AP Human Geography unit 1 vocab

Prep for the Unit 1 test

Spatial perspective

Geographic perspective that seeks to identify and explain the uses of space

spatial patterns

the placement or arrangement of objects on Earth's surface; also includes the space between those objects; Explains when, where, and why events happened

time-distance decay

first law of geography, near things are more related than distant things and interaction between two places decreases the further apart they are

Legend

a key to the meaning of map symbols and colors

compass rose

drawing usually at the edge showing the cardinal directions (N, E, S, W)

absolute Direction

corresponds to Direction on a compass, including combinations

map scale

distance on a map in relation to distance in actual space

scale

the territorial extent of an idea or object (large scale map= zoomed in, more detail; small map scale= zoomed out, less detail)

absolute distance

measured with a standard unit of length (ft, yd, mi, km)

relative distance

measures level of social, cultural, economic similarity between places; not necessarily affected by distance from each other

relative Direction

can be described as position (in front / behind, forward/back)

elevation

distance above sea level, shown with contour lines

contour lines

connect points with the same elevation with lighter or darker colors

isoline

a line that connects or links different places that share a common or equal value, such as elevation (Lines far apart= its relatively the same)

topographic map (topo)

representation of 3D configuration of Earth's surface; shows natural or physical features of a landscape, including elevation using colors (a type of reference map)

Reference Maps

emphasize Geographic locations on Earth's surface or cities, oceans, states, provinces, countries

Thematic Maps

emphasizes spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes and sometimes relationships between them (soil type, political party by country, population density)

Choropleth Maps

Thematic map that shows data aggregated for a specific Geographic area, often using different colors to represent data

Cartograms

map that distorts Geographic shape of an area to show the size of a specific variable, the larger the area, the larger the value

Proportional/graduated circle Maps

uses symbols (Circle/dots) of different sizes to represent numerical values; the larger the circle the higher the value being shown

Density/distribution Maps

map that uses dots to represent objects or counts; [(1) one-to-one= 1 dot represents 1 object or count. (2) one-to-many= 1 dot represents a number of objects or values

Map projection

a method for representing the surface of the Earth on a plane or 2D surface

Mercator Projection

map projection useful for navigating because the lines connecting points on the map represent the true Compass Direction; however, land masses are increasingly distorted as they get farther away from the equator

Peter's projection

map projection showing all land masses true areas but distorts their shapes making the Northern Hemisphere more dominant

Goode Homolosine projection

Map projection avoiding shape distortion and restrictions of rectangular maps by creating interruptions in the maps continuity and each section the regions are shown equally like an orange peel laid out on a flat surface

polar projection

map projection looking down on Earth from the perspective of the North or South Pole; becomes more disproportionate further from the equator

Robinson projection

compromise between the Mercator and Peters projections to make the most visually appealing representation by keeping all types of distortion relatively low

Mercator map advantages and disadvantages

advantages= all land has the correct shape and map can be used for oceanic navigation; disadvantage= size of land is massively distorted

Goodes map advantages and disadvantages

advantage= minimizes Distortion of the size and shape of land; disadvantage= land masses appear large compared to oceans and can't be used for Oceanic travel

polar Maps advantages and disadvantages

advantages= actively displays both polar regions and size of continents is realistic; disadvantages= Distortion increases as you move away from Poles

Gall-peters map advantages and disadvantages

advantage= size of land mass is accurate and more accurately depicts the size of developing countries; disadvantage= shape of land is inaccurate

Census

an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details about individuals, such as sex, age, race

Field work

learning and doing research involving first-hand experience outside of the classroom setting

latitude lines

the invisible horizontal lines circling Earth parallel to the equator; degree of distance north or south from the equator at 0° and as far as the poles at 90°

Longitude lines

the invisible vertical lines on Earth's surface that mark imaginary circles connecting the North Pole with the South Pole

prime meridian

the 0° longitude line that runs through Greenwich England

global positioning system (GPS)

a system of 24 satellites that orbit Earth two times a day and transmit radio signals Earth word; the basis for many map based apps that provide directions on how to get from one place to another

geographic information system (GIS)

a software application for capturing, storing, checking and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface; allows the rapid manipulation of geospatial data and problem solving research

remote sensing

the scanning of Earth by satellite or high flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it

aerial photography

remote sensing photography that produces fine-grained, High resolution, highly detailed images

satellite imagery

images of Earth's surface gathered from sensors mounted on orbiting satellites; these sensors record in both the visible and non-visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing humans to view patterns and processes that are both visible and invisible to the naked eye

Absolute location

precise spot that never changes (address, longitude and latitude)

Relative location

description relative to other places (near surfway)

space

location with no cultural meaning (unused, no human activity) [evolves into place when humans put their cultural traits on it]

place

how we give space specific human and physical characteristics (referred to by site or situation)

site

characteristics (soil type, climate, human structures)

situation

synonymous to relative location and can change over time

sense of place

how people perceive characteristics of places differently based on their personal experiences or emotional ties

Cultural landscapes

the built forms that cultural groups create an inhabiting earth (Farm fields, cities, houses) In the meeting, values, representations, experiences associated to those forms

Interdependence

the ties established between regions and countries that over time collectively create a global economic system that is not necessarily based on equality

Geographic processes

the physical and human forces that work together to form and transform the world

flows

movement of people, things, information from one place to another; becomes faster and less expensive as technology improves

friction of distance

when things are further apart they tend to be less well-connected

time space compression

the shrinking time distance between locations due to improve transportation and communication (global forces now influence culture almost everywhere)

Patterns

clustered, random, uniform

Sustainability

developing ways of serving current needs of people without making it harder for people in the future to live well

Natural resources

mineral substances like minerals, water, fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for financial gain (Over consumption is a major threat)

Non-renewable resources

natural resources that are available on Earth in finite quantities and will eventually be used up

renewable resources

natural resources that will naturally replenish over time

Land use

reflects the society using the land; some have major environmental impact; includeRecreational, transport, agriculture, residential, commercial

Environmental determinism

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development (used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to argue that people in some climates were superior to those of other climates)

Environmental possibilism

acknowledges limits of the effects of the natural environment, but focuses more on the role that human culture plays whileAcknowledging that different cultures may respond to the same natural environment differently depending on beliefs, goals, available technology

Global scale

Geographic scale that looks at Geographic phenomena across the entire world

Regional scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes Geographic phenomena within a particular region

national scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes Geographic phenomena within a specific country

local scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes Geographic phenomena within a state or province, city or town, or neighborhood

glocal perspective

Geographic perspective that acknowledges the two-way relationship between local communities and Global patterns, emphasizing that the forces of globalization need to take into account local scale cultural, economic, and environmental conditions

Scales of analysis ranked from smallest to largest

global (the whole world), Regional (Middle East North America), National/country (USA, Brazil), provincial (Maryland, Quebec), local (Charlotte, San Diego)

Region

a graphical unit based on one or more common characteristics/functions

formal region

a geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common

border zone

a region where cultural markers overlap and blend into a recognizable border culture

Functional region

a geographic area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit

nodes

Central points where the functions of functional regions are coordinated and directed

Metropolitan area

an area composed of heavily populated Urban core and it's less populated surrounding areas

Perceptual/vernacular region

a geographic area that is perceived to Exist by its inhabitants, based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique Regional name

mental map

a personal representation of a portion of Earth's surface

sense of place

how a person feels about a particular place and why it's important to them

activity space

where a person goes and what they do on a day-to-day basis

Regional identity

the awareness of belonging to a group of people within a region

contested boundaries

boundaries that are disputed for religious, political, or cultural reasons

Regional analysis

the process of examining patterns and processes within and between regions at multiple Geographic scales (local, national, regional, and global)