Human Geography Study Guide

Vocabulary and concepts for the final exam.

Overpopulation

When a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

A model that describes population change over time.

Immigration

The movement of people into a new country or region.

Developed

A country with a high level of economic and social development.

Push Factor

Factors that cause people to leave their home country.

Pull Factor

Factors that attract people to a new country.

Asylum Seeker

A person who has fled their country and is seeking international protection.

Forced & Voluntary Migration

Migration due to external factors vs. migration due to choice.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of dependents (under 15 or over 64) to the working-age population.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of the world through trade, culture, and communication.

Newly Industrialized Country (NIC)

A country that has recently begun to develop its economy.

Primary Sector

The sector of the economy that involves the extraction of raw materials.

Trading Bloc

A group of countries that have agreed to reduce or eliminate trade barriers between themselves.

Agribusiness

Large-scale, industrial agriculture.

Food Desert

An area where people have limited access to affordable and nutritious food.

Monoculture

The practice of growing a single crop in a large area.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming that produces enough food for the farmer and their family.

Metropolitan Area

A large urban area consisting of a city and its surrounding suburbs.

Suburbanization

The growth of suburbs outside of cities.

Shantytown

A squatter settlement on the outskirts of a city.

Central Business District

The commercial heart of a city.

Boomburg

A rapidly growing suburban city.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation that exists in practice, even if not by law.

Gentrification

The process of renovating and improving a deteriorated urban neighborhood by means of an influx of more affluent residents.

Urban Sprawl

The expansion of urban areas into the surrounding countryside.

Block Busting

The practice of persuading white homeowners to sell their properties at a loss, due to fears that minority groups would soon be moving into the neighborhood.

New Urbanism

An urban planning movement that promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

New Urbanism

An urban planning movement that promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.

Urbanization

The process of cities growing and becoming more populated.