APHUG Unit 1 Vocab

Physical Geography

The study of Earth's physical features and natural processes.

Human Geography

The study of people, cultures, activities, and how they interact with space.

Four-Level Analysis

Examining geographic information at different scales: local, national, regional, and global.

Analyze

To examine information and identify patterns, relationships, or causes.

Theory

A broad explanation of how or why something happens.

Concept

A general idea used to understand geographic phenomena.

Processes

Actions or changes that produce a geographic pattern or outcome.

Model

A simplified representation of reality used to explain or predict something.

Spatial Models

Models that show how things are arranged across geographic space.

Nonspatial Models

Models that explain relationships or processes without focusing on location.

Time-Distance Decay

The decrease in interaction as the amount of time needed to travel increases.

Spatial Patterns

The arrangement of geographic features or phenomena across space.

Networks

Systems of interconnected locations or routes.

Quantitative Data

Numerical information that can be measured or counted.

Geospatial Data

Information connected to a specific location on Earth.

Qualitative Resources

Non-numerical information, such as interviews, observations, or descriptions.

Scales of Analysis

Different geographic levels used to study a phenomenon.

Reference Map

A map showing the location of geographic features.

Political Map

Shows boundaries between countries, states, cities, or other political units.

Physical Map

Shows natural features such as mountains, rivers, and elevation.

Road Map

Shows roads, highways, and transportation routes.

Plat Map

A detailed map showing property boundaries and land parcels.

Thematic Map

Shows a particular geographic topic or variable.

Choropleth Map

Uses different shades or colors to show data values within geographic areas.

Dot Distribution Map

Uses dots to show the location or amount of a phenomenon.

Graduated Symbol Map

Uses symbols of different sizes to represent different quantities.

Isoline Map

Uses lines connecting places with equal values.

Topographic Map

Shows elevation and the shape of Earth's surface, often using contour lines.

Cartogram

A map that distorts the size or shape of areas based on a particular variable.

Scale

The relationship between distance on a map and actual distance on Earth.

Cartographic Scale

The mathematical relationship between map distance and real-world distance.

Small-Scale Map

Shows a large area with less detail.

Large-Scale Map

Shows a smaller area with more detail.

Location

The position of something on Earth.

Absolute Location

The exact position of a place using coordinates.

Latitude

Lines measuring distance north or south of the Equator.

Equator

The line at 0° latitude dividing Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Longitude

Lines measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Prime Meridian

The line at 0° longitude.

International Date Line

The approximate 180° longitude line where the calendar date changes.

Relative Location

A place's location compared with another place.

Connectivity

The degree to which places are linked or connected.

Accessibility

How easily a place can be reached.

Direction

The position of one place in relation to another, such as north or southeast.

Distance

The amount of space between two locations.

Absolute Distance

The exact measurable distance between two places.

Relative Distance

Distance measured using factors such as time, cost, or difficulty.

Elevation

The height of a location above sea level.

Distribution

The arrangement of a geographic phenomenon across space.

Patterns

The way geographic phenomena are organized or arranged.

Clustered (Agglomerated) Distribution

Features are grouped closely together.

Linear Distribution

Features are arranged along a line, such as a road or river.

Dispersed Distribution

Features are spread relatively far apart.

Circular Distribution

Features are arranged in a circular pattern.

Geometric Distribution

Features are arranged in a regular, organized pattern.

Random Distribution

Features appear without a predictable pattern.

Projection

A method of representing Earth's curved surface on a flat map.

Mercator Projection

Preserves direction and shape but greatly distorts size near the poles.

Peters Projection

Attempts to preserve the relative size/area of landmasses.

Conic Projection

Projects Earth onto a cone; useful for mid-latitude regions.

Robinson Projection

A compromise projection that reduces several types of distortion for world maps.

Landscape Analysis

Studying the physical and human features visible across an area.

Field Observations

Information collected by directly observing a location.

Spatial Data

Data that describes where something is located.

Remote Sensing

Collecting information about Earth without directly touching or visiting the area.

Aerial Photography

Images of Earth taken from aircraft.

Fieldwork

Collecting geographic information by visiting and studying places directly.

Geovisualization

Using visual tools to represent geographic information.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A satellite-based system used to determine precise locations.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Computer technology used to collect, store, analyze, and display geographic data.

Community-Based Solutions

Solutions developed with the participation and knowledge of people in a local community.

Spatial Approach

Studying how things are arranged and interact across space.

Space

The area or distance in which geographic phenomena exist.

Place

A specific location with physical and human characteristics.

Region

An area sharing one or more common characteristics.

Site

The physical characteristics of a location.

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places.

Sense of Place

The feelings, meanings, and connections people associate with a place.

Toponyms

Names given to places.

Time-Space Compression

The reduction in the time it takes to travel or communicate between places due to technology and transportation.

Spatial Interaction

The movement and exchange of people, goods, ideas, or information between places.

Flow

The movement of people, goods, information, or ideas between locations.

Friction of Distance

The idea that distance creates obstacles to interaction.

Distance Decay

The decrease in interaction between places as distance increases.

Spatial Association

The degree to which two or more geographic phenomena are related based on their locations.

Human-Environmental Interaction

The relationship between people and their natural environment.

Natural Resources

Materials or substances from nature that humans use.

Renewable Natural Resources

Resources that can naturally replenish, such as sunlight or wind.

Non-Renewable Natural Resources

Resources that exist in limited amounts and cannot quickly be replaced, such as coal or oil.

Sustainability

Using resources in a way that meets current needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs.

Land Use

How humans use a particular area of land.

Built Environment

Human-made surroundings, such as buildings, roads, and cities.

Cultural Landscape

The visible human impact of culture on the physical environment.

Cultural Ecology

The study of how culture and the environment influence each other.

Environmental Determinism

The belief that the physical environment determines human behavior and development.

Possibilism

The idea that the environment creates possibilities, but humans choose how to use them.

Geographic Scale (Relative Scale)

The level at which a geographic issue is examined.

Global Scale

Examining an issue across the entire world.

World Regional Scale

Examining an issue across a large world region, such as Europe or Sub-Saharan Africa.

National Scale

Examining an issue within an entire country.