AP Human Geography Unit 1 - Maps

reference maps

maps used to show landforms and/or places

physical map

reference map that shows identifiable natural landmarks such as mountains, rivers, oceans

political map

reference map that shows political boundaries (countries, cities, capitals, etc.)

thematic maps

maps used to display specific types of information (theme) pertaining to an area

cartogram

thematic map that shows statistical data by transforming space

chloropeth map

thematic map that uses shading or coloring to show statistical data

dot density map

thematic map that uses dots to indicate a feature or occurrence

graduated symbols map

thematic map that indicates relative magnitude of some value for a geographic region in which the symbol varies in proportion to data

absolute distance

measurement using a standard unit of length

relative distance

measurement of the social, cultural, and/or economic connectivity between places (how connected or disconnected)

absolute direction

finding a location using compass direction

relative direction

finding a location not using compass direction

spatial pattern

the way things are laid out and organized on the surface of the earth

clustering

objects that form a group (e.g. coastal population)

dispersal

objects that are scattered (e.g. rural population)

elevation

height above sea level

spatial scale

hierarchy of places (e.g. global, regional, national, local)

map distortion

all maps are distorted as a result of projecting a 3-dimensional surface onto a 2-dimensional surface in area, distance, shape, and/or direction

map projection

a way to transfer the 3-dimensional earth onto a 2-dimensional map to reduce distortion on area, distance, shape, and/or direction

mercator projection

projection designed for traveling in straight lines, though distorts the size of areas as you near the north/south poles

robinson projection

tries to correct distortion by curving the lines inward on the paper. extreme distortion near the poles, good near the equator. tries to balance all by distorting in all 4 ways (shape, size, distance, and direction

conic projection

maps that put a cone over the earth and keep distance intact but lose directional qualities

goode-homolosine projection

land masses are rather accurate but oceans are split

gall-peters projection

focuses on keeping landmasses equal, but distorts the shapes of land

sinusoidal projection

smoothly curving map that accurately presents the center of the map but the remaining is distorted