierdie verklarende woordelys is vergesel van drie bylae: Bylaag A is „n kruisverwysingslys
vir die gebruik van studente wat deur die medium van Engels studeer, Bylaag B is „n
kruisverwysingslys vir die gebruik van studente wat deur die medium van Afrikaans studeer,
en Bylaag C is „n Engels-Afrikaanse terminologielys.
, 3
Absolute location: See “location”.
Absolute ligging: Kyk “location”.
Accessibility: The ease with which anything or place can be reached, found or
entered. A number of factors could make a certain place more accessible or less
accessible. These include distance, altitude (height above sea-level), political
reasons, security arrangements, cultural taboos, and many more. New York City is
more accessible than the moon because a trip by boat, motorcar, train, bus or
aeroplane to New York is more readily available and costs far less than a space
flight to the moon. The top of Table Mountain in Cape Town is more accessible than
the peak of Mount Everest because the atmosphere on Everest contains too little
oxygen to sustain human life. Any relatively young and reasonably fit person can
walk to the top of Table Mountain – albeit a stiff walk! – but to climb to the summit of
Everest, one needs “bottled” oxygen from oxygen canisters that have to be carried
up the mountain (see “adventure tourism” and “responsible tourism”). People using
wheelchairs might find it impossible to enter certain buildings, which makes those
buildings inaccessible for them. For political reasons, there is no easy movement of
people between South and North Korea, although they are situated right next to one
another. Consequently, North Korea is highly inaccessible for South Koreans. For
security reasons it is very difficult or even impossible to enter the Union Buildings in
Pretoria (the seat of government), but Unisa‟s buildings on the Pretoria campus may
be entered by any member of the general public. Accessibility of information is
another good example. It is easy to find information about the soccer matches
played in South Africa in any particular week, but information about the nuclear
capability of the USA is highly inaccessible (difficult or impossible to come by).
Toeganklikheid (bereikbaarheid, bekombaarheid): Die gemak waarmee enige iets of
plek bereik, gevind of betree kan word. „n Hele aantal faktore kan „n sekere plek meer
toeganklik of minder toeganklik maak. Dit sluit afstand, hoogte bo seevlak, politieke
oorwegings, sekuriteitsmaatreëls en vele meer in. New York is baie meer toeganklik as die
maan omdat „n tog per skip, motorvoertuig, trein of vliegtuig na New York meer geredelik
beskikbaar en meer bekostigbaar as „n ruimtevaart na die maan is. Die kruin van Tafelberg in
Kaapstad is meer bereikbaar as die hoogste piek van Mount Everest aangesien die atmosfeer
by Everest te min suurstof bevat om menslike lewe te onderhou. Enigeen kan tot op die kruin
van Tafelberg stap – al is dit „n stywe stap! – maar om Everest se piek te bereik, moet „n
mens gebruik maak van “gebottelde” suurstof in suurstofsilinders wat teen die berg uitgedra
moet word (kyk “adventure tourism” en “responsible tourism”). Mense wat van rolstoele
afhanklik is, mag dit onmoontlik vind om in sekere geboue in te gaan, en daardie geboue is
dan ontoeganklik vir daardie mense. Om politieke redes is daar geen maklike beweging
tussen Noord- en Suid-Korea nie hoewel dié twee state direk langs mekaar geleë is.
Gevolglik is Noord-Korea hoogs ontoeganglik vir Suid-Koreane. As gevolg van
sekuriteitsredes is dit baie moeilik of onmoontlik om toegang tot die Uniegebou in Pretoria
(die setel van die regering) te kry, maar alle lede van die algemene publiek kan die geboue op
Unisa se Pretoria-kampus betree. Toeganklikheid tot inligting is nog „n voorbeeld. Dit is
maklik om inligting oor die sokkerwedstryde wat in „n spesifieke week in Suid-Afrika
gespeel word, te bekom, maar inligting oor die VSA se kernarsenaal is uiters moeilik of glad
nie bekombaar nie.
Accountability: To be answerable to an authoritative body or person for one‟s
actions or decisions. In a democratic state the voters elect a political party or a
, 4
person to govern the country. The elected leader or leaders are then entrusted with
the responsibility to govern the state and they are accountable to the voters (the
electorate). Should the state be governed poorly, the leader or leaders have to
answer to the electorate. If the electorate is not satisfied with the performance of the
leader or leaders, they could vote for another party or person at the next election. In
an environmental context, every living person has the responsibility to care for the
natural and human-made environment and not exploit it for personal gain. We are
accountable to all future generations for our actions and the way we execute our
environmental responsibility. The environmental interest of the future generations is
protected by laws and procedures executed by the government. It actually boils
down to the government‟s will and ability to enforce the laws. In South Africa, the
protection of the environment is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of
South Africa Act number 108 of 1996, the Environmental Conservation Act number
73 of 1989, the National Environmental Management Act number 107 of 1998
(popularly known as NEMA), the National Environmental Management Amendment
Act number 8 of 2004, and a myriad of related Acts dealing with different aspects of
the environment.
Aanspreeklikheid: Om voor „n gesaghebbende liggaam of persoon verantwoordbaar te
wees vir jou dade en besluite. In „n demokratiese staat kies die stemgeregtigdes „n politieke
party of „n persoon om die staat te bestuur, met ander woorde, om te regeer. Die
verantwoordelikheid om die staat te bestuur, word dus aan die verkose leier of leiers
toevertrou. Indien die staat swak bestuur word, moet die leier of leiers aan die
stemgeregtigdes verantwoording doen. Indien die stemgeregtigdes nie tevrede is met die
leiers of leier se prestasie nie, kan hulle vir „n ander party of persoon stem tydens die
volgende verkiesing. In die omgewingskonteks het elke lewende persoon die
verantwoordelikheid om die natuurlike en die mensgemaakte omgewing te bewaar en dit nie
vir eie gewin uit te buit nie. Ons is aanspreeklik teenoor die geslagte wat ná ons kom. Die
omgewingsbelange van die toekomstige geslagte word beskerm deur wetgewing en
regeringsprosedures om die wette uit te voer. Dit kom inderwaarheid neer op die regering se
bereidwilligheid en vermoë om die wette af te dwing. In Suid-Afrika is die beskerming van
die omgewing verskans in die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, Wet nommer
108 van 1996, die Omgewingsbewaringswet nommer 73 van 1989, die Nasionale
Omgewingsbestuurswet nommer 108 van 1998 (wat algemeen as NEMA bekendstaan), die
Nasionale Omgewingsbestuur Wysigingswet nommer 8 van 2004, en „n hele reeks verwante
wette wat oor spesifieke aspekte van die omgewing handel.
Accreditation: Some form of official recognition that testifies to the fact that a
tourist destination, a place, area or terrain meets certain requirements or a certain
set of criteria. International bodies like the United Nations Agency for Education,
Science and Culture (UNESCO) or international conventions such as the Ramsar
Convention (see “conventions”) may grant a site (be it a place, a terrain or an area)
formal status when it meets certain standards. An international accreditation vastly
increases the tourism potential of the site and the surrounding area. The importance
of the archaeological remains in a cave system such as in the Cradle of Humankind
world heritage site, including Zwartkrans, Sterkfontein and Kromdraai caves, meet all
the UNESCO criteria for declaring the area a terrain of international importance.
This area was duly granted world heritage status. South Africa boasts other world
heritage sites, such as the Vredefort Dome (an impact dome caused by a meteorite
colliding with the Earth millions of years ago) and the Mapungubwe Hill ancient
archaeological site in the northern part of Limpopo. An accreditation such as this
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