unit one thinking geographically

absolute distance

an exact measure of the separation between two points using a standard, such as inches, feet, or miles

relative distance

a measure of social, cultural, or political differences or similarities between two locations

absolute direction

indicates north, south, east, and west

relative direction

describes the location of one thing in relation to another

elevation

measures the height of geographic features relative to sea level

reference map

a map that focuses on the location of places

thematic map

any map that focuses on one or more variables to show a relationship between geographic data

geographic information system (gis)

a computer system that allows for the collection, organization, and display of geographic data for analysis

census data

an offical account of the number of people in a defined area, such as a state

diffusion

the process by which a cultural trait spreads from one place to another over time

distance decay

farther away one place is from another the less interaction those two places will havs

time space compression

a key geographic principle that describes the ways in which modern transportation and communication technology have allowed humans to travel and communicate over long distances more quickly and easily

sustainability

the use of Earth’s land and natural resources in ways that ensure they will continue to be available in the future

environmental determinism

the idea that human behavior is strongly affected, controlled, or determined by the physical environment

possibilism

theory of human-environment interaction that states that humans have the ability to adapt the physical environment to their needs

globalization

the expansion of economic, cultural, and political processes on a worldwide scale

global

geographers identify broad patterns encompassing the entire world

regional

the level of analysis that explores relationships between phenomena and humans; the regions used to define these scales may be drawn from formal, functional, or vernacular regionalization

national

refers to examining geographic phenomena and issues at the level of an entire nation or country; studying patterns, processes, and relationships that occur within a specific country’s borders

local

a specific community, town, city or region; more detailed than larger scales, focusing on specific issues relevant to that area

formal/uniform region

an area that has one or more shared traits; also called a uniform region

functional/nodal region

an area organized by its function around a focal point, or the center of an interest or activity

perceptual/vernacular region

a type of region that reflects people’s feelings and attitudes about a place; also called vernacular region