AP Human Geography Unit 1 (copy)

sense of place

a concept to explain how people define and categorize locations in their minds

region

areas that share both human and physical characteristics

Absolute Location

Position on Earth's surface using the coordinate system of longitude

Site

The physical character and details of place; what is found at the location and why it is significant

Large scale map

Large amount of detail, small amount of area

Small scale map

Small amount of detail, large amount of area

Topographic Map

a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions and elevations for both natural and man-made features

Isoline Map

uses lines to connect point locations with similar values.

Proportional/Graduated Symbol

map with symbols that are scaled proportionately according to the value of the data attribute they represent

Dot Density Map

A map that uses points or other symbols to represent the presence, quantity, or value of a phenomenon or thing in a specific area

Cartogram Map

a map in which the geometry of regions is distorted in order to convey the information of an alternate variable

Choropleth Map

a map that uses differences in shading, coloring, or the placing of symbols within predefined areas to indicate the average values of a property or quantity in those areas

Physical Map

a type of map that shows the physical features and sometimes elevation of a particular area or region in a two-dimensional format

Political Map

A type of map that represents political divisions, or human-created boundaries, of the world

Absolute distance

describing how far a distance is quantitative units of distance (miles, kilometers, etc.)

Absolute location

describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system

Cultural Landscape

the title of our textbook and more importantly, the visible changes that humans make to the enviroment including buildings, crops, and signs

Distance decay

the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases

Formal region

United by one or more specific traits

1. Physical

2. Cultural

3. Economic

Functional/Nodal region

a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this

Relative distance

describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (one hour north of)

Relative location

describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark

Thematic maps

a map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location

Time-space compression

the idea that the world feels smaller than it used to because of increased technology in transportation and communication

Vernacular/perceptual region

an area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region

Situation

Location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places.

Clustering

When you live close together.

dispersal

Far apart housing. Distribution - the wave something is spread out over a area.

Placelessness

A location without a sense of place. No distinct attributes.

Sequent Occupancy

The idea that societies or cultural groups leave their cultural imprints when they live in a place, each contributing to the overall cultural landscape over time. Most cultural landscapes are a mixture of historic and modern structures.

Possibilism

The idea that environmental features have a role in development but is not the only factor.

Environmental Determinism

The idea that environmental factors are the reason some society’s are stronger or weaker

cultural ecology

the relationship between culture and the environment, dealing with human adaptations to various environments