AP Human Geography Cumulative Review 2025-2026

A cumulative review flashcard set covering geographic concepts, population dynamics, cultural patterns, political organization, agricultural practices, urban geography, and industrial development based on notes for the 2025-2026 AP Human Geography course.

What is the Digital OnLine Life and You (DOLLY) Project?

A searchable repository of every geotagged tweet since December 2011, created by Matthew Zook and data scientists at the University of Kentucky.

What is the difference between Environmental Determinism and Possibilism?

Environmental Determinism suggests the physical environment sets limits on human social development, while Possibilism argues the environment sets constraints but people have the ability to adjust and choose items from the physical environment.

Define Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

A computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data, often using thematic layers.

How is Physiological Population Density calculated?

By dividing the total population by the amount of $\text{arable land}$.

What is the Ecumene?

The portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement.

What characterizes Stage 2 of the Demographic Transition Model (DTM)?

High fertility rates, rapidly declining death rates, very high natural increase, and a large youth dependency.

What is the Malthusian theory regarding population and food?

The theory that population grows exponentially while food production grows arithmetically, leading to a point where population exceeds food supply.

Define the term 'Brain Drain'.

The large-scale emigration by talented or educated people from a country.

What is the difference between Acculturation and Assimilation?

Acculturation involves an individual or group adopting some traits of another culture while keeping their own, whereas Assimilation is the process by which a group's cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group completely.

What is a Lingua Franca?

A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages.

Define 'Nation-State'.

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality.

What are the four zones of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)?

1. Territorial Sea ($12$ nautical miles), 2. Contiguous Zone ($24$ nautical miles), 3. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) ($200$ nautical miles), and 4. High Seas.

What is Devolution?

The transfer of power from a central government to regional or local governments within a state.

Define 'Neocolonialism'.

The use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies.

What is the Bid-Rent Theory?

A geographical theory that refers to how the price and demand for real estate change as the distance from the Central Business District (CBD) increases.

What were the primary characteristics of the Green Revolution?

High-yield seeds, increased use of chemicals (pesticides, synthetic fertilizers), and mechanized farming/irrigation.

Compare Intensive and Extensive Agriculture.

Intensive agriculture requires a large amount of labor and capital on small plots of land (e.g., market gardening), while Extensive agriculture uses fewer inputs and labor on large areas of land (e.g., livestock ranching).

What is the Rank-Size Rule?

A pattern of settlements in a country such that the $n^{th}$ largest settlement is $\frac{1}{n}$ the population of the largest settlement.

What is New Urbanism?

An urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types.

What are the three factors used to calculate the Human Development Index (HDI)?

1. A decent standard of living (GNI per capita), 2. Knowledge (mean and expected years of schooling), and 3. A long and healthy life (life expectancy).

What is Weber's Least-Cost Theory?

A model used to determine the best location for a manufacturing plant based on minimizing the costs of transportation, labor, and agglomeration.

What is the difference between the Primary and Tertiary economic sectors?

The Primary sector involves the extraction of raw materials (e.g., agriculture, mining), while the Tertiary sector involves the provision of services (e.g., retail, banking).

According to the lecture, what percentage of the workforce for subsistence agriculture in LDCs is made up of women?

On average, women make up $45\%$ of the workforce.

Define the concept of 'Time-Space Compression'.

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

What is a 'Shatterbelt'?

A region caught between stronger colliding external political-cultural forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals.