| The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002. |
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| climate |
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| A region’s usual weather patterns. The climate at any point on Earth is determined by things such as the general movement of the atmosphere, the proximity of the oceans, and the altitude of the location. | 1 |
| ‡ The climate also is affected by the sun, by changes in the orbit of the Earth, by plate tectonics, and by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which may lead to a greenhouse effect. | 2 |
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| | | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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