AP Human - Unit 1 Vocab: Thinking Geographically

Physical Geography

The study of the spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment. Physical geographers study landforms, bodies of water, climate, ecosystems, and erosion

Human Geography

The study of spatial characteristics of humans and human activities. Human geographers study topics such as population, culture, politics, urban areas, and economics

Reference Maps

Designed for people to refer to for general information about places.

Thematic Maps

Show spatial aspects of information or a phenomenon.

Choropleth Maps

use various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data.

Dot Distribution Map

Used to show the specific location and distribution of something across a map. Each dot represents a specified quantity. While these maps are known as dot distribution, any kind of symbol - a triangle, the outline of a house, a cow- can be used instead of dots.

Graduated Symbol Maps

Uses symbols of DIFFERENT SIZES to indicate different amounts of something. Larger sizes indicate more of something. Smaller sizes indicate less. The map key is used to determine the exact amount. Graduated Symbol maps are also called proportional symbol maps.

Isoline Map

Also called isometric maps, use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space. Where lines are close together, the map depicts rapid change, and where lines are farther apart, the phenomenon is relatively the same. The most common type of isoline maps are topographic maps, which are popular amongst hikers.

Topographic Map

The most common type of Isoline map

Cartogram

The sizes of countries or other aerial units are shown according to some specific statistic.

Cartographic Scale

Refers to the way the map communicates the ratio of its size to the size of what it represents.

Small-scale maps

show a larger amount of area with less detail

Absolute Location

the precise spot where something is according to a system. The most widely used system is latitude and longitude. Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator, an imaginary line that circles the earth. Longitude is the distance east or west of the prime meridian. The international date line roughly follows this line but makes deviations to accommodate international boundaries.

Relative Location

A description of where something is in relation to other things. Relative location is usually described in terms such as connectivity and accessibility.

Models

Representations of reality or theories about reality, to help geographers see general spatial patterns, focus on the influence of specific factors, and understand variations from place to place. Models help explain, describe, and sometimes even predict spatial activity and phenomena.

Spatial Models

They look like stylized maps, and they illustrate theories about spatial distributions. Spatial models have been developed for agricultural and urban land use, distributions of cities, and store or factory location.

Non-Spatial Models

illustrate theories and concepts using words, graphs, or tables. They often depict changes over time rather than across space with more accuracy than spatial models.

Feild Observations

the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, firsthand, the information there

Remote Sensing

gathers information from satellites that orbit the earth or other craft above the atmosphere - can determine land cover and use, monitor environmental changes, assess the spread of spatial phenomena, and monitor the weather.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS receivers on the earth's surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver's exact location - can locate borders precisely, navigate ships aircraft, and cars, mapping lines (trails) or points (fire hydrants)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial datasets - analyzing crime data, monitoring the effects of pollution, analyzing transportation/travel time, and planning urban area

Geo Visualizations

Allow people to zoom in or out to see the data in ways that were previously impossible.

Space

the area between two or more phenomena or things

Location

identifies where specific phenomena are located either on a grid system or relative to another location - (can be absolute or relative)

Place

refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location. A group of places in the area that share a characteristic form a region

Site

can be described as the characteristics at the immediate location - the soil type, climate, labor force, and human structures

Situation

refers to the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

Sense of Place

Humans tend to perceive the characteristics of places in different ways based on their personal beliefs

Toponyms

locations can be designated as toponyms or place names; provide insights into the physical geography, the history, or the culture of the location

Time-Space Compression

is the shrinking "time distance," or relative distance, between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication

Friction of Distace

indicates that when things are farther apart, they tend to be less connected

Distance Decay

the inverse relationship between distance and connection - Natural characteristics like waves, earthquakes, and storm systems exhibit the distance-decay function

Pattern

refer to the general arrangement of things being studied, and geographers must be able to describe patterns accurately and with precision

Human-environment Interaction

The dual relationship between humans and the natural world is at the heart of human geography. The connection and exchange between them are referred to as Human- Environment Interaction.

Sustainability

An overarching theme of human geography and relates trying to use resources to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment.

Land Use

The study of how land is utilized, modified, and organized by people is the essence of land use.

Built Enviroment

The physical artifacts humans have created and that form part of the landscape, in their understanding of land use

Cultural Landscape

Anything built by humans is part of the cultural landscape and is in the realm of land use.

Environmental Determinism

The belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture.

Possibilism

A view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

Geographic Scale

(AKA relative scale) Refers to the entire area being studied compared to the actual world.

Global Scale

The entire world is shown. When geographers identify unique patterns of the real world.

World Regional Scale

Shows multiple Countries around the world.

National Scale

One country

Local Scale

Scale for a specific area focusing on its unique physical features such as its climate and vegetation.

Aggregation

when geographers organize data into different scales and then we do such as by census tract, city, county, or country.

False Conclusion

A conclusion that is false.

Region

have boundaries, unifying characteristics, cover space, and is created by people

Formal Region

uniform regions or homogeneous regions that are united by one or more traits

Functional Region (Nodal Regions)

organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity, usually political, social or economic, that occurs across a region.

Perceptual Region

differ from formal and functional regions in that they are defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them. Boundaries can vary widely because people have a different sense of what defines and unites these regions