AP human geo unit 1 vocab

map

map

A 2-d representation of some part of the Earth’s surface

Reference map

Location/direction is the main purpose

Thematic map

Spatial analysis/scale of a subject is the main purpose

Eratosthenes

Creator of the word Geography

Map scale

ratio of map distance to actual Earth distance

Small scale= large area

Large scale= small area

Scale of a Map

How much Earth is visible on a map you’re using.

Scale of Analysis

Sometimes called “level of aggregation” this refers to the unit of land area being measured or analyzed on the map. Usually this is catagorized as global, regional, national, sub-national, and location of scale

projection

Choice of how to transform the Earth’s sphere on to a flat map.

GPS

Determines exact location on Earth using many satellites to pinpoint latitude and longitude. (global positioning system)

GIS

Capture, store, query, and display data about different characteristics on the same map representations. (geographic information system)

Remote sensing

Imagery of the Earth’s surface from a long distance (drone, plane, satellite)

Movement

In talking about movement, geographers are focused on the mobility of people, goods, ideas, innovations, and all aspects of human culture. It is how humans interact with each other and shape the world around them.

Diffusion

The process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to another over time is called diffusion.

hearth

A hearth is the place from which a feature or innovation originates.

Relocation diffusion

physical movement of people or things from 1 place to another -- human migration is best example

Hierarchical diffusion

follows top-down path of influence/power

Contagious diffusion

rapid and widespread; person-to-person

Stimulus diffusion

spread of one characteristic or principle even if other parts fail to diffuse or catch on

Region

Geographic area with common characteristics or patterns. These are usually larger collections of places all together.

Formal region

An area within which exists a factual, undeniable characteristic or trait.

Functional region

An area typically organized around a service of some kind where the influence diminishes in  importance the further away you get. (nodal region)

Vernacular region

An area that people believe is a part of their cultural identity, but others may disagree.

Cultural landscape

A combination of cultural features such as language and religion, econmic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation.

Human-Environment Interaction

How people adapt to, modify, and even depend on their surroundings.

Cultural ecology

Study of human-enviorment interactions; goes back more than 200 years as early scientist observed cultures in different parts of the world

the study of the adaptation of human societies or populations to their environments

Environmental determinism

Belief by early geographers that environment causes human cultures to develop or not develop

Possibilism

Modern, accepted belief today that while environment may set some limits, humans can adapt in many ways.

Location

A place or position

Absolute location

The latitude and longitude of a place (global location) or a street address (local location)

Relative location

Location of a place relative to another place. Described by landmarks, time, direction or distance from one place to another

The geographic grid

Covers Earth with parallel and meridians (uses latitude and longitude)

Place

Refers to unique physical features and human characteristics of a location.

toponym

Name for a place is another way we create a sense of place anywhere we know

Spatial association

Used to learn about the distribution of a certain phenomena in a place or region. If multiple things have a similar distribution then they are spatially associated

Distance decay

Is the phenomon that the greater distance between two things, the less interaction between them, and therefore the less connection between them.

globalization

Force or process that involves the entrie world and results in making something worldwide in scope.

Space-time compression

There has been a decrease in distance-decay in the world recently because the connection between places takes much less time- so people can still interact in some way