1st Semester Review: Units 1-4

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from the first semester of geography, focusing on human geography, physical geography, and fundamental geographic principles.

Human Geography

The study of culture, agriculture, industrialization, and demographics.

Physical Geography

The study of landforms, climate, vegetation, and soils.

Mercator Projection

A map projection that accurately represents shape but distorts area and distance.

Robinson Projection

A map projection with minor distortions that presents continents similarly to a globe.

Map Scale

The relationship between size on a map and actual size, typically expressed in fractions or ratios.

Time-Space Compression

The acceleration of the process of moving an item from one place to another.

Sequent Occupance

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

A system used to map geographical data to inform decisions.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A system that uses satellite navigation to provide location data.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that human behavior is strongly shaped by the physical environment.

Possibilism

The theory that cultures can develop in any environment, independent of physical constraints.

Arithmetic Density

The total number of people divided by the total land area.

Physiological Density

The total number of people divided by the total arable land area.

Census

A systematic process for collecting and analyzing demographic data.

Population Pyramid

A graphical representation showing the age and gender distribution of a population.

Balkanization

The division of a place or country into smaller regions that are often hostile to each other.

Supranationalism

A political, economic, and cultural cooperation among multiple states.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another.

Ethnic Enclaves

Areas with a high concentration of a specific ethnic group, often providing cultural retention.