AP Human Geography Units 1-4 Flashcards

Geography

Study of the earth and is features

cartography

the science of map-making

scale

the relationship between the size of something on a map and its actual size on earth

projection

the scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map

distortion

the misrepresentation of shape, distance, or relative size on a map compared to true measurements on the earth's curved surface

meridian

an arc drawn between the North and South Poles (runs North to South; used to measure time zones)

parallel

circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator (runs East to West)

longitude

numbering system for meridians; vertical lines on map projection

latitude

numbering system for parallels; horizontal lines on map projection

Equator

parallel at zero degrees latitude; divides Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Prime Meridian

meridian at zero degrees longitude; divides East and West Hemispheres

International Date Line

meridian at 180 degrees longitude; separates two consecutive calendar dates

GIS

computer system that stores, organizes, and analyzes geographic data in layers

GPS

determines the absolute location of something on Earth using satellites

remote sensing

collecting data about Earth's surface using satellites

coordinates

location of places using latitude and longitude

site

the unique physical characteristics of a place

situation

the characteristics of a place relative to other places

absolute location

precise location of something marked locally by an address or globally by coordinates

relative location

location of something relative to something else

sense of place

the feelings or experiences associated with being in a unique location

Placelessness

the loss of unique or identifying characteristics of a place

toponym

name given to a place

region

area defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

formal region (AKA uniform region)

region with at least one similar physical or cultural trait that unifies it (ex. language, religion, distinct borders)

functional region (AKA nodal region)

region with certain political, economic, or social activity that unifies it around a central node; region organized around a core with characteristics that lessen in intensity as you move toward the periphery (edge of area)

perceptual region (AKA vernacular region)

area defined by a person's beliefs, thoughts, feelings, or opinions

regionalism

the perceived identification or attachment to a particular region

regionalization

organization of Earth's surface into areas that are distinct from other areas

environmental determinism

theory that the physical environment determines or heavily influences human social development

Possibilism

theory that the physical environment may limit possibilities of social development, but humans ultimately determine their social development

globalization

the expansion of economic, political, or cultural activities such that they impact or influence the entire world

hearth

the location of origin of a characteristic or idea

diffusion

the spread of a trend or feature from one place to another

relocation diffusion

the spread of an idea as a result of people physically migrating or moving

expansion diffusion

the spread of an idea as a result of non-physical processes

contagious diffusion

type of expansion diffusion where an idea spreads quickly regardless of social class, economic status, or power

stimulus diffusion

type of expansion diffusion where the underlying idea spreads but certain characteristics are changed due to barriers

hierarchical diffusion

type of expansion diffusion where an idea spreads from areas of higher power/influence to places of lower power/influence

time-space compression (AKA space-time compression)

the perceived decrease in distance due to decreased travel time of ideas or goods as a result of improved communication and transportation technology

distance decay

the idea that a characteristic lessens in intensity as you move further from its hearth

cultural landscape

the landscape of the earth with human modifications as a result of cultural, political, or economic activities

cultural ecology

study of interactions between humans and the environment

MDC (more developed country)

countries with features like large economies, a large proportion of high-paying jobs, and high overall education levels

LDC

countries with features like relatively small economies, a small proportion of high-paying jobs, and overall relatively lower education levels

sustainability

meeting the needs of current populations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

demography

scientific study of population characteristics

distribution

arrangement of locations of objects in space

population density

number of people living on a given area of land

overpopulation

number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of environment to support it at a decent standard of living

arithmetic density

total number of objects in a given area

major population concentrations

East Asia, South Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia

ecumene

portion of Earth's surface with permanent human settlements

arable land

land suited or good for agriculture

physiological density

total number of people supported by an area of arable land

agricultural density

ratio of the number of farmers compared to the amount of arable land

dependents

people unable to work either under the age of 14 or over the age of 65

dependency ratio

ratio of number of people able to work compared to the number of dependents

sex ratio

number of males per 100 females

doubling time

number of years needed to double the size of the population with a constant natural increase rate

carrying capacity

number of people that can be supported by an area's resources; ability of an area's resources to support a population

Malthusian Theory

states that population grows at an exponential rate while food supplies grow at a linear rate (population grows faster than food), so humans will eventually exceed the carrying capacity of the Earth

Malthusian Trap

point at which population exceeds food supply

j-curve

graph showing exponential growth

replacement rate

rate at which enough children are born on average to replace the older generations, generally above 2%

Boserupian Theory

states that population will not exceed food supply due to human innovations and invention, contrast to Malthus

Population Pyramid

Population pyramids are used by demographers as a tool for understanding the make-up of a given population, whether a city, country, region, or the world

neo-malthusians

theory that builds upon Malthus' thoughts on overpopulation. people who advocated for strict control of population to not deplete the world's limited resources.

S-Curve

traces the cyclical movement upwards and downwards in a graph

demographic transition

change in a society's CBR(Crude Birth Rate), CDR (Crude Death Rate), and NIR (Natural Increase Rate over time

epidemiological transition

the change in health threats faced by a population from one stage of demographic transition to the next

demographic transition model

representation of the change in a society's CBR(Crude Birth Rate), CDR (Crude Death Rate), and NIR (Natural Increase Rate)separated into five stages

stage 1 DTM

high birth rates, high death rates, low population growth, short life expectancy

stage 2 DTM

high birth rates, declining death rates, high population growth (population boom), increasing life expectancy, most of Africa and LDCs

stage 3 DTM

declining birth rates, low death rates, decreasing population growth, NICs

stage 4 DTM

low birth rates, low death rates, stable and low population growth, MDCs

stage 5 DTM

birth rates lower than death rates, negative population growth, Japan/Germany/Greece

crude birth rate (CBR)

total number of live births per thousand people in a year

crude death rate (CDR)

total number of deaths per thousand people in a year

natural increase rate (AKA rate of natural increase)

percentage by which a population grows in a year not including migration

total fertility rate (TFR)

average number of children a woman will have between ages 15 and 49

life expectancy

average number of years a person is expected to live, lower in LDCs and higher in MDCs

infant mortality rate

percent of children under one year of age who die

pro-natalist policy

government laws or programs that encourage higher birth rates

anti-natalist policy

government laws or programs that attempt to decrease birth rates

demographic momentum

continued growth of a population after falling fertility rates due to a large proportion of the population entering reproductive years

migration

the permanent movement of people to a new location

push factor

economic, social, political, or environmental reason a person leaves their country or place of origin

pull factor

economic, social, political or environmental reason a person is attracted to a new country or area

forced migration

occurs when migrants have no choice but to move due to fear of death, war, natural disaster, or political violence

voluntary migration

occurs when migrants choose to leave their place of origin, usually for better economic opportunities

international migration

a permanent move from one country to another

internal migration

a permanent move within the same country

xenophobia

the irrational fear or prejudice against people from other countries

islamophobia

the irrational fear or prejudice against Islam and/or Muslims

refugee

legal title of a person forced to migrate out of their country of origin due to armed conflict, violation of human rights, or persecution

asylum seeker

legal title of a person forced to migrate out of their country of origin due to armed conflict, violation of human rights, or persecution but who does not yet have refugee status

internally displaced person (IDP)

a person who has been forced to migrate but has remained within the borders of their country of origin

intervening obstacle

a challenge that stops or slows migration

intervening opportunity

an unforeseen option that causes migrants to stop before reaching their intended destination