Human Geography Final Study Guide

geography

study of the earth and how people live on it

space

physical gap between 2 objects

mashups

maps that overlay data from one source on top of another map

thematic maps

tell a story; show the degree of some attribute, pattern, or distribution/movement

equator

0 degrees latitude

international date line

180 degrees longitude

formal region

area where everyone shares one or more distinctive characteristics

transnational corporation

businesses that operate in multiple countries and sells products away from their headquarters

clustered

concentration close in space

diffusion

process of spreading ideas from place to place

place

specific point on earth with special characteristics and unique location

connection

relationship among people and objects across the barrier of space

maps

2D model of earth's surface

north pole

90 degrees north latitude

time zone

a geographic region in which the same standard time is kept

functional region

area organized around a focal point; used for economic info

distribution

arrangement of a feature in space; density, concentration, pattern

dispersed

concentration far apart in space

expansion

additive process where features spread from one place to another

region

area of earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

GIScience

Geographic Information Science; the analysis of data about earth from satellites and other electronic information technology

cartography

science of map-making

latitudinal line

move east to west around globe; labeled north or south

south pole

90 degrees south latitude

greenwich mean time

master reference time; 0 degrees longitude

vernacular region

area where people believe exists as part of their cultural identity; differs from person to person

density

frequency with which something occurs in space

pattern

geometric arrangement of objects in space

relocation

spread of a feature through physical movement of people from one place to another

scale

relationship between a portion of earth and earth as a whole

GPS

Global Positioning Systems; determine the precise position of something on earth

reference maps

show locations of features and use absolute values

longitudinal line

move from north to south around globe; labeled east to west

prime meridian

0 degrees longitude

cultural landscape

unified character of a region; ex: language, agriculture, climate

globalization

actions or processes that involve the entire world; result in making something worldwide

concentration

extent of a feature's spread over space; clustered or dispersed

mountains

large, tall elevated land areas that rise abruptly from surrounding land; formed through tectonic forces, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions

valleys

low areas/depressions between hills/mountains that are long and narrow; formed through erosion

plains

broad, level stretches of land that have no great change in elevation; usually lower than surrounding land

plateaus

large highland areas of mostly level land separated by steep slopes

mesas

elevated land areas with a flat top and steep sides; table; formed by erosion

deserts

barren areas of land where little precipitation occurs

deltas

formed where rivers meet large bodies of water; often shaped like a triangle

peninsulas

extension of land from a larger body of land; surrounded by water on 3 sides

basins

natural depressions in the surface of land; often has lake at the bottom

canyons

deep, narrow valleys with steep sides; carved out by a river that runs through it

gulfs

arms of a sea/ocean extend into land; larger than bays

straits

narrow channel of sea joining 2 bodies of water; causes conflict between countries for access to sea

seas

divisions of ocean/large body of water; partially enclosed by land

frontiers

zones where no state/country exercises complete political control

boundaries

line that marks the extent of a country's territory

physical boundaries

boundaries where there is also a significant physical feature (mountain, desert, ocean/sea/river)

cultural boundaries

boundaries that exist due to difference in cultural backgrounds (language, religion, ethnicities)

geometric boundaries

boundaries based on human constructs (lines drawn on maps, no actual barrier, latitude and longitude)

compact state

states where the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly; easy to communicate with all regions

perforated state

states that completely surround other states

prorupted state

states that are similar to compact state but have a large projecting arm; difficulty in ensuring protection in the extension

elongated state

states that have a long and narrow shape; have poor internal communications

fragmented state

states that include several discontinuous pieces of territory; can be separated by water or other states; struggle with extra costs of communications and maintaining national unity

landlocked state

states that lack direct outlets to water and are surrounded by other countries; difficult to trade goods

population concentration

property of distribution; extent of the population's spread over space (clustered/dispersed)

population density

property of distribution; frequency with which something occurs in space (\# of people occupying an area of land)

arithmetic density

total \# of objects in an area; population per total land area

physiological density

\# of people per unit of farmable land

agricultural density

ratio of the \# of farmers to the amount of farmable land

natural increase rate (NIR)

percent by which a population grows in a year (excluding migration)

crude birth rate (CBR)

total \# of live births in a year for every 1000 people in the country

crude death rate (CDR)

total \# of deaths for every 100 people alive in the country

doubling time

the \# of years it takes to double the population

demographic transition

change in a population from high CBRs and CDRs with a low NIR to low CBRs and CDRs with a low NIR, and higher total population

sex ratio

\# of males per 100 females

maternal mortality ratio

\# of mothers who die from childbirth and pregnancy complications for every 100,000 love births

zero population growth

when the population is not growing or decreasing; NIR = 0

life expectancy

average \# of years one is expected to live

dependency ratio

\# of people too young/old to work compared to # of working people

infant mortality rate

annual \# of deaths of children under 1 compared to live births

elderly support ratio

\# of working age (15-64) divided by the # of people 65+

population pyramids

bar graph representing the distribution of population by age and sex

overpopulation

when the number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living

thomas malthus

argued the world's rate of population increase was far outrunning the development of food

migration

form of relocation diffusion; permanent move to a new location

emigration

migration from a location; exiting; emigrants

immigration

migration into a new country; entering; immigrants

pull factors

reasons people decide to move into a new location

push factors

reasons people decide to move away from their current location

internal migration

permanent move within the same country

interregional migration

moving from one region of a country to another

intraregional migration

movement within a region

international migration

permanent move from one country to another

quotas

max limit on \# of people who could immigrate to a country for a period of time

brain drain

large-scale emigration of talented people (scientists, doctors, etc.)

chain migration

migration to a location because of relatives

remittances

transfer of money by workers to people in the country they are from

refugee

person who is forced to migrate to another country to avoid conflict and can't return because of fear of persecution

asylum seeker

person who migrated to another country in the hope of being recognized as a refugee

internally displaced person

person who is forced to migrate for similar reasons as a refugee but has not crossed an international border

culture

material traits, customary beliefs, and social forms that together constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people

habits

something one does repetitively

customs

something a group does repetitively