• Globalization: Process of growing economic, technological, cultural, and political integration across borders
• Multinational corporation (MNC): Business that operates in multiple countries
• Free trade: International trade without significant tariffs or other barriers
• Tariff: Tax on imports; barrier to trade
• World Trade Organization (WTO): International organization governing global trade, founded 1995
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): 1994 trade agreement between U.S., Canada, Mexico
• USMCA: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, replaced NAFTA in 2020
• European Union (EU): Political and economic union of European states, founded 1992 by Maastricht Treaty
• Euro: Common European currency, introduced 1999
• Brexit: British departure from the EU, completed 2020
• ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Belt and Road Initiative: Chinese global infrastructure investment program from 2013
• Outsourcing: Moving business operations to other countries, often for lower labor costs
• Information technology revolution: Transformation of economy and society by digital technologies
• Internet: Global computer network enabling instantaneous communication
• World Wide Web: System of interlinked documents accessible over the internet, developed by Berners-Lee 1989-1991
• Social media: Online platforms enabling user-generated content and social interaction
• Artificial intelligence: Computer systems performing tasks that typically require human intelligence
• Climate change: Long-term change in Earth's climate due to human greenhouse gas emissions
• Greenhouse gases: Atmospheric gases (CO₂, methane, others) that trap heat and cause warming
• Fossil fuels: Coal, oil, and natural gas; principal source of greenhouse gas emissions
• IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, UN scientific body
• Kyoto Protocol (1997): First major international climate treaty
• Paris Agreement (2015): International climate agreement with country-set targets

Key Global Issues

• Deforestation: Large-scale clearing of forests, especially in tropical regions
• Biodiversity loss: Decline in variety of life on Earth
• COVID-19: Coronavirus pandemic beginning 2020
• WHO: World Health Organization, UN specialized agency
• HIV/AIDS: Pandemic disease that has killed approximately 40 million people
• Refugee: Person who has fled their country due to persecution, war, or violence
• Internally displaced person (IDP): Person forced to flee home but remaining in their country
• Asylum: Protection granted to refugees in another country
• September 11, 2001: Al-Qaeda attacks on the U.S.
• War on terror: U.S.-led campaign against terrorism following 9/11
• Afghanistan War (2001-2021): U.S. and allied war following 9/11, ending with Taliban return
• Iraq War (2003-2011): U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq
• Arab Spring (2010-2012): Wave of protests across the Arab world, with mixed outcomes
• Syrian Civil War (2011-): Ongoing conflict producing major refugee crisis
• Annexation of Crimea (2014): Russian seizure of Ukrainian territory
• Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022): Large-scale war beginning February 2022
• Populism: Political style claiming to represent ordinary people against elites

Notable People

• Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the World Wide Web
• Steve Jobs: Apple co-founder; smartphone revolution
• Jeff Bezos: Amazon founder; e-commerce revolution
• Xi Jinping: Chinese president from 2013; Belt and Road, increased authoritarianism
• Vladimir Putin: Russian leader from 1999; revanchist foreign policy
• Osama bin Laden: Founder of al-Qaeda, mastermind of 9/11, killed 2011
• George W. Bush: U.S. president 2001-2009; war on terror, Iraq War
• Barack Obama: U.S. president 2009-2017; financial crisis response, Paris Agreement, Iran deal
• Donald Trump: U.S. president 2017-2021 and 2025-; populist movement, China trade war
• Volodymyr Zelensky: Ukrainian president during Russian invasion
• Angela Merkel: German chancellor 2005-2021; led Europe through multiple crises
• Greta Thunberg: Swedish climate activist who emerged in the late 2010s

IX. Typical Regents Questions and Topics

Unit 10.9 typically generates 2-4 MC questions on a Regents exam, often paired with units on contemporary issues. Climate change and the impact of technology are particularly common test subjects.