aphg master vocab list

physical geography

the study of natural processes and the distribution of features in the environment, such as landforms, plants, animals, soil, and climate

human geography

the study of the processes that have shaped how humans understand, use, and alter earth

spatial perspective

geographic perspective that focuses how people live on earth, how they organize themselves, and why the events of human societies occur and where they do

ecological perspective

the relationships between living things and their environments

location

the position that a point or object occupies in earth

absolute location

the exact location of an object, usually expressed in coordinates of longitude and latitude

relative location

a description of where a place is in relation to other places or features

place

a location on earth that is distinguished by its physical and human characteristics

site

a place's absolute location, as well as its physical characteristics, such as the landforms, climate, and resources

situation

location of a place in relation to other places or its surrounding features

space

the area between two or more things

distributed

arranged within a given space

pattern

the way in which things are arranged in a particular space

flow

movement of people, goods, or information that has economic, social, political, or cultural effects on societies

environmental determinism

the idea that human behavior is affected, controlled, or determined by the physical environment

distance decay

a principle stating that the farther away one thing is from another, the less interaction the two things will have

friction of distance

the idea that the costs of movement increase with distance, acting as a barrier to interactions between places

time-space compression

a key geographic principle that describes the ways in which modern transportation and communication technology have allowed humans to travel and communicate over long distances more quickly and easily

possibilism

theory of human-environment interaction that states that humans have the ability to adapt the physical environment to their needs

sustainability

the use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that ensure they will continue to be available in the future

scale

an area of the world being studied

region

the area of earth's surface with certain characteristics that make it cohesive yet distinct from other areas

formal region

an area that has one or more shared traits; also called a uniform region

functional region

an area organized by its function around a focal point, or the center of an interest or activity

node

the focal point of a functional region

perceptual region

a type of region that reflects people's feelings and attitudes about a place; also called a vernacular region

globalization

the expansion of economic, cultural, and political processes on a worldwide scale

density

the number of things-people, animals, or objects- in a specific area

theory

a system of ideas intended to explain certain phenomena

world system theory

theory describing the spatial and functional relationships between countries in the world economy; categorizes countries as part of a hierarchy consisting of the core, periphery, and semi-periphery

core

classification of a country or region that has wealth, higher education levels, more advanced technologies, many resources, strong militaries, and powerful allies

periphery

classification of a country or region that has less wealth, lower education levels, and less sophisticated technologies and also tends to have an unstable government and poor healthcare systems

semi-periphery

classification of a country or region that has qualities of both core and peripheral areas and is often in the process of industrializing

sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

quantitative

involving data that can be measured by numbers

qualitative

involving data that is descriptive of a research subject and is often based on people's opinions

census

an official count of the number of people in a defined area, such as a state

geographic information systems (GIS)

a computer system that allows for the collection, organization, and display of geographic data for analysis

topography

the representation of earth's surface to show natural and human-made features, especially their relative positions and elevations

remote sensing

collecting or analyzing data from a location without making physical contact

global positioning system (GPS)

a network of satellites that orbit earth and transit location data to receivers, enabling users to pinpoint their exact locations

cartographers

a person who creates maps

absolute distance

distance that can be measured using a standard using of length

relative distance

distance determined in relation to other places or objects

absolute location

the cardinal directions (north, south, east, west)

relative direction

direction based on a persons perception such as left, right, up, and down

map scale

the relationship of the size of the map to the size of the area it represents on earth's surface

reference maps

a map that focuses on the location of places

population density

the number of people occupying a unit of land

physiological density (& calculation)

the total number of people per unit of arable land (total population/arable land)

agricultural density (& calculation)

the total number of farmers per arable unit of land (number of farmers/arable land)

population distribution areas

where people live in a geographic areas

carrying capacity

the maximum population size an environment can sustain

sex ratio

the proportion of males to females in a population

sex ratio imbalance

the disproportional number of males to females in a population

population pyramids

a graph that shows the age:sex distribution of a given population

rate of natural increase (RNI)

ratio at which a population grows as a result of the difference between the crude birth rate and the crude death rate

population doubling time

the estimated period required for a population to double in size at a consistent rate of growth

demographic transition model

a model that describes changes in fertility, mortality, life expectancy, and population age distribution, largely as the result of changes in causes of death

Malthusian Theory

the idea that population grows geometrically while food production grows arithmetically leading to a cross where population exceeds food supply and is reduced by famine, disease, war, etc

pro-natalist policies

a government strategy that encourages higher birth rates and population growth to counter issues like declining fertility rates, aging populations, and labor shortages

anti-natalist policies

a government-implemented strategy designed to decrease birth rates and control population growth. often in response to concerns about overpopulation, resource depletion, or environmental impact

family planning

the practice of controlling the number and spacing of children within a family

youth dependency ratio

measure that compares the number of people under 15 years of age (youth population) to the number of people wiring the working age population, typically 15-64 years old

elderly dependency ratio

measure that compares the number of elderly people (typically 65+) to the working-age population (ages 15-64)

demography

data about the structures and characteristics of human populations

arable land

land that can be used to grow crops

zero population growth

a state where a population's size remains constant, meaning the number of births plus immigration equals the number of deaths plus emigration

replacement fertility rate

the average number of children a woman must have in order to replace herself and the other parent, ensuring a population remains stable over time, neither growing or declining

infant mortality rate

the number of deaths of children under the age of 1 per 1,00 live births

total death rate

the total number of deaths in a given population over a year, expressed per 1,00 people

crude death rate

the number of deaths in a given year per 1,000 people in a given population

crude birth rate

the number of births in a given year per 1,000 people in a given population

maternal mortality rate

the annual number of female deaths per 10,000 live births

African Union

a supranational organization of 55 African member states that promotes unity, cooperation, and development across the continent

antecedent boundary

a border established before an area becomes heavily settled

Arctic Council

a high-level intergovernmental forum established in 1996 to promote cooperation among Arctic states on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

A regional intergovernmental organization promoting political and economic cooperation among Southeast Asian countries

autonomous region

a subdivision of a country that has a degree of self-governance and decision-making power, allowing it to manage its own affairs in areas like culture, education, or healthcare

Berlin Conference

a meeting in 1884-1885 where European powers set rules for the colonization of Africa, formalizing the "Scramble for Africa" and dividing the continent without the representation of African leaders

centrifugal force

a force that divides people

centripetal force

a force that unites a group of people

choke point

a narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass

colonialism

the practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories

consequent boundary

a type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, separating groups that have distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, or other traits

cultural cohesion

the sense of shared values, beliefs, and practices that bind a cultural group together, fostering a sense of belonging and unity

defined boundary

a legally established line that marks the limits of a territory, describes in a territory of legal document

delimited boundary

a political border that has been drawn on a map to show the limits of a territory, often based on a previous legal document

demarcated boundary

a political boundary that is physically marked on the landscape by the visible barriers like walls, fences, or posts, or by natural features like rivers of mountains

demilitarized zone (DMZ)

the princess of regocijo or eliminating a country's military forces, often as a condition of surrender after a war or to prevent further conflict

democratization

the process of a country transitioning from authoritarian government to a more democratic one, characterized by feee and fair elections, universal suffrage, and the protection of civil liberties

devolution

the process that occurs when the central powers in a state are broken up among regional authorities within its borders

economies of scale

cost reductions that occur when production rises

ethnic cleansing

the process by which a state attacks an ethnic group and tries to eliminate it through expulsion, imprisonment, or killing

ethnic nationalist movement

social and political campaigns that seek to assert the rights and identity of a specific ethnic group within a larger national context, often advocating for greater autonomy or independence

ethnic separatism

the process by which people of a particular ethnicity in a multinational state identify more strongly as members of their ethnic group than as citizens of the state

ethonationalism

the process by which the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity, religious belief, and language, creating a sense of pride and identity that is tied to the territory; also called ethnic nationalism

European Union (EU)

a supranational political and economic uniting of 27 member states that promotes economic cooperations d a single market for free movement of goods, services, capital, and people

exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

an area that extends 200 nautical miles from a state's coast; a state has sole access to resources found within the waters or beneath the sea floor of its EEZ

failed state

a political entity where the government is so weak it can no longer perform its basic functions, leading to a breakdown of order, security, and public services