Untitled Flashcards Set

Accessibility

The quality of being easy to obtain or use; improved by transportation networks.

Cartography

The science of making maps.

Cartogram

A map where a thematic variable substitutes for land area, distorting geometry to convey alternate variable information.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses shadings or colors to show levels of a variable within predefined areas.

Climate

The long-term average of weather conditions at a specific location.

Concentration

The geographic location of a dense group, similar to a cluster.

Cultural landscape

The human imprint on the physical landscape, emphasizing relationships among social and physical phenomena.

Connection

The relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space.

Culture

The body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute a group's distinct tradition.

Density

The frequency of occurrence of something within a given unit of space.

Diffusion

The process of spread of a cultural trait or trend from one place to another over time.

Distance decay

The diminished importance and eventual disappearance of interaction as distance from its origin increases.

Distribution

The arrangement of something across Earth's surface.

Dot Maps

Maps that use dots to show the occurrence of a phenomenon, depicting density variations.

Ecology

The scientific study of ecosystems.

Environmental Determinism

An approach suggesting that the physical environment causes human activities.

Fieldwork

Observing and collecting data about people, cultures, and environments in natural settings.

Formal Region

A region defined by one or more shared characteristics.

Functional Region

A region defined by an activity or a node through which the activity's influence diminishes outward.

Geographic Information Science

The development and analysis of data about Earth through technology.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A system for storing, organizing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines precise locations on Earth using satellites.

Globalization

Processes and actions that make something worldwide in scope.

Hearth

The region where innovative ideas originate.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of a feature from person or authoritative node to other persons or places.

Isolines

Lines connecting points of equal value on a map.

Latitude

The numbering system indicating location of parallels on a globe, measuring north and south of the equator.

Location

The position of anything on Earth's surface.

Longitude

The numbering system indicating location of meridians, measuring east and west of the prime meridian.

Map scale

The relationship between a map object size and the actual size of the feature on Earth's surface.

Mental map

A representation of Earth's surface based on personal knowledge and impressions.

Meridian

An arc drawn on a map between the north and south poles, known as longitude lines.

Networks

Connections in patterns with nodes, changing direction, representing transportation or communication.

Nonrenewable resources

Resources produced in nature slower than consumed by humans.

Parallel

A circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator.

Place

The qualitative characteristics that people associate with a location.

Possibilism

The theory that the environment sets limits on human actions, but options exist.

Reference maps

Maps containing extensive information about physical or cultural features.

Region

Areas characterized by shared processes or characteristics.

Relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature through bodily movement of people.

Remote sensing

Acquisition of data about Earth's surface from satellites or distant methods.

Renewable resource

Resources produced faster than consumed by humans.

Scale

The relationship between the portion studied and the whole Earth.

Sequent Occupance

The influence of sequential occupants reflected in a cultural landscape.

Site

The physical characteristics of a place.

Situation

The location of a place relative to others.

Space-time compression

The reduction in time to diffuse something due to improved communications and transportation.

Spatial association

The relationship between distributions of two features.

Spatial pattern

The arrangement of objects on Earth, including the space between them.

Stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle even when specific characteristics are rejected.

Sustainability

Using Earth's resources without compromising future use.

Thematic Maps

Maps that communicate data focused on a specific theme.

Toponym

A name given to a portion of Earth's surface.

Vernacular region

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.

Agricultural Density

The number of farmers per unit of arable land.

Anthropocene

The current geological age dominated by human activity.

Anti-natalist policy

A restrictive policy discouraging more births in a population.

Arithmetic Density

The total population divided by total land area.

Baby Boom

Cohort born in the U.S. between 1946 and 1964.

Baby Bust

The period of declining fertility rates during the 1960s and 1970s.

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population size that the environment can sustain indefinitely.

Census

A count of the population conducted every ten years in the U.S.

Child Mortality Rate (CMR)

The number of deaths of children ages 1 to 5.

Chronic v. Genetic Diseases

Chronic diseases affect older populations; genetic diseases are hereditary.

Demography

The statistical study of human populations.

Demographic Equation

Crude birth rate minus crude death rate plus net migration.

Demographic Momentum

The tendency of a growing population to continue expanding after fertility decline.

Dependency Ratio

The number of non-working age individuals compared to the working-age population.

Demographic Transition

The shift from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates in population growth.

Doubling Time

The time it takes for a population to double in size.

Echo Boom

The large population cohort created by the children of the Baby Boomers.

Ecumene

The inhabited portion of Earth's surface.

Epidemiological Transition

Dramatic drop in death rates during the mid-19th century.

Eugenic population policies

Policies favoring one racial/cultural sector over others.

Infectious Diseases

Diseases transmitted through vectors or directly among people.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The number of deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births.

Life Expectancy

Average expected lifespan in a population.

Megalopolis

A large urban area including several major cities.

Neo-Malthusians

Concerned about population growth exceeding resources.

One Child Policy

China’s policy limiting families to one child.

Overpopulation

When population exceeds environmental capacity to support life.

Population Composition

The number of males and females within a population.

Population explosion

Rapid population increase since the 18th century.

Physiologic density

People per unit area of agriculturally productive land.

Pro-natalist policy

Government policy encouraging more births.

Thomas Malthus

Economist noting population growth exceeds necessary food supplies.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime.

Acculturation

The process by which a less dominant culture adopts traits of a more dominant one.

Assimilation

When a less dominant culture loses its unique traits to a dominant culture.

Cultural Appropriation

The adoption of elements of one culture by another.

Cultural Barrier

Attitudes that render certain practices unacceptable in a culture.

Cultural Hearth

Origin area of a major culture.

Cultural Landscape

Visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape.

Cultural Relativism

The idea that beliefs and activities should be understood in terms of one's own culture.

Culture Trait

A single attribute of a culture.

Culture Complex

A distinctive combination of cultural traits.

Culture System

A group of interconnected culture complexes.

Custom

The frequent repetition of an act characteristic of a group.

Habit

A repetitive act performed by an individual.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's culture is superior to others.