1. AP Human Geography Unit 1- NEW CED Diagram

spatial/spatial approach

studying where things are and why they are there.

absolute location

the precise point (coordinates) where a place is located on Earth given by longitude and latitude

Ex: GPS Coordinates of a restaurant

relative location

where a place is located in relation to another place

ex) Google maps

geographic information system (GIS)

a computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data

prime meridian

Imaginary line drawn from the North Pole through Greenwich, England, to the South Pole

place

specific location with meaning or characteristics that makes it unique

region

a group of places on Earth with similar human and/or physical features

site

The characteristics of a place (immediate location), Ex: soil type, climate, labor force, human structures

situation

location of a place based on what is around it.

toponym

place name

time-space compression

the shrinking of time distance between locations because of improved methods of transportation
ex) airplanes

distance decay

decline of activity or function with increasing distance from its point of origin

density

how crowded or packed something is

Ex: population density is the number of people per square mile

human-environment interaction

connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

environmental determinism

the idea that human behavior is controlled by the physical environment

possibilism

environment provides opportunities and limits, but people choose how to use it (opposite of social determinism)

scale

the ratio between the size of things in the real world and the size of those same things on a map

diffusion

spread of ideas, culture, people, or things from one place to another.

formal/uniform region

linked by common traits
ex) language

GPS (global positioning system)

a system that determines accurately the precise position of something on Earth through satellites, tracking stations, and receivers

remote sensing

process of gathering data about Earth from instruments far above the planet's surface (satellite imagery)

spatial analysis

The analysis of geographic data about a certain place.

time zone

any of the 24 longitudinal areas of the world within which the same time is used

connectivity

how well two locations are tied together by roads or other links . This is often used when describing relative location.

friction of distance

the farther away something is, the harder or less likely it is to interact with it.

distribution

The arrangement of something across Earth's surface.

Spatial Association

how the location of one thing relates to the location of another.
ex)Stores are often located near busy roads because they are easier for customers to access.

Landscape Analysis

the task of defining and describing landscape

field observation

physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, information there

spatial data

data that tells you where something is.

Aerial Photography

professional images captured from planes within the atmosphere (detailed)

built environment

part of the physical landscape that represents material culture; the landscape created by humans ex: buildings, roads, signs, fences etc.

cultural landscape

also known as the built environment: the visible imprint of human activity on the landscape, the modification of the environment by a group and is a visible reflection of that group's cultural beliefs.

Relative Scale (scale of analysis)

how big or small the area you are studying is.

Reference Maps

map shows where things are located

political map

shows borders and government divisions.

physical map (topographical)

a map that shows natural features such as mountains, rivers and deserts

choropleth map (thematic)

uses various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of data

thematic map

a map that shows a particular theme, or topic ex: choropleth, dot distribution, graduated symbol, isoline

Dot Distribution Map

A map where dots are used to demonstrate the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena

Isoline Map

A thematic map with lines that depicts data

Cartogram Map (Thematic Map)

the sizes of countries are shown to some specific statistic

Mercator Projection

map represents round earth on flat surface

• useful for navigation

• farther north/south poles from equator = distorted land

EX: used especially for marine charts and certain climatological maps.

Peters Projection

shows countries' actual relative sizes, but shapes can look stretched or distorted.

Robinson Projection

a map projection that tries to make the whole world look visually balanced.

• reduces distortion of size, shape, and distance, but doesn’t make any of them perfectly accurate

graduated symbol map

A map with symbols that change in size according to the value of the attribute they represent.

Homogenous Region

another name for formal region or uniform region

Placelessness

the loss of uniqueness of place

ex) Walmart- everyone of them looks the same

quantitative data

numerical data ex: distribution of people based on income

qualitative data

Data associated with a more humanistic approach to geography, often collected through interviews, empirical observations, or the interpretation of texts, artwork, old maps, and other archives.

regionalization

process by which specific regions acquire characteristics that differentiate them from others within the same country; certain economic activities may dominate in particular regions.

absolute direction

based on compass direction

absolute distance

Exact measurement of the physical space between two places.

land use

Various ways humans use the land such as agricultural, industrial, residential, or recreational

natural resources

Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain

relative direction

where something is in relation to another place.
ex) california is from the left of nevada

relative distance

how far something feels (use cultural, enconomic)

satellite navigation system

Portable device that uses GPS to plot the user's position.

Functional Region (Nodal Region)

area organized around a central point that connects people

Ex: Pizza delivery areas - the pizza shop is the node

map projection

a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface

satellite image

Pictures of the land based on computer data from satellites. Ex: satellite image of Louisville

Sustainability

protecting resources for the future
ex) pollution

Perceptual Region (Vernacular)

an area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity

Census

the official count of a population

census data

information collected about a population, such as people's age, race, income, education, and where they live.

Census Tract

a small neighborhood-sized area used to study population data.