AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography Vocabulary

Cartogram

Style of Map; Cartoonish, Big, Splotchy

Chloropleth

Style of Map; Different entities shaded/colored differently

Dot Density

Style of Map; Dots clustered or dispersed to show location patterns

Isoline

Style of Map; Map that has lines to cut of different values (Think Topographic, Contour, or Elevation Map)

Gradual Symbol Map

Style of Map; Symbols or dots scaled with the amount/value

Mercator

Map Projection; Shape and directions of countries are accurate, however poles are very distorted; Rectangular, Most common and used with google maps

Robinson

Map Projection; Poles are very distorted while equator is compressed; Oval Shape

Goode

Map Projection; Country’s sizes and shapes are accurate, However directions and distance are heavily distorted; Looks like mountains, or a big M

Gall Peters

Map Projectionl; The shape of countries, especially near the equator, is really distorted, Continents are elongated; Rectangular, but taller than Mercator

Azimuthal

Map Projection; Top view of a globe (from the North Pole), only shows the top half of the globe, preserves direction accurately; Circular

Absolute Location

North, South, East, West, direct distance between two places “New York is 214 miles away from DC”

Relative Location

Up, Down, Left, Right, indirect distance between two places “New York is 2 hours away from DC

Thematic Maps

Type of Map; Tells us how human activities are distributed, Used as a communications tool

Reference Maps;

General information about places, political and physical

Clustering

Spatial Pattern; grouped and bunched together

Dispersal

Spatial Pattern; distributed across a wide area

Elevation

Spatial Pattern; using levels of how high/low something is located on land

Geospatial Data

All information including physical features and human activities

GIS (Geographic Information System)

Computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earths surface

GPS (Geographic Positioning System)

System that uses satellites to pinpoint a location on earth to help people find their destination

Remote Sensing

The process of taking pictures of the Earth’s surface using satellites to better understand the topography

Geospatial Data

All information including physical features and human activities

Census

An official count in the population of a state. (In the US occurs every 10 years)

Space

extent of an area and can be in a relative and absolute sense.

Place

Refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

Distance Decay

A geographical term which describes the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions.

Time Space Compression

The increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be bringing people closer together

Pattern

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in the area

Sustainability

The goal of the human race, meeting the needs for the current population and preparing for the future generations.

Natural Resources

Physical material making part of Earth that people need and value

Environmental Determinism

How the physical environment caused (determined) social development

Possibilism

The physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to their environment

Scale

The relationship between the distance on the ground and the distance corresponding on a map (zoomed in or out)

Scale of Analysis

How zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data

Formal Region

Region Type: Region having some unifying physical or human characteristics like language, political system, ethnicity or faith

AKA Uniformed/homogenous region

Functional Region

Region Type; Regions that have a center of activity, or a node, and are often unified by transportation or communication networks

AKA Nodal Region

Perceptual Region

Regions and how they are defined by each person based on their own ideas and/or perception

AKA Vernacular Region

Overlapping Regions

More than one place can fit into more than one region

Based on common characteristics

Culture

The sum of the human experience by a group of people living together that make up our daily lives. It shares practice, technologies, attitudes, and behaviours

Material Culture

Type of Culture: People give value to things they like

Non Material Culture

Type of Culture: Things people take care of. The idea of a society that represents important symbolism to a group

Folk Culture

Type of Culture: Local and Homogenous group that stay within a region

Pop Culture

Type of Culture: Heterogenous group of people that is spread widely with the term

Language

Cultural Trait: Influenced by location, contact with others

Clothing

Fashion

Cultural Trait: Influenced by aesthetic, weather, religious influence and jobs

Artifacts

Cultural Trait: Jewelry, visual art, music, dance, architecture, etc.

Food

Food Preferences

Cultural Trait: Influenced by physical geography, religion, local customs

Architecture

Cultural Trait: Influenced by aesthetics, religion, available building materials, topography, and forms of government

Land Use

How people use sacred spaces, community functions

Cultural Relativism

Seeks to be empathic with other cultures and their cultural traits (Can I try this dish?)

Ethnocentrism

Looking at a culture from a sense of superiority (That dish looks like it would taste awful)

Cultural Landscape

The combination of cultural, economic, and natural elements that makes up any landscape

Physical Features

Physical Landscape

Vegetation, landform, climate, weather elements

Agricultural and Industrial Practices

Fields of a certain crop, industry, or service economy - level of development

Religious and linguistic characteristics

Languages on signs, places of worship, religious dress, religious holidays

Sequence Occupancy

Groups throughout history leave their mark on a place

Traditional and modern architecture

Sometimes to reflect power or honor indigenous groups

Land Use Patterns

What is the land in the area devoted to? Agriculture, Transportation, Residential, Economy

Gendered Space

Certain public or private spaces are often reserved for one gender or another, depending on the culture

Placemaking

A process in which a community or cultural group gets together to plan public space

Ethnicity

A group of people who share a common cultural background, including traditions, language, history, or ancestry, and often a sense of shared identity

Religion

Can influence toponym, architecture, and even who can live there

Centripetal Force

Unites a group of people through language, nationalism, and ethnic/religious similarities (Flowers bloom when all is peaceful)

Centrifugal Force

Things that divide a group of people, such as discrimination, political unrest, welfare issues, and economic inequality

Hearth

The starting point of a cultural phenomenon

Relocation

Diffusion; Ideas spread through people physically moving and bringing cultural phenomena, innovations, diseases, and more with them

Expansion

Diffusion; outward from the Hearth

Contagious

Diffusion; Rapidly expanding outward to almost everyone

Hierarchical

Diffusion; Ideas spread from larger areas down to smaller areas

Reverse Hierarchical

Diffusion; Ideas spread from less populated areas up to larger areas, vice versa of social levels.

Stimulus Diffusion

Diffusion; The idea spreads in waves, think immigrants, who scout first then invite the rest of their family

Acculturation

A group of people in one culture adopt traits from another

Creolization

The process of mixing of cultural traits, primarily languages

Lingua Franca

Language mutually understood by the members of society; English is becoming this because of business and trade

Communication

Communication Technologies

Internet and time-space convergence are changing and accelerating cultural and social interactions among people, creating cultural convergence and divergence

Cultural Divergence

People may start leaving their culture or abandon certain elements of it

Cultural Convergence

People start having one mass global culture

Universalizing Religion

Religion; Seeks to appeal to everyone, everywhere by seeking converts

Ethnic Religions

Religion; Stay close to home, within a specific group and don’t seek converts

Branches

Religion; A large fundamental branch of religion

Denomination

Religion; A more localized subgroup of a religion, often with religious autonomy

Monotheistic

Religion; Worshipping one deity

Polytheistic

Religion; Worshipping many deities

Christian Holy Site

Holy Sites; Vatican City, Lourdes, Jerusalem, Basilicas, Cathedrals, Mount Sinai, Mount of Olives, Sistine Chapel

Islamic Holy Site

Holy Sites; Mecca, Jerusalem, Mount Sinai, Mount of Olives, Mosques

Sikhist Holy Site

Holy Sites; Golden Temple

Buddhist Holy Site

Holy Sites; Paro Taktsang, Lumbini,Nepal, Mahabodhi Temple

Hindu Holy Site

Holy Sites; Kashi Vishwanath, Badirnath Temple

Judaism Holy Site

Holy Sites; Jerusalem, Western Wall, Mount of Olives

Other Holy Site

Holy Sites; Stonehenge, Uluru, Meteora Rousanou

State

Defined borders of a region, interchangeable with “country”

Nation

A group of people with common identity that has shared cultural traits

Nation State

When a nation’s borders matches with a state’s borders; No true examples

Stateless Nations

A nation of people without a state to occupy

Self Determination

The right or desire for a nation, or group of people, to govern themselves

City State

A state that is really small, covering a city and the surround area; Vatican City, San Marino

Multinational State

State with several national groups within their borders

Multi State Nation

The nation has a state but also extends beyond its borders, influencing other countries

Autonomous Region

Regions have a high degree of self government and freedom to govern themselves

Semi Autonomous Region

Regions that have a moderate degree of self government and freedom to govern themselves; central government can step in when necessary