APHG U1

Geography

the study of Earth’s land, water, and how people use and change the environment.

Human geography

the study of how people live, work, and shape their surroundings.

Ocean

a huge saltwater body between continents that affects trade, culture, and climate.

Sea

a smaller saltwater body near land, important for trade and cultural contact.

Lake

a body of freshwater surrounded by land, used for drinking, farming, travel, and fun.

River

moving water that flows into lakes or oceans, supporting farms and cities.

Isthmus

a narrow strip of land connecting two larger lands, like the Panama Isthmus.

Island

land fully surrounded by water, often isolated and harder to develop.

Irrigation

bringing water to land for farming, used by ancient and modern societies.

The Milky Way

the galaxy that holds our solar system, helping us think about space and scale.

Physical Geography

the study of natural features like land, weather, and plants, and how they affect people.

Lithosphere

Earth’s outer layer, made of crust and plates, shaping where people live and build.

Latitude

flat lines across the Earth that measure north or south of the equator; affects climate.

Longitude

tall lines from top to bottom that measure east or west of the prime meridian; used with latitude to find exact spots.

Exact Location

the precise place on Earth found using latitude and longitude coordinates.

North America

made up of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, it lies between the Atlantic and Pacific. Native populations declined due to diseases from European colonizers. It has big cities, many resources, and a wide range of climates.

Central America

a narrow land strip connecting North and South America with 7 countries. Influenced mostly by Spanish colonization (except English-speaking Belize) and home to eco-tourism and big social divides.

South America

rich in nature and culture, shaped by Spanish and Portuguese rule. Key economies include farming in Brazil/Argentina, mining in Chile/Bolivia, and ranching in Uruguay. Big cities include Rio and Buenos Aires.

The Great Lakes

five huge freshwater lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) that helped cities grow in the U.S. and Canada by supporting trade and travel.

The Panama Canal

a man-made shortcut connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It’s key for global trade and shows how humans reshape geography for economic power.

The Greater Antilles

the biggest Caribbean islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico) shaped by colonizers. Shows how colonization changed native cultures and languages.

The Lesser Antilles

smaller Caribbean islands (like Barbados, Aruba, Trinidad) that depend on tourism and reflect European colonial influence on culture and language.

Pampas

flat, grassy areas in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Great for farming and raising cattle, and important for food exports like beef and soy.

Tierra Del Fuego

cold, island area at South America’s tip. Harsh to live in, but key for explorers and ocean travel between the Atlantic and Pacific.

The British Isles

includes the UK, Ireland, and others. Shows how close countries often fight over culture, language, and power.

The Iberian Peninsula

Spain and Portugal, once world powers thanks to ocean access. Known for warm climates, tourism, and a history of Christian and Muslim rule.

Microstates

tiny countries like Luxembourg, Monaco, and Andorra. Even small nations can have unique cultures, political systems, and histories of conflict or freedom.

The Low Countries

Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Known for farming, finance, and being caught in big-power struggles due to their location and coastlines.

The Scandinavian Peninsula

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Known for equality, Protestant faith, Viking roots, and natural resources like oil and forests.

The Baltic States

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Once ruled by Russia, now independent with their own languages, governments, and pride.

Balkan Peninsula

Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. A mix of cultures and religions, often in conflict. Gave rise to the term “balkanization” due to breaking into smaller states.

Middle East

a dry, oil-rich region between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Home to countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, it has major religious and language diversity, which makes peace and cooperation difficult.

Anatolia

a large part of Turkey that connects Europe and Asia. It's been a trade and cultural bridge for centuries, helping different societies grow and connect.

Levant

the Eastern Mediterranean area (Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan) that links Africa, Asia, and Europe. It’s a historic crossroads for trade, religion (Judaism, Christianity), and conflict.

Caucasus

a mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas, including Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Its location causes cultural isolation and conflict but is key for business routes.

Mesopotamia

the ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq. It was home to the first cities, writing, and math—helping launch civilization.

Aramaic

an ancient language from Syria, used in government and trade across the Middle East. Historians believe Jesus spoke it, showing how empires spread language.

Zoroastrianism

an old Persian religion about good vs. evil, worshiping Ahura Mazda. It influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and moved to India with Parsis.

Hejaz

the western Saudi Arabian region where Mecca and Medina are. It’s the site of the Hajj pilgrimage and shows how religion, politics, and tourism connect.

Central Asia

five dry, landlocked countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Once part of the Soviet Union, this region was key to the Silk Road and remains important due to its location near Russia and China.

Sahara

the world’s largest hot desert, home to nomads and camels. Its extreme climate shaped trade routes and where people settled in Africa.

Sahel

a dry grassland zone south of the Sahara used for farming and herding. It's now facing desert expansion, drought, and food shortages.

Zanj

the East African coast (Somalia to Tanzania) known for Swahili culture and trade. It was a major Indian Ocean trade hub for goods like ivory, gold, and slaves.

Swahili

a mix of African and Arabic, created through trade. It helps East African people communicate and shows how languages form through cultural blending.

Afrikaans

a Dutch-based language spoken in South Africa and Namibia. It was used during apartheid to divide people, showing how language can be a tool of control.

South Asia

includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It’s home to many people, religions (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism), and landscapes like mountains and rivers that shape where people live.

Monsoons

seasonal winds in South and Southeast Asia that bring summer rains and winter dryness. They affect farming, where people settle, and local cultures.

Southeast Asia

stretches from India to China, with countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Its rivers and islands supported trade and cultures mixed with Indian, Chinese, and European influence.

East Asia

includes China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia. It’s shaped by Confucian ideas, big population shifts, and Cold War history, but each country has a different government and economy.

Australasia

includes Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific islands like Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The ocean shaped their trade and life, and colonization still affects native peoples today.

Polynesia

a group of islands in a triangle (Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island) with shared language and culture. It shows how people traveled long distances to settle tiny islands and build strong communities.

Melanesia

includes islands like Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. It has many languages and cultures shaped by isolation and colonization, with locals reviving old traditions today.

Micronesia

made of many small islands like the Federated States of Micronesia. These islands keep native cultures alive while depending on big countries for help, facing threats like rising sea levels.

Space

The area on Earth where people, buildings, and nature all interact and are arranged.

Activity Space

The places where people do things daily, like parks, schools, or workplaces.

Place

Any spot on Earth that has meaning or use for people, even if it's empty.

Toponym

A place name that tells us something about history, people, or nature (like Salt Lake City).

Place-Specific Cultures

Unique cultures that form over time in one place, shaped by past settlers (like Texas has both Spanish and English roots).

Homogeneous

A region where most people share the same culture or language.

Formal Region

An area with set borders and a shared trait, like a country or city.

Environmental Region

A natural area (like the Sahara) defined by land, weather, plants, and animals.

Ecotone

A border zone between two environments, rich in biodiversity (like the Sahel).

Cultural Region

A region defined by culture, not political borders (like Catalonia in Spain).

Functional Region

An area centered around a key place (like a city or sports team hub).

Market Area

The area served by a business or mall, like people traveling to the Mall of America.

Vernacular Region

A region people believe exists, based on feelings or identity (like the “Pacific Northwest”).

Absolute Location

The exact spot using latitude and longitude.

Time Zones

Areas with the same local time, created for train travel; shows how we organize time.

Relative Location

Describes a place based on what’s nearby (like calling it the Middle East from Europe).

Scale

Shows how a place or object compares to the real world on a map.

Relative Scale

The level at which you study something (local vs. national vs. global).

Distance

How far apart places are, either measured or compared.

Linear Distance

The exact number of miles or kilometers between two places.

Distance Decay

The farther apart two places are, the less they interact.

Tobler’s Law

Things that are closer are more connected than things farther away.

Site

The physical features of a place (like being near a river or at high altitude).

Situation

A place’s location in relation to other places (like London being near Europe for trade).

Space-Time Compression

Technology that makes travel and communication faster, shrinking distance in daily life.

Core Region

The most economically active area in a region (like NYC), often home to the central business district, not always geographically central.

Node

A central place where paths meet, usually involving human activity or transport, like train stations or markets.

Marketplace

A place (real or virtual) where goods and services are bought and sold, usually located at transportation hubs.

Central Business District (CBD)

The economic heart of a city where businesses are clustered; helps explain city land use.

Spatial Patterns

The shapes and arrangements of things (roads, buildings, farms) across the land that help geographers analyze space.

Cluster

A group of similar things located close together, like steel mills in Pittsburgh.

Land Survey Patterns

The ways land is divided: random (natural), linear (straight lines), sinus (wave-like), or planned like in early America.

Metes and Bounds

Irregular land plots based on landmarks, common in early American settlements and inherited from Europe.

Township and Range

Square plots of land laid out in a grid system, common in the Midwest and Western U.S.

Long Lot

Long narrow land divisions along rivers or roads, used for water access and transportation.

Density

Refers to how many people, animals, or things are in an area. Includes: Arithmetic Density, People per unit of land. Agricultural Density, Farmers per unit of farmland. Physiological Density, People per unit of arable (farmable) land.

Population Density

How crowded a place is, like Tokyo with over 6,000 people per km².

Diffusion

The spread of ideas, goods, or info from one place to another.

Hierarchical Diffusion

A trend starts in a major city and spreads to smaller places.

Contagious Diffusion

Spreads from person to person or place to nearby place (like a disease).

Stimulus Diffusion

A demand from the public leads businesses or leaders to make changes (like adding organic food).

Expansion Diffusion

Spreads from one origin in all directions, like the Silk Road.

Relocation Diffusion

People physically move and bring ideas with them, like Spanish missionaries.

Map

A visual representation of space; made through cartography.

Spatial Analysis

Studying patterns and data from maps to understand geography.

Topographic Map

Shows elevation and landforms with contour lines.

Thematic Map

Shows a specific topic or theme. Includes: Choropleth, Isoline, Dot Density, Flow-Line, Cartogram.'