AP Human Geography

geography

where people/activities are found on Earth's surface and the reasons for their locations (why, where)

e.g. People settling near water sources (Philadelphia near Schuylkill River) for their economic and agricultural benefits

map

2D/flat-scale model of Earth's surface (or a portion of it) mainly used as a reference or communication tool

cartography

the study and process of mapmaking

e.g. Abraham Ortelius was a 16th century cartographer who created the first modern atlas

model

A simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify causal relationships;

used by geographers to explain patterns, make informed decisions, and/or

predict future behaviors

e.g. Von Thünen model attempts to recreate a farmer's choice for the location of where he will cultivate a specific crop or raise a specific type of animal in relation to the market based upon cost of land and transportation

map scale

the relationship of a feature's size on a map to it's actual size on earth

3 ways to represent map scale: ratio (e.g. 1:10), written (e.g. 1 cm equals 10 km), and graphic (e.g. a bar line marked to show distance on Earth's surface)

projection

scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map

Robinson Projection

PROS:

-more accurately shows the area near the poles

-shows the proportion of land to water

CONS:

-land area is smaller

Mercator Projection

PROS:

-direction is consistent

-map is rectangular

-shape of countries distorted very little

CONS:

-relative size is distorted at the poles, high latitude countries look much larger than they are

-undermines Africa, racist connotations