APHUG unit 1 vocab

uh my vocab to study

relative to a fixed frame of reference and always point in the same direction, regardless of their location; north/south and east/west are examples of absolute direction

Absolute direction

the spatial separation between two points on the earth's surface measured by some accepted standard unit such as miles or kilometers

Absolute distance

a description of the exact site on an objective coordinate system, such as a grid; when referring to a map or the Earth's surface, an absolute location is the latitude and longitude of a specific place; AKA - mathematical location

Absolute location

the science or practice of drawing maps

Cartography

extent of a feature's spread over space (Clustered/agglomerated - close together; Dispersed/scattered - relatively far apart)

Concentration

relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space

Connection

the degree of direct linkage between one particular location and other locations in a transport network

Connectivity

study of human adaptations to social and physical environments

Cultural ecology

a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea

Dike

diminishing importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon as distance from origin increases

Distance decay

arrangement of a feature in space

Distribution

distance above sea level

Elevation

belief that the environment, most notably its physical factors such as landforms and climate, determines the patterns of human culture and societal development

Environmental determinism

increase in time and cost that usually comes with increasing distance

Friction of distance

a way to understand a topic or area using spatial features and relationships

Geographic perspective

information about physical objects that can be represented by numerical values in geographical coordinates system; often gathered through census or satellite data collection

Geospatial data

Geographic Information System; a computer system that can capture, store, analyze and display geographic data; allows for complex maps with many layers (borders, water, roads, place names), resulting in mash-up maps that are useful for real estate and other applications

GIS

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale

Globalization

Global Positioning System; utilizes a satellite navigation system to provide location information anywhere on Earth with precise numerical coordinates; commonly used to determine an individual's exact location on Earth

GPS

the mean time of the meridian of Greenwich used historically as the prime basis of standard time throughout the world

Greenwich Mean Time

interactions between the human social system and the ecosystem

Human-environment interaction

study of where human activities are located and why

Human geography

an imaginary line running north and south through the Pacific Ocean, largely along the 180th meridian: there is a 24-hour time difference between a point just west and one just east of the line, so that when it is Sunday just west of the line, it is Saturday just east of it

International Date Line

2-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth's surface or a portion of it

Map

inaccuracies created when the round Earth is represented on a flat surface; these include shape, distance, relative size, direction

Map distortions

representation of round Earth on a flat surface

Map projections

type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator; often described as a cylindrical projection, meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines, and the parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight lines that are spaced farther and farther apart as their distance from the Equator increases; widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course; less practical for world maps because it drastically distorts relative size

Mercator

drawn to show Arctic and Antarctic areas; based on a plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis in contact with the North or South Pole; limited to 10 or 15 degrees from the poles; provides true scale in polar regions, which are often the most heavily distorted in other types of map projections

Polar

compromise projection with the primary purpose of creating a visually appealing map of the entire world; does not eliminate any type of distortion, but it keeps the levels of all types of distortion relatively low over most of the map

Robinson

a map in which some thematic mapping variable - such as travel time or Gross National Product - is substituted for land area or distance; the geometry or space of the map is distorted in order to convey the information of this alternate variable

Cartogram

shows statistical data aggregated over predefined regions, such as counties or states, by coloring or shading these regions

Choropleth

map type that uses a dot symbol to show the presence of a feature or a phenomenon; rely on visual scatter to show spatial pattern.

Dot

map with continuous lines joining points of the same value (e.g., elevation or precipitation)

Isolinear

display the boundaries, names and unique identifiers of standard geographic areas, as well as major cultural and physical features, such as roads, railroads, coastlines, rivers and lakes

Reference

type of map in which the variation in quantity of a factor such as rainfall, population, or crops in a geographic area is indicated

Statistical

a type of map or chart especially designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area; can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region, nation or continent

Thematic

a personal visualization of spatial information, or a map of information in the human mind

Mental map

imaginary north-south line on the Earth's surface that connects both geographic poles; it is used to indicate longitude or distance east or west of the Prime Meridian

Meridian

theoretical frameworks that let us predict things like spatial relationships, interaction with or across space, and other issues of geography

Model

chains of communication that connect places

Network

imaginary line extending around the Earth parallel to the equator; it is used to indicate latitude or distance north or south of the Equator

Parallel

geometric arrangement of objects in space (Linear distribution - arranged in a line; Square or rectangular pattern - city street grid pattern; Centralized/Nucleated - locations clustered and concentrated in a particular place; Random/Dispersed - unstructured, irregular distribution)

Pattern

study of where and why natural forces occur as they do

Physical geography

specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic

Place

the loss of uniqueness of places in the cultural landscape so that one place looks like the next

Placelessness

a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or a river and protected by dikes, especially in the Netherlands

Polder

belief that the environment sets limitations for cultural development, but it does not wholly define culture, which is instead defined by the opportunities and decisions that humans make in response to dealing with such limitations

Possibilism

data representing information and concepts that are not represented by numbers; often gathered from interviews and focus groups, personal diaries and lab notebooks, maps, photographs, and other printed materials or observations

Qualitative data

data represented numerically, including anything that can be counted, measured, or given a numerical value

Quantitative data

an area of Earth distinguished by a distinctive combination of cultural and physical features

Region

an area in which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics (AKA uniform or homogeneous)

Formal

area organized around a node or focal point; the characteristic chosen to define a functional region dominates at a central focus or node and diminishes in importance outward; this region is tied to the central point by transportation or communication systems (AKA nodal)

Functional

a distinctive area where the inhabitants collectively consider themselves interconnected by a shared history, mutual interests, and a common identity; such regions are 'intellectual inventions' and a form of shorthand to identify things, people, and places (AKA vernacular)

Perceptual

an approach to geography that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical phenomena in a particular study area

Regional Studies Approach

directions such as left, right, forward, backward, up and down based on people's perception of places

Relative direction

measure of distance that includes the costs of overcoming the friction of absolute distance separating two places; often describes the amount of social, cultural, or economic, connectivity between two places

Relative distance

acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite or other long-distance methods

Remote sensing

the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole

Scale

shows numerical ratio between distances on the map and Earth's surface (1:24,000 = 1 unit in map represents 24,000 of same unit on the ground)

Ratio/Fraction

describes relation between map and Earth distances in words

Written

a bar line marked to show distance on Earth's surface

Graphic

the spatial extent of a variable; different scales of analysis (global, regional, national, local) can drastically change your perception of an area

Scale of analysis

a characteristic that some geographic places have and some do not, while to others it is a feeling or perception held by people; often used in relation to those characteristics that make a place special or unique, as well as to those that foster a sense of authentic human attachment and belonging

Sense of place

the actual location of a settlement on the earth; composed of the physical characteristics of the landscape specific to the area; factors include things like landforms, climate, vegetation types, availability of water, soil quality, minerals, and even wildlife

Site

location of a place on Earth relative to other places (good for unfamiliar places through reference to familiar ones); AKA - relative location

Situation

physical gap or interval between two objects

Space

the degree to which things are similarly arranged in space; analysis of the distribution patterns of two phenomena is done by map overlay

Spatial association

the flow of information, products, and human beings from one location to another

Spatial interaction

allows for the needs of man to be met without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Sustainability

a geographic region within which the same standard time is used

Time zone

reduction in time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place

Time-space compression

the name of a place

Toponym

conducts research, operates factories and sells products in many countries; not just where its headquarters and principal shareholders are located

Transnational corporation