Thinking Geographically

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary and concepts introduced in the 'Thinking Geographically' unit.

Types of Maps

Include reference maps and thematic maps.

Geospatial Technologies

Include geographic information systems (GIS), satellite navigation systems, remote sensing, and online mapping.

Census Data

An official count of individuals in a population, occurring every 10 years in the USA.

Absolute Location

The precise spot where something is located.

Relative Location

Where something is in relation to other things.

Distance Decay

Describes the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions.

Time-Space Compression

The increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be bringing people closer together even though their distances are the same.

Formal Region

A region defined by one or more unifying characteristics or patterns of activity.

Functional Region

A region centered around a focal point or node, such as a metropolitan area.

Vernacular Region

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

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the physical environment determines social development.

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may limit but does not determine human actions.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that captures, stores, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

Remote Sensing

The process of collecting data about the Earth's surface from satellites or aircraft.

Cultural Landscape

The forms superimposed on the physical environment by human activities.

Urbanization

The movement of people from rural areas to cities.

Gentrification

The process of wealthier individuals moving into an area, renovating it, and displacing poorer residents.

Urban Sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas.

Bid-Rent Theory

A geographical economic theory that explains how land prices vary with distance from the Central Business District (CBD).

Rank-Size Rule

The idea that the nth largest city in a country is 1/n the size of the largest city.

Primate City

An urban area that dominates its country's economy and culture and is more than twice the population of the next largest city.