Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

Understanding where things are located and why they are there

Thinking Geographically

Refers to where things are located and how they are arranged in space

Spatial

The study of interactions and interdependence between humans and the environment

Ecological

The farther away something is, the less influence or interaction it has

Distance Decay

The position of a place on Earth

Location

The exact location of a place using latitude and longitude

Absolute Location

A place’s location in relation to other places

Relative Location

A location distinguished by physical and human characteristics

Place

Climate, landforms, vegetation, and animals

Physical Characteristics

Language, religion, culture, and population

Human Characteristics

The physical characteristics of a place, including climate, landforms, and resources

Site

A place’s location relative to other places, such as transportation routes

Situation

The area between two or more objects

Space

The number of things in a given area

Density

The arrangement of objects in space

Pattern

Objects distributed without a clear organization

Random Pattern

Objects arranged in a structured or predictable way

Organized Pattern

The belief that human behavior is controlled by the physical environment

Environmental Determinism

The belief that humans can adapt to and change the environment

Possibilism

The level of analysis such as local, regional, national, or global

Scale

An area with shared physical or human characteristics

Formal Region

An area organized around a central node or function

Functional Region

A region based on people’s feelings or perceptions

Perceptual (Vernacular) Region

Wealthy countries with high education, advanced technology, and strong infrastructure

Core Countries

Countries with moderate development between core and periphery

Semi-Periphery Countries

Less developed countries with weak technology and infrastructure

Periphery Countries

The increasing connection and integration of countries worldwide

Globalization

Using resources without depleting them for future generations

Sustainability

Data measured using numbers

Quantitative Data

Data based on descriptive characteristics

Qualitative Data

A system used to capture, analyze, and display spatial data

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

A satellite-based system used to determine exact location

GPS (Global Positioning System)

Distance measured in units like miles or kilometers

Absolute Distance

Distance measured by time, cost, or perception

Relative Distance

Direction using compass points such as north, south, east, and west

Absolute Direction

Direction based on landmarks or perspective

Relative Direction

A detailed map of a small area such as a city

Large-Scale Map

A map of a state or province

Medium-Scale Map

A map showing a large area such as a region or the world

Small-Scale Map

A map projection that preserves direction but distorts size near the poles

Mercator Projection

A map projection that preserves area but distorts shape

Gall-Peters Projection

A map projection that minimizes distortion and appears globe-like

Robinson Projection

A map projection that preserves direction from a central point

Azimuthal Projection

A map that shows the locations of places

Reference Map

A map that shows a specific topic or theme

Thematic Map

A map that uses dots to show distribution

Dot Map

A map that uses colors or shading to show data values

Choropleth Map

A map that uses different-sized symbols to represent data

Graduated Symbol Map

A map that distorts area size to show data proportion

Cartogram