Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives - Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from the Geography lecture notes.

Geography

The study of the Earth's surface and the people and processes that shape its landscapes.

Diffusion

The spread or movement of a principle, phenomenon, or idea.

Eratosthenes

Ancient Greek scholar credited with first using the term 'geography'.

Human-Environment Interaction

The theme that explores how humans alter the environment to meet their needs.

Formal Region

A region defined by a common characteristic or phenomenon.

Functional Region

A region defined around a central point or node, with diminishing characteristics as distance increases.

Perceptual Region

A region that exists based on individual perception or feelings.

Relocation Diffusion

The physical spread of cultures, ideas, and diseases through the movement of people.

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of a cultural phenomenon from a central node through various means.

Contagious Diffusion

Spread of a characteristic rapidly, without regard to race or class, as seen in the spread of diseases.

Stimulus Diffusion

The spread of an idea through the adoption of some aspects of it, often seen in innovative products.

Density

The frequency with which an object occurs within a given area.

Concentration

The extent to which a particular phenomenon is spread over a given area.

Pattern

The arrangement of objects in space, which can be geometric or random.

Absolute Location

Determined by latitude and longitude coordinates.

Relative Location

Describes a place's location in relation to other locations.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A system that uses satellites to determine the precise location of a person or object on Earth.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that environment dictates cultural and societal development.

Possibilism

The theory that human choices and actions are based on various possibilities and not solely defined by the environment.

Map Projection

A method used to represent the curved surface of the Earth on a flat surface, which can cause distortion.