AP HUG Unit 1 Vocab

Latitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator

Cultural Ecology

Geographic approach that emphasizes human-environment relationships

Longitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian (0°).

GPS

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and recievers.

GIS

A computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

Base Line

An east-west line designated in the Land Ordinance of 1785

Geography

The study of the earth's surface, climate, continents, countries, peoples, industries, and products.

Cartography

The science of mapmaking

Culture

The body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute a group of people's distinct tradition

Cultural Landscape

Fashioning of a natural landscape by a cultural group

Hearth

The region from which innovative ideas originate

Meridian

An arc drawn on a map between the North and South poles

Map

A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it

Parallel

A circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at the right angles to the meridians

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular location

Projection

The system used to transfer locations from Earth's surface to a flat map

Region

An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features

Scale

Generally, the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole, specifically the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

Space

The physical gap or interval between two objects

Space-Time Compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as a result of improved communications and transportation systems

Toponym

The name given to a portion of Earth's surface

Township

A square normally 6 miles on a side. The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided much of the US into a series of townships

Resource

A substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use

5 Themes of Geography

Location, Movement, Place, Human Interaction, Region

Spatial Association

The distribution of one phenomenon is spatially related to the distribution of another

Globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope

Spatial Perspective

An intellectual framework that looks at the particular locations of specific phenomena, how and why that phenomena is where it is, and how it is spatially related to phenomena in other places

Census Bureau

The bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census

Regionalization

The organization of earth's surface into distinct areas that are viewed as different from other areas

Spatial Organization

The location of places, people, and events, and the connections among places and landscapes (defines human life on earth, with all its similarities and differences)

Landscapes

The overall appearance of an area that is shaped by both human and natural influences

"Why of Where"

Explanations for why a spatial pattern occurs

Spatial Perspective

Patterns of both natural and human environments, distributions of people, and locations of all kinds of objects

Environmental Geography

A field that centers on the interaction of human and physical geography

Types of Distortion

The shapes of areas; the distances between places; the relative size of different areas; the direction from one place to another

Mercator Projection

Invented by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for ships navigating across the Atlantic Ocean in 1569. The map is meant for direction. However, the projection distorts sizes of areas, particularly as you get closer to the North and South poles

Robinson Projection

A map that curves inward to fix the distortion of the Mercator, but makes the landmasses look smaller than they really are. It is an attempt to balance all distortions by making errors in all 4 ways. As a result, it is a good projection for general use

Peters Projection

Introduced in 1974 by Arno Peters, and focuses on keeping landmasses equal in area. As a result, the shapes are distorted, and the map looks unfamiliar to viewers

Scale

Size of the unit studied (local, regional, or global scale); Map scale (mathematical relationship between the size of an area on a map and its actual size on earth)

Ways to Identify Place

Place name, site, situation, and absolute location

Site

The physical character of a place

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places

Region

Spatial regularities exist within an area

Physical Site Characteristics

Climate, topography, soil, water sources, vegetation, and elevation

absolute location

the precise, fixed position of a place on Earth, typically expressed using latitude and longitude coordinates, which never change.

built landscape

the tangible, human-created elements of the environment that reflect cultural practices and patterns, such as buildings, roads, and infrastructure

distance decay

refers to the concept that the further two places are, the less interaction and movement occur between them

environmental determinism

A doctrine that claims that cultural traits are formed and controlled by environmental conditions.

environmental possibilism

the theory that the environment sets certain constraints or limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social conditions.

formal region

a geographic area defined by one or more relatively uniform characteristics, like language, culture, political boundaries, or climate

functional region

a geographic area organized around a central node or focal point, often defined by a specific function like transportation, communication, or economic activity

vernacular

a geographic area that people perceive as distinct and unified based on shared cultural characteristics or perceptions

chorpleth map

a thematic map that uses color or shading to represent data within defined geographic areas, such as states or countries.

isoline map

a type of thematic map that uses lines to connect points of equal value

reference maps

informational, often displaying physical and man-made features

thematic maps

shows quantitative data, such as density and distribution, tells story of its title

dot distribution map

A map where dots are used to demonstrate the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena

graduated symbol map

A map with symbols that change in size according to the value of the attribute they represent.

cartogram map

A map in which the shape or size is distorted in order to demonstrate a variable such as travel, population or economic production