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Glossary Search Results
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- Aboriginal Ancestry
- Aboriginal ancestry refers to a person who can trace his or her ancestry to the Aboriginal linguistic family whose traditional lands fell in total or in part in the geographic area that is now Canada. Aboriginal ancestry also refers to a person who has been accorded Aboriginal rights by legislation, for example, by marriage to an Aboriginal person. (Source: Statistics Canada).
- Aboriginal Identity
- Aboriginal identity refers to a person who reports that he or she identifies with, or is a member of, an organic political or cultural entity that stems historically from the original persons of North America. The term includes the Indian (i.e. North American Indian), Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada. (Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 Census)
- Aboriginal people
- Aboriginal people refers to all Aboriginal people in Canada collectively, without regard to their separate origins and identities. Or Aboriginal people refers to more than one Aboriginal person. DIAND recommends the use of the term Aboriginal as an adjective only. The plural form, Aboriginal peoples, emphasizes that there is a diversity of people within the group known as Aboriginal people. The Constitutional Act, 1982 specifies that the Aboriginal peoples in Canada consist of three groups: Indians, Inuit, and Métis people. (Source: Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development)
- Aboriginal Population
- The concept of Aboriginal persons in the past has generally applied to persons resident in Canada who could trace their origins to the native people or First Nations people who inhabited the area of what is now Canada when the first Europeans arrived. In addition, some persons have gained Aboriginal rights under legislation (e.g. the spouses of Aboriginal persons). The total Aboriginal population includes Indians (Registered, Not a Registered, Treaty), Métis and Inuit. (Source: Statistics Canada).
- Accuracy, map
- The degree to which a value, or set of values, either measured or calculated, approximates a specified standard for that value. In cartography, it is a measure of how close the coordinates of points on a map compare with known survey coordinates (ground truth data). (Accuracy is not to be confused with the term "precision", which refers to the quality of the method used to take the measurement). (See Precision)
- Active layer
- The upper part of the ground that thaws each summer and refreezes each winter.
- Aerial photography
- The process of taking photographs from a camera mounted in an airplane or balloon. The resulting photographs may be classified as vertical or oblique depending on the angle of the camera with respect to the Earth's surface at the time of exposure. Aerial photographs are used extensively in cartography to provide detailed geographical information in the production of base maps.
- Aeronautical chart
- A chart or map used for air navigation, which provides the aircraft pilot with important information about flight paths, airport approaches and facilities, as well as landmark features. In Canada, the federal government agency responsible for the supply of aeronautical information is the Aeronautical Charts Service of Geomatics Canada, Natural Resources Canada.
- Aerosols
- Solid or liquid particles in the size range of 0.001 to 10 microns in radius suspended in the air. Aerosol particles play an important role in the climate system because of their direct interaction (absorption and scattering) with solar and terrestrial radiation, as well as through their influence on cloud formation. (Source: Government of Canada Climate Change Site)
- Age
- Refers to the age at last birthday (as of the census reference date, May 14, 1996). This variable is derived from date of birth.
- Alidade
- That part of a surveying instrument which consists of a sighting device and index, with accessories for reading and recording data. A telescopic alidade is part of a theodolite or surveyor's transit, and when mounted on a straightedge, in conjunction with a plane-table, is used in topographic surveying. (See Theodolite and Transit).
- Allophone
- Person with non-official language as mother tongue. (Source: 1996 Census Dictionary, Statistics Canada)
- Alluvial flats
- Narrow land bordering a river and on which alluvium is deposited during floods. (Source: Glossary of Geology. Gary, M., McAfee Jr. R. and Wolf,C. Editors. American Geological Institute, 1974.)
- Alphanumeric grid
- Any systematic pattern of lines superimposed on a map, in which one group of lines is labeled numerically while the other group of lines is labeled alphabetically. The resultant 2-dimensional grid allows the map user to define the approximate location of geographical features. (Also called an atlas grid).
- Altitude tints
- (See Hypsometric tints)
- Analogue
- (See Data)
- Analysis
- (See Spatial analysis)
- Anglophone
- Person with English as mother tongue. (Source: 1996 Census Dictionary, Statistics Canada)
- Antarctic Circle
- A line of latitude at 66° 33' South, when shown as a fixed position on a map, delineates a region, which at the time of the winter solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere), the Sun is above the horizon at local midnight time at all points in this region. (Also the complement of the Tropic of Capricorn, which lies at latitude 23° 27' South).
- Anthropogenic
- This word is derived from the Greek root anthropos meaning “man”. Anthropogenic means human-induced or human-caused. (Source: Environment Canada)
- Anthropogenic emissions
- Greenhouse gas emissions that result from the activities of humans, such as burning fossil fuels. (Source: Government of Canada Climate Change Site)
- Aquatic
- Growing, living in or frequenting water.
- Aquatic ecosystem
- The basic ecological unit, composed of living and nonliving elements interacting in an aqueous milieu.
- Aquifer
- The underground layer of water-soaked sand and rock that acts as a water source for a well; described as artesian (confined) or water table (unconfined).
- Archaeological complex
- All archaeological remains (artifacts, settlement, burials, etc.) thought to be reflective of a particular culture.
- Archaeological phases
- A temporal or spatial variant within the broader archaeological complex which may have been a subgroup (band or tribe) within the broader culture.
- Arctic Circle
- A line of latitude at 66° 33' North, when shown as a fixed position on a map, delineates a region, which at the time of the summer solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere), the Sun is above the horizon at local midnight time at all points in this region. Also the complement of the Tropic of Cancer, which lies at latitude 23° 27' North.
- Area
- A clearly defined 2-dimensional geometric region, having length and width, but not height or depth. For example, a census division, lake, or province (any geographically defined surface). A measurement in square units of a closed surface. (See Polygon).
- Arete
- steep-sided mountain ridge. (also spelled Arête)
- Arterial Strip
- A group of 25 or more stores located along an arterial road or highway that provides access for customers who come in cars. Customer linkages among the various stores are rare; customers come from the market area served by the road system. Activities include auto sales and repair, fast food, and small strip plazas.
- Artifact assemblage
- A temporal or spatial variant within the broader archaeological complex which may have been a subgroup (band or tribe) within the broader culture.
- Aspect
- The orientation or position of a map projection graticule in respect to the lines of latitude and longitude on the globe they are representing. For example, the planar family of projections may be grouped into three aspects: polar, equatorial and oblique. (The term case", is also used in cartographic literature).
- Astrolabe
- A navigational instrument used to measure the vertical angle between the horizon or the horizontal plane at the observer, and a celestial feature. An astrolabe is used to determine the geographic coordinates of points on the Earth's surface.
- Atlas
- A collection of maps in book or loose-leaf form, with a standard design, organized around a coherent theme. For example, a world atlas, a national atlas, or an historical atlas.
- Atmosphere
- The envelope of air surrounding the Earth. Most weather events are confined to the troposphere, the lower 10 km of the atmosphere. (Source: Environment Canada)
- Atmospheric pressure
- The force exerted by the weight of the atmosphere, also known as barometric pressure. The internationally recognized unit for measuring atmospheric pressure is the kilopascal.
- Attribute
- In GIS technology, a characteristic of a geographical feature described in numbers or words. Attributes are usually stored in a table, with each column or field representing a characteristic, and each row or record being a different feature. (See Field and Record).
- Aurora
- Temporary luminous phenomena in the high atmosphere occurring mainly in the Polar Regions. This phenomenon is produced by the impact of ionized particles resulting from the solar activity on neutral particles.
- Aurora borealis
- also called Northern lights, aurora of the Northern Hemisphere
- Auroral zone
- Region situated about 10-15° from either geomagnetic pole, within which the aurora is most frequent and active. (International meteorological vocabulary, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva : Secretariat of World Meterological Organization, 1966)
- Automated cartography
- The process of producing maps using a computer-based system, (digital technology) to improve efficiency and to facilitate the speedier revision of the geographical information they portray. These computer systems often replace many manual tasks associated with cartographic production. Automated cartography is not to be confused with GIS.(See Geographic Information System (GIS))
- Average Income of Census Families and Non-family Persons 15 Years of Age and Over
- Average census family income refers to the weighted mean total income of census families in 1995. Average income is calculated from unrounded data by dividing the aggregate income of a specified group of families (e.g., husband-wife families with working wives) by the number of families in that group, whether or not they reported income. Similarly, the average income of a group of non-family persons is calculated from unrounded data by dividing the aggregate income of the specified group by the number of all non-family persons 15 years of age and over in the group, whether or not they reported income. (Source: 1996 Census Dictionary, Cat. No. 92-351-XPE, Statistics Canada)
- Axis
- (1) A line about which the Earth or a globe rotates.
(2) In respect to a spherical coordinate system, the line to which directions are related and from which angles are measured.
(3) Also, a line along which measurements are made in order to determine the coordinates of a location.
- Azimuth
- From the Arabic, "al-samt" meaning the way, the direction or the arc. A horizontal angle of direction calculated clockwise from the meridian plane. Azimuthal compass direction is expressed in terms of all 360° of a circle. The term can also be called magnetic azimuth, when calculated using the North or South magnetic poles.
- Azimuthal map projections
- (See Planar map projections)
- Azimuth degree
- A unit of direction, representing 1/360 of a full circle.
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