AP Human Geography Vocabulary Flashcards

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards generated from the AP Human Geography study guide vocabulary terms.

A direction based on a fixed point of reference, usually north, south, east, or west, is called __________ direction.

Absolute

The exact physical distance between two places, measured in units such as miles or kilometers, is known as __________ distance.

Absolute

__________ location is the exact position of a place on Earth, usually identified by latitude and longitude coordinates.

Absolute

Images of Earth's surface taken from an aircraft or other airborne platform are referred to as __________ photography.

Aerial

A map that distorts the size or shape of geographic areas to represent a specific type of data, such as population, is a __________.

Cartogram

A person who creates and studies maps is known as a __________.

Cartographer

An official count and collection of information about a population is called a __________.

Census

A thematic map that uses different colors or shades to show variations in data across geographic areas is a __________ map.

Choropleth

A __________ rose is a symbol on a map that shows directions, usually north, south, east, and west.

Compass

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic or idea through direct contact between people is known as __________ diffusion.

Contagious

The visible features of an area that reflect the interaction between humans and the environment form the __________ landscape.

Cultural

__________ is defined as the shared beliefs, behaviors, practices, values, and material traits of a group of people.

Culture

Data combined or summarized from many individual observations into a larger group or category is called a data __________.

Aggregate

The spread of an idea, behavior, technology, disease, or cultural trait from one place or group to another is known as __________.

Diffusion

A map that uses dots to show the location and distribution of a phenomenon where each dot represents a specific quantity is a dot density or __________ map.

Dot distribution

The height of a location above sea level is its __________.

Elevation

The spread of an idea or characteristic outward from its place of origin while remaining strong there is called __________ diffusion.

Expansion

The collection of geographic information through direct observation, measurement, interviews, or research in the field is called __________.

Fieldwork

The idea that interaction between places generally decreases as the distance between them increases is known as the friction of __________.

Distance

An area organized around a central point or node and connected by movement, communication, or economic activity is a __________ region.

Functional

Socially and culturally constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with being male, female, or another gender identity refer to __________.

Gender

A computer system used to collect, store, analyze, and display geographic or spatial data is called a Geographic Information System, abbreviated as __________.

GIS

Physical and human actions and interactions that shape Earth's surface and influence spatial patterns are known as geographic __________.

Processes

A person who understands that they are part of a worldwide community and recognizes responsibilities beyond their own country is a global __________.

Citizen

A satellite-based system that determines an object's precise location on Earth is called the Global Positioning System, or __________.

GPS

The increasing connection and interdependence of people, places, economies, and cultures around the world is known as __________.

Globalization

An interrupted map projection designed to reduce distortion of the shapes and sizes of continents, especially land areas, is the Goode __________ projection.

Homolosine

The spread of an idea or characteristic from people or places of greater influence to those of lesser influence is called __________ diffusion.

Hierarchical

The study of people, their activities, cultures, economies, and relationships with the spaces and places they occupy is __________ geography.

Human

The development of the same or similar idea, innovation, or cultural trait in different places without direct contact between them is known as __________ invention.

Independent

The basic physical and organizational systems needed for a society or economy to function, such as roads, utilities, and communication networks, are called __________.

Infrastructure

The mutual reliance of people, places, or countries on one another for resources, goods, services, or other needs is called __________.

Interdependence

A line on a map connecting points with the same value, such as equal elevation or temperature, is an __________.

Isoline

Imaginary lines that run east-west and measure distance north or south of the Equator are lines of __________.

Latitude

A section of a map that explains the meaning of its symbols, colors, and patterns is called the __________.

Legend

Imaginary lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole and measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian are lines of __________.

Longitude

A scaled representation of all or part of Earth's surface is a __________.

Map

A method of representing Earth's curved surface on a flat map, which always causes some distortion, is a map __________.

Projection

Visual signs, shapes, colors, or patterns used to represent real-world features or data on a map are map __________.

Symbols

A cylindrical map projection that preserves direction and shape relatively well but greatly distorts the size of areas near the poles is the __________ projection.

Mercator

An equal-area map projection that preserves the relative sizes of land areas but distorts their shapes is the __________ projection.

Peters

A specific location that has physical and human characteristics that give it meaning and identity is called a __________.

Place

A map projection created by projecting Earth's surface onto a flat plane centered on one of the poles is a __________ projection.

Polar

The line of 0° longitude, which runs through Greenwich, England, is the __________ meridian.

Prime

A map that uses circles of different sizes to represent the quantity or value of data at different locations is a proportional or __________ circle map.

Graduated

A map designed primarily to show the location of geographic features, such as cities, roads, rivers, and boundaries, is a __________ map.

Reference

The direction of one place compared with another, using descriptions such as left of, northwest of, or toward, is __________ direction.

Relative

The distance between places measured in terms other than physical units, such as travel time, cost, or accessibility, is __________ distance.

Relative

The position of a place described in relation to other places or geographic features is its __________ location.

Relative

The spread of an idea or cultural trait when people physically move from one location to another and bring the trait with them is __________ diffusion.

Relocation

The collection of information about Earth's surface from a distance, often using satellites, aircraft, or other sensors, is called __________ sensing.

Remote

The spread of an idea or trend from people or places of lower status or influence to those of higher status or influence is __________ hierarchical diffusion.

Reverse

A compromise map projection that attempts to balance distortions of size, shape, distance, and direction for a visually realistic world map is the __________ projection.

Robinson

Images of Earth's surface collected by sensors on satellites are called __________ imagery.

Satellite

The relationship between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on Earth's surface is called __________.

Scale

The physical area or distance between and around places where geographic phenomena occur is __________.

Space

The arrangement and distribution of people, places, and geographic features across Earth's surface are __________ patterns.

Spatial

A way of analyzing where things are located, why they are located there, and how their locations affect relationships and interactions is a spatial __________.

Perspective

The spread of an underlying idea while the original idea or characteristic is modified to fit local culture or conditions is __________ diffusion.

Stimulus

Meeting present needs while preserving resources and environmental quality so that future generations can meet their needs is __________.

Sustainability

A map designed to show the spatial distribution of one specific topic or type of data, such as population density or climate, is a __________ map.

Thematic

The idea that the likelihood or intensity of interaction between places decreases as the time required to travel between them increases is time-distance __________.

Decay

The process by which improvements in transportation and communication make places seem closer together by reducing the time needed to interact is time-space __________.

Compression

A detailed map that shows natural and human-made features and represents elevation and landforms, usually with contour lines, is a __________ map.

Topographic