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AP Human Geography Vocab
what is a reference map?
a map that shows geographic locations on the earth’s surface (cities, oceans, etc.)
what is a thematic map?
a map that emphasizes the spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes. sometime displays the relationships between them.
what is absolute distance?
distance that can be measures with a standard unit of length (foot, yard, mile, kilometer)
what is relative distance?
measurement of the level of social, cultural, or economic similarity between places despite their absolute distance from each other.
what is relative direction?
a direction that can be describes as position (front, behind, left, right)
what is elevation?
distance above sea level
what is a map projection?
a method for representing the surface of earth or a celestial sphere on a plane (2D); all of them are distorted
what is a geographic information system (GIS)?
a software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to position on earth’s surface; allows the rapid manipulating of geospatial data for problem-solving and research
what is a global positioning system (GPS)?
a system of 24 satellites that orbit earth twice daily and transmit radio signals Earthward; the basis for many map-based apps that provide directions on how to get from one place to another
what is remote sensing?
the scanning of earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it
what is census data?
an official count or survey of a population, typically age, sex, and race
what is satellite imagery?
images of earth’s surface gathered from sensors mounted on orbiting satellites; these sensors record in both the visible and nonvisible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing humans to view patterns and processes that are both visible and invisible to the naked eye
what is absolute location?
a precise position on earth’s surface
what is space?
the areas we occupy as humans; it has no value until the people who occupy it make it their own
what is place?
how we modify space based on who we are as a group of people
what are flows?
movement of people, resources, and culture
what is time-distance decay?
the declining degree of acceptance of an idea or innovation with increasing time and distance from its point of origin
what is time-space compression?
the decreasing distance between places, as measured by travel time or cost; “the world is shrinking“
what is relative location?
the position of one place to the position of another place
what is cultural landscape?
the built forms that cultural groups create in inhabiting earth— farm fields, cities, houses, and so on— and the meaning, values, representations, experiences associated with those forms
what is sustainability?
a set of practices that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs
whare are natural resources?
materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain
what is land use?
the way in which land is used in a given area
what is environmental determinism?
the belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures and that humanity is a passive product of its physical surroundings
what is possibilism?
belief that any physical environment a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome challenges
what is a global scale?
geographic scale that looks at geographic phenomena across entire world
what is a regional scale?
geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic within a particular region
what is a national scale?
geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic within a specific country
what is a local scale?
geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a state/province, city/town, or neighborhood
what is a formal region?
a geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common
what is a functional region?
a geographical area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit
what is a perceptual/vernacular region?
a geographical area that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique regional name
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