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Complete (I hope) list of vocab for Ap Human Geography Units 1-7. This version is much more thorough. Apologies for any mistakes such as repeats, if there are any, please let me and I will fix it as soon as I can.
Absolute location
The exact position of a place on the earth's surface.; the identification of a place by some precise and accepted system of coordinates
accessibility
the relative ease with which a destination may be reached from some other place
Acculturation
occurs when the "weaker" of two cultures adopts traits from the more dominant culture; the adoption by the immigrants of the values, attitudes, ways of behavior, and speech of the receiving society; the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture; the exchange of cultural features that results when groups come into continuous first hand contact
acid rain
precipitation that is unusually acidic; created when oxides of sulfur and nitrogen change chemically as they dissolve in water vapor in the atmosphere and return to earth as acidic rain, snow, or fog
activity space
area within which we move freely on our rounds of regular activity
adaptation
adjusting to a translation based on the cultural environment of the target language
adaptation
natural selection characters (??? no idea what that means) are transmitted that enable people to adapt to particular environment conditions such as climate
adaptive strategies
the unique way in which each culture uses its particular physical environment
Age Distribution
a model used in population geography that describes the ages and number of males and females within a given population; also called a population pyramid
Agglomeration
Clumping together of industries for mutual advantage.; The spatial grouping of people or activities for mutual benefit; in economic geography, the concentration of productive enterprises for collective or cooperative use of infrastructure and sharing of labor resources and market access.
agglomeration economies
(syn. external economies) The savings to an individual enterprise derived for locational association with a cluster of other similar economic activities, such as other factories or retail stores.; Positive effects of agglomeration for clustered industries and for the consumers of their products, often in the form of lower costs to the industries and consumers.
Agricultural Density
The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture; number of rural residents per unit of agriculturally productive land
Agricultural Revolution
The time when human beings first domesticated plants and animals and no longer relied entirely on hunting and gathering
agriculture
the science and practice of farming, including the cultivation of the soil and the rearing of stock
Alfred Weber
Twentieth century German geographer who created the least cost theory to predict the locational decisions made by industrial operations.
amalgamation theory
formal term for the "melting pot" concept of the merging of many immigrant ethnic heritages into a composite American mainstream
animism
belief that life exists in all objects, rocks, trees, mountains etc or that inanimate objects are the abode of the dead, of spirits, and of gods; the belief that inanimate objects, such as trees, rocks, and rivers, possess souls
annexation
The adding of a region to the territory of an existing political unit.
antecedent boundary
a boundary line established before the area in question is well populated
Apartheid
Laws (no longer in effect) in South Africa that physically separated different races into different geographic areas.
aquaculture
production and harvesting of fish and shellfish in land based ponds
aquifer
a porous, water ,bearing layer of rock, sand, or gravel below ground level
architectural form
the look of housing, affected by the available materials, the environment the house is in, and the popular culture of the time
Arithmetic Density
The total number of people divided by the total land area.;number of people per unit area of land (crude density)
artifact
material objects used to fill basic needs of food, protection, and defense
artificial boundary
(syn geometric boundary) a boundary without obvious physical geographic basis; often a section of a parallel of latitude or a meridian of longitude
Asian tigers
Group of new industrial countries comprising Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Assimilation
in cultural convergence, this occurs when the original traits of the weaker culture are completely erased and replaced by the traits of the more dominant culture; the process through which people lose originally differentiating traits, such as dress, speech, particularities, or mannerisms when they come into contact with another society or culture; two part process, behavioral (cultural) assimilation and structural assimilation
authenticity
the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions; the quality of being authentic
autonomous nationalism
movement by a dissident minority intent to achieve partial or total independence of territory it occupies from the state within which it lies
awareness space
knowledge of opportunity locations beyond normal activity space
Baby Boom
A sudden increase in the birth rate of a population
Backwash effect
Occurs when other regions suffer a drain of resources and talent due to agglomeration in another region.
Balkanization
Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities
bario / favala
a shanty town in or near a city; slum area
barrio
A Spanish speaking neighborhood
barrioization
Defined by geographer James Curtis as the dramatic increase in Hispanic population in a given neighborhood
basic sector
those products or services of an urban economy that are exported outside the city itself
behavioral assimilation
(syn cultural assimilation) integration into a common cultural life through shared experience, language, intermarriage, and sense of history; rough equivalent of acculturation
Big Mac Index
Tool for calculating purchasing power parity that compares prices of a Big Mac throughout the world.
biome
a major ecological community, including plants and animals, occupying an extensive earth area
biosphere
(syn ecosphere) the thin film of air, water, and earth within which we live, including the atmosphere, surrounding and subsurface waters, and the upper reaches of the earth's crust
blockbusting
Illegal practice of inducing homeowners to sell their properties by telling them that a certain people of a certain race, national origin or religion are moving into the area
border landscape
There are two types, exclusionary and inclusionary. Exclusion is meant to keep people out, such as the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Inclusionary is meant to facilitate trade and movement, such as the U.S. - Canada border
Boserup thesis
the view that population growth independently forces a conversion from extensive and intensive subsistence agriculture
Brain Drain
Large scale emigration by talented people.
break of bulk point
A location where goods are transferred from one type of carrier to another (e.g from barge to railroad).
buddhism
religion; belief that enlightenment will come through knowledge, especially self knowledge, elimination of greed, craving, and desire, complete honesty, and never hurting another person or animal; universalizing faith founded 6th century BC in India; moral philosophy that offered an explanation for evil and human suffering
buffer state
small country located between two hostile powers and whose presence decreased the possibility of conflict between them
built environment
part of the physical landscape that represents material culture; the landscape created by humans
capital
the city that is the seat of government of a state, nation, or province
Carrying Capacity
largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support; the number of people an area can support on a sustained basis given the prevailing technology; the number of persons supportable within a given area by the technologies at their disposal
caste
birth structure of society; an expression of the eternal transmigration of souls
Census
an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals
central business district (CBD)
the nucleus or "downtown" of a city, where retail stores, offices, and cultural activities are concentrated, mass transit systems converge, and land values and building densities are high
central city
that part of the metropolitan area contained within the boundaries of the main city around which suburbs have developed
central place
an urban or other settlement node whose primary function is to provide goods and services to the consuming population of its hinterland, complementary region, or trade area
central place theory
a deductive theory formulated by Christaller to explain the size and distribution of settlements through reference to competitive supply of goods and services to dispersed rural populations
centrifugal force
economic and social forces pushing households and businesses outward from central and inner ,city locations OR 2. forces of disruption and dissolution threatening the unity of a state; a force that divides people and countries
centripetal force
a force attracting establishments or activities to the city center OR 2. forces tending to bind together the citizens of a state; An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state
Chain Migration
migration of people to a specific location because relatives or members of the same nationality previously migrated there; the assemblage in one area if the relatives
channelized migration
The tendency for migration to flow between areas that are socially and economically allied by past migration patterns, by economic and trade connections, or by some other affinity
charter group
the dominant first arrivals establishing the cultural norms and standards against which other immigrant groups were measured
Christaller Walter
German geographer credited with development central place theory
Christianity
origin in the life and teachings of Jesus, a Jewish preacher of the 1st century; promised Messiah; salvation to all races not just Jews, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus
city
a multifunctional nucleated settlement with a CBD and both residential and nonresidential land uses
city state
a city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside
cluster migration
a pattern of movement and settlement resulting from the collective action of distinctive social or ethnic group
Cohort
A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit.
colonialism
Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
colony
a settlement in a new territory that keeps close ties to its homeland
command economy
An economic system in which the government controls a country's economy.; a system of production of goods and services for exchange in competitive markets where price and availability are determined by supply and demand
Commodification
Giving a price tag or value to something that was not previously perceived as having a money, related value.; the process though which something is given monetary value
compact state
A state that posses a roughly circular shape from which the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions. (ex. Poland); a state whose territory is nearly circular
Comparative advantage
Ability of a country (or place) to produce a good or offer a service better than another country can.; the principle that an area produces the items for which it has the greatest ratio of advantage or the least ratio of disadvantage in comparison to other areas, assuming free trades exists
complementarity
when two regions through an exchange of commodities can specifically satisfy each others demands
concentration
the spatial property of being crowded together
concentric zone model
(syn zonal model) a model describing urban land uses as a series of circular belts or rings around a core CBD, each ring housing a distinct type of land use
confederation
a political system in which a weak central government has limited authority, and the states have ultimate power.
Conference of Berlin (1884)
meeting of 14 mostly European countries on how to divided up Africa amongst themselves disregarding African input or ethnic groups
confucianism
a philosophy of ethnics, education, and public service based on the writings of Confucius; the importance of proper conduct; no churches or clergy; worship of ancestors encouraged
Conglomerate corporation
Massive corporation operating a collection of smaller companies that provide it with specific services in its production process.; Companies that have diversified into various economic activities usually through a process of mergers and acquisitions.
connectivity ,broad concept implying all the tangible and intangible ways in which places are connected
consequent boundary
(syn ethnographic boundary) a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language
Contagious diffusion
a form of expansion diffusion in which numerous places or people near the point of origin become adopters
containment
a guiding principle of US foreign policy during the Cold War period; to prevent or restrict the expansion of the Soviet Union's influence or control beyond its then existing limits
conurbation
a continuous, extended urban area formed by the growing together of several formerly separate, expanding cities
core / periphery / semi -periphery
the core, periphery idea that the core houses the main economic power of the region and the outlying region and that the periphery houses the lesser economic ties with the semi periphery in-between the two
core area
(1) the national or world districts of concentrated economic power, wealth, innovation, and advanced technology (2) the heartland or nucleus of a state, containing its most developed area, greatest wealth, densest populations, and clearest national identity
core area
The territorial nucleus from which a country grows in an area and over time, often containing the national capital and the main center of commerce, culture, and industry.
counter migration
the likelihood that as many as 25% of all migrants will return to their place of origin (return migration)
creole
a language that began as a pidgin language but was later adopted as the mother tongue by a people in a place of the mother tongue; if pidgin becomes the first language of a group of speakers; may have lost their former native tongue; acquire more complex grammatical structure and enhanced vocabulary
critical distance
the distance beyond which cost, effort, and means strongly influence our willingness to travel
crop rotation
the annual alteration of crops that make differential demands on or contributions to soil fertility
crude birth rate (CBR)
annual number of births per 1000 population; without regard to the age or sex composition of that population
crude death rate (CDR)
annual number of deaths per 1000 population; without regard to the age or sex composition of that population (mortality rate)
crude density
number of people per unit area of land (arithmetic density); the number of people per unit area of land
cultural adaptation
adjusting to a translation based on the cultural environment of the target language
Note 
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