AP HUG - Unit 1 (Thinking Geographically)

Human Geography

The study of the physical features of the world and of human activity as they affect/interact with one another.

Physical Geography

The branch of geography dealing with natural features and processes, such as: rocks and minerals, landforms, soils, animals, plants, water, atmosphere, rivers and other water bodies, environment, climate and weather, and oceans.

Carl Sauer

Father of human geography. He was the first to study human patterns and the "why of where" ("Why are those people living there? Where did they migrate from? How has the environment shaped their cultural practices").

Two Geographical Perspectives

1. Spatial perspective

2. Ecological perspective

-While the spatial perspective is about patterns and location, the ecological perspective is about interactions between humans and nature.

Spatial Perspective

A geographical perspective that focuses on where things are located, how they are arranged on Earth's surface, and why those patterns exist.

Ecological Perspective

A geographical perspective that looks at the relationship between people and the environment.

-It explores how humans adapt to, depend on, and change their surroundings, such as how farmers irrigate land in dry areas or how pollution affects local ecosystems.

Latitude

Lines that run horizontally on a map and measure North/South.

Longitude

Lines that run vertically on a map and measure East/West.

Equator

An imaginary HORIZONTAL line drawn around the middle of the earth, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres, at 0 degrees latitude.

Prime Meridian

An imaginary VERTICAL line at 0 degrees longitude

Absolute Location

Describes the exact position of a place on Earth using a coordinate system, typically latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

Describes where a place is in relation to other places like nearby landmarks.

Absolute Distance

The exact measurement of space between two points, typically expressed in standard units such as meters, kilometers, or miles.

Relative Distance

Distance measured in terms such as time, effort, or cost, rather than a fixed measurement.

Cartographer

A person who makes maps.

Reference Maps

Maps that tell us what is where.

Thematic Maps

Maps that tell us what it's like / how it's like in a specific area.

Topographic Map

A reference map that shows the surface features of an area.

-Strength: Shows accurate location of things.

-Weakness: Doesn't show what / how a place is like.

6 Types of Thematic Maps

1. Choropleth

2. Cartogram

3. Isoline

4. Dot distribution

5. Flow Map

6. Proportional/Graduated Symbol Map

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses colors/shading to represent quantifiable data.

-Strengths: Shows great density, visually easy to see.

-Weaknesses: Doesn't show accurate distribution, not specific enough, can be misleading.

Dot Distribution Map

Isoline Map

Cartogram Map

Flow Map

Proportional/Graduated Symbol Map

Site vs. Situation

Map Projection

Distortion

Mercator Projection

Robinson Projection

Goode Homolosine Projection

Fuller Projection

Peters Projection

Mental Maps

Density

Clustered

Dispersed

Space

Pattern

Flow

Scales of Analysis

Interdependence

Distance Decay (caused by friction of distance)

Time-Space Compression

Diffusion

Hierarchical Diffusion

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

Stimulus Diffusion

Relocation Diffusion

Contagious Diffusion

"Why of the where"

Large Scale Maps (zoomed in for more detail)

Small Scale Maps (zoomed out for less detail)

Local Level of Analysis

Regional Level of Analysis

National Level of Analysis

GLOBAL Level of Analysis

GLOCAL Level of Analysis

Formal Region (aka Uniform or Homogenous)

Functional (aka Nodal)

Perceptual (aka Vernacular)

Border Region / Transition Zones (aka Border Zone)

Regional Identity

Qualitative Data

Quantitative Data

Models

Census

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geospatial Data

Remote Sensing

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Environmental Determinism

Possibilism

Sustainability