APHUG VOCAB #Unit 1 Part 1

Absolute location

the precise spot where something is according to a system

Agriculture Density

the ratio of farmers to arable land, specifically the number of farmers per unit of land suitable for agriculture

Arithmetic Density

the total population of an area divided by its total land area

Base Lines

the east-west line used as a reference in the US Public Land Survey System

Cartography

the science and art of making maps, combining scientific principles, aesthetics, and techniques to effectively communicate spatial information

Concentration

the spatial clustering or dispersion of features (people, buildings, etc.) within a given area

Contagious Diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a cultural trait or innovation through close, direct contact with individuals, resembling a "snowballing" effect

Cultural Landscape

anything a human has built is a part of it and is in the realm of land use

Culture

the sum of knowledge, attitudes, and habitual behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a society

Density

the frequency with which something occurs in space

Distance Decay

the inverse relationship between distance and connection

Distribution

The way in which a phenomenon is spread across an area.

Environmental Determinism

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture

Formal Region(Uniform)

regions united by one or more traits(ex. political, physical, cultura, economic)

Functional Region

regions organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity, usually political, social, or economic

Geographic Information System(GIS)

Computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data

Geospatial Data

data that describes locations and characteristics of human activities and phenomena on Earth’s surface

Geovisualization

allows for people to view 2D or even 3D maps

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Uses receivers on Earth’s surface and multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location.

Globalization

a form of syncretism that involves the creation of products or services for the global market by adapting them to local cultures

Greenwich Mean Time(GMT)

the time at the prime meridian

Hearth

the place of origin for a widespread cultural trend or innovation

Hierarchical Diffusion

the spread of a cultural idea or innovation from places of greater power or influence to places or people of lesser power or influence

Human Geography

the study of spatial characteristics of humans and human activities. Human geographers study topics such as population, culture, politics, urban areas, and economics

International Data Line

the imaginary line at 180 degrees longitude, opposite to the prime meridian

Land Ordinance of 1785

established a system for surveying and selling off western lands acquired by the United States

Latitude

The distance north or south of the equator.

Location

identifies where specific phenomena are located either on a grid system or relative to another location

Longitude

is the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Map

the most important tool of a geographer and help to organize complex information

Mental Map

a personalized, internal representation of a place or area, shaped by individual experiences, perceptions, and knowledge

Parallel

a line of latitude that circles the Earth

Pattern

The general arrangement of things

Physical Geography

is the study of spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment

Meridian

an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, representing lines of longitude on the Earth's surface.

Physical Map

shows and labels natural feature, such as mountains, rivers, and deserts.

Physiological Density

the number of people per unit of arable land

Place

refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

Possibilism

a view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

Prime Meridian

the meridian at 0 degrees longitude that divides the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, passing through Greenwich, England.

Projection

the process of showing a curved surface on a flat surface is done using a map projection

Regional Studies

analyzing the spatial variations and characteristics of places, focusing on how they are defined and interconnected within specific regions

Relative Location

a description of where something is in relation to other things.

Remote Sensing

gathers information from satellites that orbit earth or other craft above the atmosphere

Relocation DIffusion

the spread of culture and/or cultural traits by people who migrate and carry their cultural traits with them.

Region

a group of places in the same area that share a characteristic

Site

the characteristics at the immediate location(ex. soil type, climate, labor force, and human structures)

Situation

refers to the location of a place to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

Space Time Compression

The shrinking “time-distance”, or relative distance, between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication.

Spatial Association

matching patterns of distribution that indicate that two or more phenomena may be related of associated.

Spatial Patterns

refer to the general arrangement of things being studied

Stimulus Diffusion

when an underlying idea from a culture hearth is adopted by another culture but the adopting group modifies or rejects on trait

Toponym

place names

Vernacular Region (Perceptual)

regions that differ from formal and functional regions in that they are defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them

Culture ecology

the study of how humans adapt to the environment