Human Geo Unit 0 Vocab

First Ten Terms

Absolute Direction

corresponds to the direction on a compass

Absolute Distance

distance measured in a standard unit

Absolute location

precise place on Earth using coordinates or an address

Census

official survey of a population (has specifics like gender, race, age, etc)

Environmental Determinism

belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping culture

Formal Region

Geographical area inhabited by people who have common traits

Functional Region

geographic area that functions as one unit

Geographic Information System (GIS)

software application for data related to the Earths surface, geospatial data

Global Positioning System (GPS)

system of 24 satellites that orbit Earth and transmit signals towards Earth, basis for many digital maps

Map Projection

method for representing the Earths surface, all map projections distorts aspects of the Earths surface