APHG Units 5-7 Terms

AP Human Geography Units 5, 6, and 7 key terms + definitions

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming system where food is produced mainly for the farmer and their family with little surplus for sale.

Commercial Agriculture

Farming system where crops and livestock are produced primarily for sale in the market.

Intensive Agriculture

Farming that uses a lot of labor and inputs per unit of land to maximize yields.

Extensive Agriculture

Farming that uses large areas of land with minimal labor and inputs per acre.

Shifting Cultivation

Subsistence farming where land is cleared (slash-and-burn) and used temporarily before moving to a new plot.

Pastoral Nomadism

Form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals and moving seasonally.

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.

Plantation Agriculture

Large-scale commercial farming specializing in one crop, often in tropical climates.

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

Farming that combines growing crops and raising animals in the same operation.

Mediterranean Agriculture

Farming system specialized in grapes, olives, and citrus fruits in dry-summer climates.

Von Thünen Model

Model that explains agricultural land use based on distance from a central market.

Agribusiness

Large-scale system that includes production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

Green Revolution

Period of increased agricultural production due to new technologies, fertilizers, and high-yield crops.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Crops altered through biotechnology to improve yield or resistance.

Monocropping

Growing a single crop repeatedly on the same land.

Crop Rotation

Practice of alternating crops to maintain soil fertility.

Soil Erosion

Loss of topsoil due to wind, water, or human activity.

Desertification

Process where fertile land becomes desert due to drought or poor farming practices.

Food Desert

Area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food.

Organic Farming

Farming without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms.

Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial growth beginning in the late 18th century.

Market Gardening

Small-scale commercial farming that produces fruits, vegetables, and flowers for sale in nearby urban markets.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Total value of goods and services produced within a country.

Gross National Income (GNI)

Total income earned by a country’s residents and businesses.

Standard of Living

Level of wealth, comfort, and access to goods and services.

Human Development Index (HDI)

Measure of development based on life expectancy, education, and income.

Primary Sector

Economic activities that extract natural resources (agriculture, mining).

Secondary Sector

Economic activities that process raw materials into goods.

Tertiary Sector

Service-based economic activities (retail, healthcare, education).

Quaternary Sector

Knowledge-based activities (research, information technology).

Outsourcing

Moving production or services to another country to reduce costs.

Offshoring

Relocating a company’s operations to another country.

Deindustrialization

Decline in industrial activity in a region or country.

Special Economic Zone (SEZ)

Area where economic laws are more relaxed to attract business.

Export Processing Zone (EPZ)

Zone designed to manufacture goods for export.

Maquiladora

Factory in Mexico near the U.S. border that imports materials duty-free for assembly and export.

Comparative Advantage

Ability of a country to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than others.

Neoliberal Policies

Economic policies favoring free markets, privatization, and reduced government intervention.

Microfinance loans

Small loans given to individuals in developing countries to start businesses.

Infrastructure

Basic physical systems like transportation, communication, and utilities.(roads, water, power).

Globalization

Increasing interconnectedness of economies and cultures worldwide.

Urbanization

Increase in the percentage of people living in cities.

Megacity

City with a population of over 10 million people.

Metacity

City with a population of over 20 million people.

Metropolitan Area

City and its surrounding suburbs and communities.

Site

Physical characteristics of a location (climate, landforms).

Situation

Location of a place relative to other places.

Central Business District (CBD)

Commercial and business center of a city.

Urban Sprawl

Expansion of cities into surrounding rural areas.

Gentrification

Process of wealthier people moving into and improving urban neighborhoods, often displacing residents.

Redlining

Discriminatory practice of denying services based on neighborhood demographics.

Blockbusting

Practice of encouraging racial turnover for profit in housing markets.

Suburbanization

Movement of people from cities to suburbs.

Counterurbanization

Movement of people from urban areas to rural areas.

Edge City

Large suburban area with business, shopping, and entertainment centers.

Multiple Nuclei Model

Model suggesting cities develop around multiple centers/CBDs.

Sector Model

Model showing city development in sectors or wedges from the center.

Concentric Zone Model

Model showing cities developing in rings outward from the CBD.

Bid-Rent Theory

Explains how land prices decrease as distance from the CBD increases.

Urban Renewal

Redevelopment of urban areas to improve conditions.

Smart Growth

Urban planning that focuses on sustainability and reducing sprawl.

Sustainable City

City designed to minimize environmental impact.

Ranching

Commercial grazing of livestock over large areas of land

Second Agricultural Revolution

Period of improved farming methods (crop rotation, mechanization) that increased food production and supported population growth.

Commodity Chain

Network that links the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of goods.

Carrying Capacity (Agriculture)

Maximum number of people that can be supported by the available food supply.

Soil Salinization

Accumulation of salt in soil due to irrigation, reducing fertility.

Aquaculture

Farming of fish and other aquatic organisms.

Value-Added Crops

Agricultural products that have increased economic value through processing or branding.

Fair Trade

Movement that ensures producers in developing countries receive fair prices and ethical working conditions.

Local Food Movement

Effort to consume food produced locally to reduce environmental impact and support local economies.

Exurb

Residential area beyond the suburbs, often with a more rural character.

Boomburb

Rapidly growing suburb that becomes large but lacks a traditional downtown.

World City

City that has significant influence on global economic, political, and cultural affairs.

Gravity Model

Predicts interaction between places based on population size and distance.

Central Place Theory

Explains spatial distribution of cities based on goods/services and market areas.

Galactic City Model

Model showing a city with multiple centers connected by highways (modern U.S. cities).

Transportation-Oriented Development (TOD)

Urban planning that focuses on dense development near public transit.

New Urbanism

Urban design promoting walkable neighborhoods and mixed-use development.

Greenbelt

Protected open land around cities to limit urban sprawl.

Brownfield

Abandoned or contaminated industrial site targeted for redevelopment.

Inclusionary Zoning

Policy requiring affordable housing in new developments.

Environmental Injustice

Unequal exposure of marginalized groups to environmental hazards.

Break-of-Bulk Point

Location where goods are transferred between transportation modes.

Least Cost Theory

Model explaining industrial location based on minimizing transportation, labor, and agglomeration costs.

Agglomeration

Clustering of businesses to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Economies of Scale

Cost advantages gained when production increases.

Just-in-Time Delivery

System where goods arrive exactly when needed in production to reduce storage costs.

Post-Fordism

Flexible production system with smaller batches and customized goods.

Fordism

System of mass production using assembly lines and standardized products.

Economic Restructuring

Shift from manufacturing to service-based economies.

Export Processing Zone (EPZ)

Area where goods are manufactured for export with favorable conditions.

Free-Trade Zone

Region where goods can be imported, handled, and exported without tariffs.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Organization that provides financial assistance to countries in crisis.

Tariff

Tax on imported goods.

Complementarity

When two places have different resources, allowing for trade.

Intervening Opportunity

Alternative place that reduces trade interaction between two locations.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development

Commodity Dependence

A situation in which a country relies heavily on the export of a single or a few raw materials or agricultural products, making its economy vulnerable to price fluctuations in global markets.