Human Geography (Geog 1302) Chapter 1: This is Geography

Flashcards covering the foundational concepts of Human Geography, including map properties, geographic tools, place/region characteristics, and theories of human-environment interaction.

How did Immanuel Kant differentiate between geography and history?

Geographers identify places and explain why activities are found near each other, while historians identify dates and explain why activities follow each other chronologically.

Who invented the word geography and what are its Greek components?

The word was invented by the ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes ($ca.\,276-ca.\,194\,\text{BC}$) and is based on the Greek words Geo ($\text{Earth}$) and graphy ($\text{to write}$).

What is the difference between a place and a region?

A place is a specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic, whereas a region is an area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics.

What are the three basic concepts geographers use to explain why different places are interrelated?

Scale, space, and connection.

What is scale?

the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole. It is often expressed in ratio, fraction, or graphic form, demonstrating how much detail or perspective is captured compared to the larger context.

What is space?

refers to the physical gap or interval between two objects.It is a fundamental concept in geography used to analyze the distribution and arrangement of phenomena across the Earth's surface.

What is connection?

 refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. 

What is the oldest known map mentioned in the lecture?

A map dating from $6200\,\text{B.C.E.}$

What is a map?

• a scale model of all or a portion of Earth

• is a two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface or a portion of it.

cartography

science of mapmaking

What are the three types of map scales?

1. Ratio or fraction (RF), 2. Written (verbal), and 3. Graphic.

Between the scales $1/100,000$ and $1/20,000$, which is the larger scale?

The larger scale is $1:20,000$ because the larger the denominator, the smaller the scale.

Projection

It is the process of transferring locations on Earth’s rounded surface to a flat map

What four types of distortion can occur when drawing the Earth on a flat piece of paper?

Distortion in shape, distance, relative size, and direction.

What are the three families of map projections and their suitable regions?

Cylindrical (equatorial regions), Conic (mid-latitude regions), and Azimuthal/planar (polar regions).

cylindrical map projections are

• suitable for countries in the equatorial region.

middle looks perfect, but the top and bottom get stretched way too big

conic map projections are

• suitable for countries in the mid latitude region

• perfect for mapping wide areas that sit in the middle of the globe, like the United States or Europe. But it does not work well for mapping the whole entire world at once.

Azimuthal map projections are

suitable for countries in the polar region

• The map is a circle. It looks like you are standing at the pole and looking straight down.

• The catch: The very center of the circle is perfectly accurate. But the further you move away from the center, the more out of shape the continents look.

Define Latitude

Latitude (parallel) is a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator ($0^{\circ}$ latitude).

define longitude

Longitude (Meridian)It is a line drawn between the North and South Poles

• 0⁰ longitude is Prime meridian- passes through Greenwich, England

Austin’s Longitude and latitude

 30.2° N and 97.7° W

How many degrees of longitude does the Earth rotate in one hour?

In $1\,\text{hour}$, the Earth rotates a distance of $15^{\circ}$.

What is the master reference for time zones?

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Universal Time (UT).

GPS receives ___ signals to determine exact location

3

If we need to know latitude, longitude and elevation, we need to receive at least ____GPS signals

4

What is a 'mashup' in the context of geographic tools?

A map that overlays data from one source on top of data provided by a mapping service, such as Google Maps.

remote sensing

is the technique of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically through satellites or aircraft, without making physical contact.

place names can derive from

the name of a person, religious names, ancient history, or earlier inhabitants

toponym

 the name given to a place on Earth.

• Examples of Toponyms:

  • famous person – “George Washington” or “Pike’s Peak”

  • religious association – “St. Louis” or “San Francisco”

  • origin of its settlers – “New Mexico” or “Paris, Texas”

  • features of the physical environment – “Green River, Wyoming”

  • ancient history – Athens, Rome

What are the three ways to describe the location of a place?

Place name (toponym), site, and situation.

site

• The physical characteristics of a place, 

• Important site characteristics include climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation comprise the concept of site.

situation

• is the location of a place relative to other places.

2 reasons situation is valuable

1. To find an unfamiliar place by comparing its location with a familiar one.

2. To understand the importance of a location.

What is the difference between site and situation?

Site refers to physical characteristics (climate, soil, elevation), while situation is the location of a place relative to other places.

What are the three types of regions?

1. Formal (uniform or homogeneous), 2. Functional (nodal), and 3. Vernacular (perceptual).

region

is an area of Earth with a unique combination of features.

derives its unified character through the cultural landscape, which is a combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation.

formal regions

• an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics. 

• It is also called a uniform region or a homogeneous region.

U.S corn belt could be distinguished from the winter wheat belt

functional regions

• is an area organized around a node or focal point.

• It is also called a nodal region.

Most of the United States can be divided into functional regions based on the origin and destination of cell phone calls.

defined by the flow, interactions, and connections between this hub and the surrounding areas.

vernacular regions

or perceptual region, is an area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.a mental map  The Midwest.

globalization

refers to actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope

Globalization of the economy has been led primarily by transnational corporations that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries

• Produces a uniform global landscapes of material artifacts and of cultural values:

  • Wearing jeans and Nike shoes

  • Consuming coca cola and McDonalds, hamburgers, …

• There is disappearing local traditions

• There is tension between forces of tradition and change

• There is local adaptation of global cultures

Define the three properties of distribution.

1. Density (frequency of occurrence), 2. Concentration (extent of spread), and 3. Pattern (geometric arrangement).

spatial association

occurs within a region if the distribution of one feature is related to the distribution of another feature.

distribution

is the arrangement of a feature in space

space-time compression

the process by which technological innovations in transportation and communication reduce the friction of distance.

describes how the globe feels functionally smaller because ideas, people, and capital move across vast spaces in less time

Distance decay is much less severe today than in the past because of space-time compression.

density

the frequency with which something occurs in space

• Number of objects compared to the land area

• Could be more or less dense

concentration

 the extent of a feature spread over space

• Clustered – objects grouped together

• Dispersed – objects spaced relatively far apart

pattern

the geometric arrangement of objects in space

• Some are organized in a pattern, like streets in a grid pattern or houses in a linear pattern

• Others are distributed irregularly

vary according to gender, ethnicity, and sexuality

What is 'uneven development'?

The increasing gap in economic conditions between regions in the core and periphery resulting from the globalization of the economy.

hearth

An innovation originates at a node that spreads across space from one place to another through a process called diffusion.

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature from one place to another.

hierarchical diffusion

• the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places. A good example of this is how Honda controls its worldwide operation.

contagious diffusion

• the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic when something “goes viral.”

form of expansion diffusion (hoverboard was invented in China and quickly diffused to other places.)

stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle, such as features from Apple’s iPhone adopted by competitors.

relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature through physical movement of people from one place to another

The Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago are populated by people who came from India who brought with them their Hindu faith and various languages from South Asia.

What is the difference between contagious diffusion and hierarchical diffusion?

Hierarchical diffusion is the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority, while contagious diffusion is the rapid, widespread diffusion that occurs when something 'goes viral.'

Define 'Distance Decay'.

The diminishing importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

the further away you get from something, the less it affects your life

3 types of spatial interaction

assimilation, acculturation, syncretism

assimilation

the process by which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group.

acculturation

 the process of changes in culture that results from the meeting of two groups.

syncretism

is the combination of elements of two groups into a new cultural feature.

sustainability

the use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future.

What are the three pillars of sustainability according to the United Nations?

The Environmental Pillar, the Social Pillar, and the Economic Pillar.

Environmental Pillar

we want consumption to be less rapid than replacement.

social pillar

people can choose products that support sustainability.

economic pillar

the price of a resource depends on the value people put on it.

Earth’s Connected Physical Systems

atmosphere: a thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

biosphere: composed of living organisms
hydrosphere: all of the water on and near Earth’s surface

lithosphere: Earth’s crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust

A biotic system is composed of ——-.

composed of living organisms

An abiotic system is composed of ———

composed of nonliving or inorganic matter

environmental determinism

that the physical environment caused social development

• Physical environment caused social development

• Example of Aristotle saying that “Greece was in the perfect climate zone to form an advanced civilization

– Colder areas: people too busy

– Hotter areas: people too lazy

• No credit for human ability to adjust to the environment

• Discredited as “racist” and “unscientific”

possibilism

the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to their environment.-modern

• Physical environment and human cultures are interrelated

• Environment may limit some

human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to their environment

• Higher technology allows human to make changes to the environment to suit their needs

• Can choose from many alternatives in the natural environment

Distinguish between environmental determinism and possibilism.

Environmental determinism argues that the physical environment causes social development; possibilism argues the environment may limit actions, but humans have the ability to adjust and choose alternatives.

polder

a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area.

– The Dutch has created many polders and dikes that have altered their environment.

cultural ecology and its 2 theories

The geographic study of human- environment relationships

Environmental Determinism

 Possibilism

What distinguishes unique places in geography?

Specific points defined by distinctive combinations of cultural, economic, and environmental features.

How are regions defined?

As areas defined by similar distinctive combinations of cultural, economic, and environmental features.

What type of science is geography most fundamentally?

A spatial science

Why do geographers use maps?

• To display the location of objects and extract information about places.

How did early geographers make maps?

Based on exploration and observation.

What does contemporary GIScience consist of, and how do geographers use it?

Technologies like remote sensing, GPS (Global Positioning System), VGI (Volunteered Geographic Information), geotagging, and GIS (Geographic Information System) help them understand observed regularities across the Earth.

Why is the global scale increasingly important in geography?

Because very few places are totally isolated in the contemporary world, making connections and similarities between places highly relevant.

What processes do geographers study regarding human interaction?

They study how people interact across space and track the processes by which people and ideas diffuse (spread) from one location to another over time