Human geo Ch.2 Unit 1 Vocab

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.

Geographical Information Systems

Captures, stores, organizes, and displays geographic data that can then be used to configure both simple and complex maps.

Topography

The shape and features of land surfaces.

Remote Sensing

Gathering data remotely, or without making physical contact.

Global Positioning System

An integrated network of at least 31 satellites in the U.S. system that orbit Earth and transmit location data to handheld receivers.

Cartographers

Created maps to help explorers follow the routes of those who came before them and to estimate how long it might take to travel to uncharted lands.

Absolute Distance

Distance that can be measured using a standard unit of length.

Relative Distance

Measured in terms of other criteria such as time or money.

Absolute Direction

The direction in the cardinal directions, like north, south, west, east.

Relative Direction

Left, Right, up, down, front, or behind based on people's perceptions; used to describe direction and location when interpreting maps.

Map Scale

The mathematical relationship between the size of a map and the part of the real world it shows.

Reference Maps

Generalized sources of geographical data that focus on location.

Thematic Maps

Have a theme or specific purpose and focus on the relationship among geographic data.