AP hug Unit 1 Vocab Thinking Geographically

Feildwork

the hands-on process of collecting real-world data by directly observing people, cultures, and their environments in natural settings

-When geographers see what people are doing out on the fields (peoples actions)

Human Geogrpahy

How people make and organize places. How people interact with each other in and places and across space

-For example: Trade, Politics

Globaliztion

Improvements in transportation and communication for movement of markets, states and trade.

Physical Geogrpahy

Physical features of the land

-desserts, plateaus, mountains

Spatial Distribution

the arrangement of phenomena (people, resources, ideas) across Earth's surface, revealing patterns (clustered, dispersed, random) influenced by physical (climate, landforms) and human factors (culture, economics)

Site

the intrinsic PHYSICAL characteristics of a location

-soil,water,climate,natural resources,terrain

Situation

the location of a place relative to other places and its surrounding environment

-focusing on connectivity, accessibility, and external features like transportation routes, trade connections, and proximity to resources

Time-space Compression

the concept that technological advancements in transportation and communication make the world feel smaller by drastically reducing the time and perceived distance between places, thus increasing global interaction, trade, and cultural diffusion, seemingly "shrinking" the world

Location Theory

explains why economic activities (like industries, businesses) are situated in specific places

Human Environmental Interaction

Relationship between humans and the land

-pollution, natural resources degregation

Sense of Place

How a human reacts to a place.

-the subjective, emotional, and cultural attachment people develop with a specific location

Spatial Interaction

movement and flow between locations of people, goods, and information

Landscape

Visible condition of an amount of land

Cultural landscape

The visible imprint of human activity and culture on the natural environment, representing the interaction between people and their surroundings

Cartography

The art and science of map making

Reference Map

shows general geographic locations and features (like cities, rivers, roads, borders) for navigation and orientation, focusing on where things are

Thematic Maps

specialized map showing the distribution or pattern of a specific theme, like population density, climate, or economic activity, rather than general features, using COLORS, OR PATTERNS and symbols to visualize data and spatial relationships for a particular subject

Absolute location

The EXACT spot where something is located

GPS (Global Positioning System)

a satellite-based technology that provides precise location data (latitude/longitude) for users on Earth

Relative Location

guestimate of where a location is (not priciest)

Mental Map

A persons point of view of a map of interaction

-personal internal picture of a place

Built Environment

refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, encompassing all physical structures like buildings, roads, parks, and infrastructure

Generalized Maps

refer to reference maps (like political or physical maps) that show broad, common geographic features (borders, cities, rivers) at smaller scales, simplifying complex reality to provide an overview

Remote Sensing

the science and technology of gathering information about Earth's surface from a distance, usually via satellites or aircraft, without direct contact, using sensors to capture energy (like light) reflected or emitted from the Earth

GIS (Geographic Information System)

a powerful computer tool used to capture, store, analyze, and display location-based data

Scale

The relationship between a distance on a map and the actual distance on Earth's surface, expressed as a ratio, fraction, or bar.

Aggregation

the process of combining smaller geographic data (like census tracts or ZIP codes) into larger units (like counties, states, or countries) for analysis

Functional Region

Regions organized around a focal point, and are defined by an activity.

Formal Regions

a geographical are defined by a consistent, shared characteristic whether cultural or physical, with clearly defined boundaries.

Perceptual Region

an area defined by people's shared feelings, cultural beliefs, and subjective perceptions, rather than official boundaries

Culture

Ideas and customs of particular people in a single group

Cultural Trait

a single, specific characteristic or element of a culture, like a language, a food preference, a religious belief, a style of dress, or a building design, that helps define a group's shared way of life and identity

Cultural Complex

a group of interrelated cultural traits (like beliefs, practices, clothing, food, rituals) that cluster together and define the unique identity and lifestyle of a particular society or community, forming a cohesive cultural unit

Cultural Hearth

Place of origin for a widespread cultural trend

Cultural Diffusion

the spread of cultural elements (ideas, styles, religions, technologies, languages) from a hearth (origin) to other areas

Independent Invention

when a similar cultural innovation (like agriculture, writing, or tools) arises in two or more different places at nearly the same time, developed separately by people who weren't aware of each other's work, highlighting multiple cultural hearths or sources of innovation

Time-distance decay

Things near each other are more connected to each other than things father away

Cultural Barriers

Communication challenges between 2 people of 2 different cultures

Expansion Diffusion

when a cultural trait, idea, or innovation spreads outward from its hearth (origin) while remaining strong or even intensifying in that original area, growing continuously larger in influence

Contagious Diffusion

when an idea, trait, or innovation spreads rapidly and widely through direct, person-to-person contact, like a contagion, affecting everyone nearby regardless of social status

Hierarchical Diffusion

Spreading of culture via a hierarchy

Stimulus Diffusion

when the underlying idea of a cultural trait spreads, but the specific trait is rejected or modified to fit the new culture's customs, beliefs, or environment, leading to a new, adapted version of the original concept

Relocation Diffusion

spread of a cultural trait through the physical movement of people from their original hearth to a new place, taking those traits with them as they migrate, often resulting in new cultural landscapes and communities

Environmental Determinism

a theory stating that the physical environment (climate, terrain) dictates human culture, development, and behavior, suggesting people in similar environments evolve similar traits

Possiblism

a theory stating that the physical environment (climate, terrain) dictates human culture, development, and behavior, suggesting people in similar environments evolve similar traits

Cultural Ecology

studies how human cultures adapt to their environments, focusing on the dynamic relationship where geography shapes culture