AP Human Unit 1 Vocab

Thinking geographically

**map**

a representation with an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities and roads.

**cartography**

the science of mapmaking

**map scale**

the relationship between distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground

**parallel**

a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians

**meridian**

a circle of constant longitude passing through a given place on earth's surface and terrestrial poles.

**prime meridian**

designed as 0 degrees longitude, that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

**region**

geographically, an extensive area of the world defined by its physical and human similarities.

**distortion**

an error in presentation that gives a false representation.

 EX: DISTORTION THAT OCCURS FROM TAKING A CIRCULAR GLOBE AND PUTTING IT ON A FLAT MAP

**remote sensing**

studying an object or location without making physical contact

EX: CAMERAS ON SATELLITES

**GIS**

geographic information system, computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface.

**GPS**

global positioning system, satellite navigation based on a global network that transmits radio signals from earth.

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**mercator projection ~** an attempt to create a two-dimensional map that maintained accurate and reliable compass points, but sizes are very distorted and inaccurate

**robinson projection ~** compromise in that it attempts to minimize errors in distance, relative size, and compass direction but does not accurately depict any one of these factors

**gall-peters projection ~** reflects the land size of all continents equally, but in doing so it distorts distance and direction.

**goode-homolosine projection ~** main disadvantage: most of the angles and directions are distorted, advantage: shape and size of continents being accurate and in proportion.

**polar projection ~** polar projection is primarily used to show the north or south polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. A polar projection is a type of azimuthal projection. 

**isoline map (aka isopleth) ~** maps that show lines that join points of equal value. (For example, a topographic map is an isoline map on which lines join points of equal elevation.)

**dot distribution map ~** a type of map that uses the density of dot symbols that are the same size to show the presence of a feature

**choropleth map ~** uses different shades to show the variation of the values.

**graduated symbol map ~** used to show quantitative difference between mapped features by varying the size of symbols

**cartogram ~** a map in which the geometry of regions is distorted in order to convey the info of an alternate variable

**location**

the position of something on the earth’s surface

**toponym**

another word for name, but is specific to locations

EX: USA

**site**

exact location, the site is the land that the city was built upon.

**situation**

the situation of a city relates to its surrounding features, both human-made and natural. the situation of the city includes characteristics that are external to the settlement.

**cultural landscape**

cultural attributes of an area often used to describe a place

**formal region**

an area defined by one predominant or universal characteristic throughout its entire area. formal Regions have well-defined boundaries

**functional region**

an area centered on a node, focal point, or central hub surrounded by interconnecting linkages

EX: CITY AND ITS SURROUNDING SUBURBS

**perceptual region**

or vernacular region is defined by feelings and prejudices that may or may not be true

EX: THE MIDWEST

**culture**

total way of life held in common by a group of people, including learned features such as language, ideology, behavior, technology, and government

**globalization**

the increasing connection of economic, cultural, and political characteristics across the world.

EX:  RAW PRODUCT HARVESTED IN AFRICA, THEN IS USED TO MANUFACTURE GOODS IN CHINA, AND SHIPPED AROUND THE WORLD FOR SALE.

**space**

a general, objective location or area

**transnational corporations**

company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where its headquarters or shareholders are located.

**distribution**

 arrangement of features in a space

**density**

the no. of people who live in a defined land area

**concentration**

the spread of a feature(dispersed/scattered or clustered/agglomerated)

**pattern**

arrangement of objects on earth's surface in relationship to one another

EX: LINEAR PATTERN OF HOUSES IN A LINE

**distance decay**

theory that states that as the distance between two places increases, the interaction between those two places decreases.

**space-time compression**

the reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as a result of improved communications and transportation system

EX: INTERNET

**LDC**

less-developed countries, countries that have low economic growth and little to no industrialization.

EX: COUNTRIES IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN

**MDC**

more developed countries, countries that have advanced socially and economically.

EX: USA, CANADA, JAPAN

**NIC**

newly industrialized country, country whose level of economic development ranks it somewhere between developing and highly developed classifications

EX: CHINA, INDIA, MALAYSIA

**environmental determinism**

 philosophy of geography that stated that human behaviors are a direct result of the surrounding environment

**possibilism**

theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment.