AP Human Geography Unit 1

Relative distance and relative location

giving a location by describing the other things that it is near and not giving an exact location with coordinates or addresses

Absolute distance and location

the exact location of a place marked with latitude and longitude

Aggregation

the size of the unit under investigation such as cities, countries, states, or countries.

Area distortion

error resulting from trying to represent the round, nearly spherical earth on a flat plane or map that results in the relative sizes of areas being incorrect. Projections that do not distort areas are called Equal Area projections.

Cartography

the science of making maps

Census data

a periodic and official count of a country's population. A census also involves collecting, compiling, and publishing demographic, economic, and social data of a country. In the United States, a census is performed every 10 years (2010, 2020, etc.).

Clustering/Agglomerate

an observed pattern in which objects, phenomenon or traits are close together, typically implying that they are organized in a dense manner.

Distortion

error resulting from trying to represent the round, nearly spherical earth on a flat plane or map. Distortion leads to inaccuracy in one or a combination of the following factors; Shape, Size, Distance and Direction.

Dispersal

observed pattern in which objects, phenomenon or traits move away from each other or from their source.

Distance Decay

the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions. The distance decay effect states that the interaction between two entities declines as the distance between them increases.

Elevation

a defined height above or below sea level and one of the main factors of climate. As the elevation increases, the temperature drops at an average rate of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit per 1,000 feet.

Environmental Determinism

the theory that the climate and the physical landscape of an area greatly affect the behavior and culture of the people living there

Field observation

the study of geography by visiting places and observing the people that live there and how they react with the changes there. Field observations include the collection of data concerning people, cultures, and natural environments.

Flows

the measured pattern of a phenomenon from one place to another. Flow data typically captures the number of people entering and exiting (inflow and outflow) places over a specific period of time.

Formal region

a region that has at least one similar physical or cultural trait that unifies it, often language or religion, with borders are set and distinct

Functional region

an area with certain political, economic or social activity that unifies it, which contains at least one node that is the center of activity and connects it to the market area around it.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Software that allows geographers to map, analyze and model spatial data. The use of thematic layering allows geographers to display the geographic relationships of different geographic characteristics.

Geographic /Geospatial data

information having an implicit or explicit association with a location relative to the Earth; which is pretty much anything that humans think, believe or do.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

An integrated network of satellites that broadcast location information, in terms of latitude and longitude.

Perceptual/Cognitive/Vernacular region

an area defined by a person's beliefs or feelings, created by an individual's own associations and attachment to the area, which may be defined by prejudices or personal thoughts, and the borders vary from person to person, based on their own perceptions

Photographic interpretation

assessment of the geographic facts and details of respective areas. Photographs are remotely sensed data that can detail changes over time and measure the impact and activity of human beings.

Possibilism

theory that states that physical geography can limit the possibilities of a culture but it doesn't control them

Region

an area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features

Reference maps

maps that show the absolute location of places and geographic features determined by a frame of reference, generally latitude and longitude

Regional analysis

the study of the unique combination of human and physical traits and processes that make areas unique. Regional study helps geographers classify areas in terms of observed traits and characteristics. Geographers generally define three types of regions, Formal, Functional, and Perceptual.

Sense of Place

the feeling of belonging to a place because of its unique traits, especially when it is part of your own history. When a location takes on a unique identity in people's minds as a result of the observed cultural landscape.

Scale Meaning 1

The size of the unit being studied or referenced; synonymous with aggregation. A geographer can consider impacts, traits etc. at different scales (global scale, national scale, city scale, individual/household scale)

Scale Meaning 2

Mathematical relationship (ratio) between the size of an area on a map and its actual size on the surface of the earth (e.g. 1:2000 or 1 in. = 1,495 mi)

Spatial distribution

how things (traits, activities, phenomenon) are spread out on the Earth's surface. Analysis of spatial distribution helps geographers understand spatial patterns, human and environmental impact etc.

Sustainability

the use of the earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that ensure resource availability in the future. The ability to meet the needs of the earth's population now without compromising the ability of future generations.

Thematic Maps

Maps that tell stories, typically showing the degree of some attribute or the movement of a geographic phenomenon

Timespace convergence

The process whereby distances become 'shortened in time' as the speed of modes of transportation increases. The greatly accelerated movement of goods, info, and ideas during the 20th century made possible by technological innovations in transportation and communication.The studied impact on social, economic and physical characteristics is often referred to as time-space compression.

Travel narratives

records of foreign travel that were especially important in ancient times (before developments in transportation and communication) that contained important knowledge of far away places. After the formation of large imperial states in the classical world, travel accounts contained the required knowledge of rulers' realms.