Ap geo

map

a two-dimensional or flat scale model of Earth’s orbit

projection

the scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map

meridian

an arc drawn on a map between the North and South Poles that represents lines of longitude.

longitude

the angular distance of a place east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

Prime Meridian

the meridian at 0 degrees longitude, from which all other lines of longitude are measured. It passes through Greenwich, England.

parallel

an arc drawn on a map that represents lines of latitude, parallel to the Equator.

latitude

the measurement of a location north of south of the equator using parallels

Greenwich Mean Time

the time at the prime meridian, reference time for all points on earth

International Date Line

imaginary line that moves time 24 hours back east (towards america), and 24 hours ahead west (toward asia)

Geographic information science

the development and analysis of earth acquired through satellite and other electronic information technologies

remote sensing

the acquisition of data about earth’s surface from a satellite orbitting earth or from other long-distance methods

GPS

the system that accurately determines the precise system of something on earth

GIS

computer system that captures, stores, queries, analyzes, and displays geographic data

place

a specific point on earth distinguished by a particular characteristic

site

the physical character of a place

situation

the location of a place relative to other places

region

an area of earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

cultural landscape

combination of cultural features (language/religion, economic, physical)

formal region/uniform region

an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics

functional region/nodal region

an area organized around a node or a focal point

vernacular region/perceptual region

an area people believe exists as part of their cultural identity

mental map

an internal representation of a portion of earth’s surface

culture

the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms

density

the frequency with which something occurs in space

pattern

the geometric arrangement of items in space

connection

relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space

hearth

a place from which innovation originates

diffusion

the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another over time

relocation diffusion

the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature from one place to another in an additive process

hierarchial diffusion

the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority/power to other persons or places

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population

stimulus diffusion

the spread of an underlying principle even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse

trans-national corporation

a company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells its products in many countries, not just where its headquarters or shareholders are located

uneven development

the increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions as a result of the globalization of the economy.

housing bubble

a rapid increase in the value of houses followed by a sharp decline in their value

nonrenewable resource

something produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans

polder

land created by the dutch by draining water from an area

possibilism

theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives

lithosphere

earth’s crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust

hydrosphere

all of the water on or near earth’s surface

network

a chain of communication that connects places

space-time compression

the reduction of the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place and as a result of improved communications and transportation systems

environmental determinism

a nineteenth and early 20th century approach to the study of geography which argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences

renewable resource

something that is produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans

sustainability

the use of Earth’s renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future

regional/cultural landscape studies

an approach to geography that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical pheonomena in a particular study area

resource

a substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use

ecosystem

a group of living organisms and the abiotic sphere with which they interact

distance decay

the diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin

space

the physical gap or interval between two objects

site

the physical character of a place

lithosphere

earth’s crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust

concentration

the spread of something over a given area

abiotic

nonliving or inorganic matter

biotic

composed of living organisms

cartography

the science of making maps

cultural ecology

a geographic approach that emphasizes human-environment relationships

cultural ecology

a geographic approach that emphasizes human-environment relationships

atmosphere

the thin layer of gases surrounding earth

preservation

the maintenance of resources in their present condition, with as little human impact as possible

toponym

the name given to a portion of the earth’s surface