APHUG unit1

Quantitative data

Any information that can be measured using counting and numbers. Ex: number of people in a state.

Absolute location

The precise location where something is by a location.

Equator

An imaginary line that circles the longitude exactly halfway between the North and South poles.

Clustered pattern

The spatial distribution of elements that are grouped together in an area. Buildings clustered around a resource.

Relative location

Where something is in relation to other places. Ex: Carbondale is south of Glenwood.

Dispersed pattern

Isolated, separated objects (such as houses) scattered across a landscape.

GPS

A satellite-based radio navigation system that uses satellites to determine precise location.

Human geography

The study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities.

GIS

A computer-based system designed to capture, store, analyze, manage, and display all types of geographically referenced data.

Environmental determinism

The belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring culture.

Time-space compression

The concept that technological advancements in transportation and communication cause the world to feel smaller by reducing the time it takes to travel or exchange information.

Formal/uniform region

An area defined by one or more shared characteristics common to everyone within it, such as a specific language.

Functional/nodal region

An area organized around a central focal point or node with influence diminishing further from the central hub.

Vernacular/perceptual region

An area defined by people's subjective perceptions and shared cultural identity rather than by formal or functional boundaries.

Scale

The ratio of distance on a map to the real-world distance it represents.

Spatial patterns

The arrangement, distribution, or placement of objects, features, or phenomena on the Earth's surface.

Toponym

A name given to a place or geographic feature often reflecting the culture, history, or characteristics of that location. Ex: North America.

International Date Line

The line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next.

Latitude

An imaginary coordinate that measures the distance of a point north or south of the Equator, expressed in degrees.

Human-environment interaction

The complex reciprocal relationship between people and their surroundings, examining how humans depend on, adapt to, and modify the environment.

Longitude

An angular distance measured east to west of the Prime Meridian, a reference line defined as 0 degrees; the opposite of latitude.

Region

An area of land that shares common physical or human characteristics, distinguishing it from other surrounding areas.

Prime Meridian

The line of longitude defined as 0 degrees.

Physical geography

A branch of geography that studies Earth's natural features and processes, such as landforms, climate, and water.

Thematic Maps

Maps that show data and how it is spread across space.

Possibilism

The theory that while the environment imposes certain constraints on human activities, culture and human behavior are shaped by social conditions and human choices, not the environment.

Location

The specific position of a point, object, or place on Earth's surface.

Scale of analysis

The special level such as local, regional, or global at which a geographer studies a phenomenon or a set of data.

Topographic or isoline maps

A reference that shows physical features and elevation in great detail.

Distortion in map projection

When a 3D shape, like Earth, is projected onto a 2D flat surface, leading to inaccuracies in shape, area, distance, or direction.

Spatial data

Data that describes features, events, or phenomena by directly or indirectly referencing a specific location or geographical area on or near the Earth's surface.

Cartographic scale

The way maps communicate the ratio of their size to the size of what they represent. Ex: 2 in on a map = 20 miles in real life or 2/20.

Qualitative data

Non-numerical descriptive information that provides in-depth insights into human experiences, perceptions, and socio-cultural contexts rather than statistics.

Formal/uniform region

An area defined by one or more shared characteristics common to everyone within it, such as a specific language.

Functional/nodal region

An area organized around a central focal point or node with influence diminishing further from the central hub.

Vernacular/perceptual region

An area defined by people's subjective perceptions and shared cultural identity rather than by formal or functional boundaries.

Scale

The ratio of distance on a map to the real-world distance it represents.

Spatial patterns

The arrangement, distribution, or placement of objects, features, or phenomena on the Earth's surface.

Toponym

A name given to a place or geographic feature often reflecting the culture, history, or characteristics of that location. Ex: North America.

International Date Line

The line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next.

Latitude

An imaginary coordinate that measures the distance of a point north or south of the Equator, expressed in degrees.

Human-environment interaction

The complex reciprocal relationship between people and their surroundings, examining how humans depend on, adapt to, and modify the environment.

Longitude

An angular distance measured east to west of the Prime Meridian, a reference line defined as 0 degrees; the opposite of latitude.

Region

An area of land that shares common physical or human characteristics, distinguishing it from other surrounding areas.

Prime Meridian

The line of longitude defined as 0 degrees.

Physical geography

A branch of geography that studies Earth's natural features and processes, such as landforms, climate, and water.

Thematic Maps

Maps that show data and how it is spread across space.

Possibilism

The theory that while the environment imposes certain constraints on human activities, culture and human behavior are shaped by social conditions and human choices, not the environment.

Location

The specific position of a point, object, or place on Earth's surface.

Scale of analysis

The special level such as local, regional, or global at which a geographer studies a phenomenon or a set of data.

Topographic or isoline maps

A reference that shows physical features and elevation in great detail.

Distortion in map projection

When a 3D shape, like Earth, is projected onto a 2D flat surface, leading to inaccuracies in shape, area, distance, or direction.

Spatial data

Data that describes features, events, or phenomena by directly or indirectly referencing a specific location or geographical area on or near the Earth's surface.

Cartographic scale

The way maps communicate the ratio of their size to the size of what they represent. Ex: 2 in on a map = 20 miles in real life or 2/20.

Qualitative data

Non-numerical descriptive information that provides in-depth insights into human experiences, perceptions, and socio-cultural contexts rather than statistics.