AP HUG Unit 1

AP Human Geography Unit 1

Physical Geography

study of spatial characteristics of various elements of physical environment

Physical geographers study

landforms, bodies of water, climate, ecosystems and erosion

Human Geo

study of spatial characteristics of humans and human activities

Human geographers study

pop., culture, politics, urban areas, and economics.

References Maps

General info. and locations

Political Maps

Shows political boundaries

Physical Maps

Natural features

Road maps

Highways, Streets, etc.

Plot Maps

land ownership/ lot lines

Thematic Maps

Communicate info. abt a place

Choropleth Maps

Various colors to show a location and distribution of spatial data

Dot Distribution Maps

Dots represents a specified quantity of a characteristics

Graduated Symbol Maps

Symbols of diff. sizes to indicate amounts of a variable

Isoline Maps

Symbols of diff. sizes to indicate amounts of a variable

Topographic Maps

Lines and textures to show elevation

Cartogram

Sizes of countries according to a specific variable

Map Projections

Process of cartographer shows the curved surface of the earth on a map

Mercator Projection

the oldest projection still being used

Distortion

Affects Shape, area, distance and directions.

Absolute Location

Exact and uses co-ordinates

Relative Location

Relative to another place (minutes)

Absolute Distance

Exact miles, km or ft to another place

Relative Distance

Connections, movement and flow of things between places

Absolute Direction

Exact Precise (Compass Rose)

Relative Direction

Giving verbal directions to someone

Clustering

The # of things in a given area

Dispersal

The way something is spread out over an area

Spatial Patterns

Shows 2 or + phenomena may be related with 1 another

Quantitive Data

Using #’s (Hard Facts)

Qualitative Data

Using Descriptions (interviews, etc.)

Field Work/Field Observations

An individual visiting the place and recording info firsthand

Field Work example

US Census

Field Observations Examples

Media reports, Travel Narratives, Policy Documents, Personal Interviews

Geospatial Tech

Used by business, organization, governments to make decisions.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

stores, analyzes and displays info from multiple sets.

GIS Identifier

Multiple layers

GIS can be used for

Crime data, pollution, urban planning

Aerial Photography

Taking pics from flying stuff

Remote Sensing

Taking pics or sensors to take info of the earth

Uses of Remote Sensing

Weather, environment changes

Geovisualizations

2D/3D maps that allow ppl to zoom in/out to see data

Community based solutions

Power of NGO and GO’s to help improve living standard, also increases likelihood of success and more culturally accepted

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO)

An organization (NOT GO) focused on issues of humans and social issues (EX

Landscape Analysis

Defining and describing landscapes

Sense of Place

Factors that contribute to the uniqueness of a location. ​

Cultural Landscape/Built Environment

Physical artifacts that humans created which make up the landscape. Human produced.

Placelessness

A location without a ​sense of place.

Toponym

Location’s name

Site/Physical Landscape

Environmental features of a location; includes climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, elevation.

Spatial Interaction

Connections, contacts, movement, and flow of things between places.​​

Regionalization

The process geographers use to divide and categorize space into smaller areas of analysis. ​

​Distance Decay

The interaction between 2 places declines as distance increases

Time Space Compression

Increasing sense of accessibility which brings us closer

Diffusion

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

Relocation Diffusion

When people move, they spread ideas with them

Expansion Diffusion

Innovations spread to new places while staying strong in their original locations

Globalization

Are we more connected now than ever before?

Cultural Ecology

The study of how humans interact or adapt to the environment. ​

Spatial Perspective

What? Where? Why there? Why care?

Human environmental interaction

Interactions between human social system and the ecosystem

Natural Resources

Resources that can be found on Earth

Non Renewable Resources

Coal, oil, gas and nuclear E. Cannot be replaced

Renewable natural resources

sun, water wind. Can replenish themselves

Environmental determinism

Climate and landforms are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and society/cultural development

Possibilism

Acknowledges the limitations imposed by the natural environment but focuses on the role of humans to modify the environment.

Scale

Relationship of the size of a map to amount of area it represents (wht can you see?)

Scales of analysis

Level of analysis at which data is presented

Small scale maps

Show large area with SMALL amounts of data. Zoomed out.

Large scale maps

Shows small area with LARGE amounts of data. Zoomed IN

Aggregation

Grouping data together. Organize data at different scales.

Global

Show the world at 1 level of data

Regional

Shows data by countries/world regions

National

Shows data for 1 countries/nations

Local

Shows data at a subnational level

Census Tract

Smallest scale of analysis (1,000

Regions

One or more unifying characteristics/patterns of analysis

Formal (uniform) region

united by 1 or more specific traits

Types of formal regions

Economic, Social/cultural, Political, ENvironment

Functional (nodal) regions

organized around a central nodal and the relationship is typically based around economic, travel, communication

Nodal

Focus point

Perceptual (vernacular) region

based on person’s perceptive/perception of a certain location.

Mercator purpose

Navigation

Robinson purpose

compromise

Peters Disadvantages

Shapes are inaccurate, vertically stretched near equator

Robinson Disadvantages

All aspects are slightly disordered

Mollwiede Disadvantages

heavily distorts shape, not good for navigation

Core country

Controls the global market, good allies, politically and economically dominant

Core Country Examples

USA, Australia, Canada, France, Spain

Semiperiphery Country

Have core and periphery processes occurring, have potential to grow to a core country, better transportation, communication than periphery

Semiperiphery Country Examples

India, China, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea

Periphery Country

Have unstable governments, less wealth and lower levels of edcu. than core, bad infrastructure, export natural resources to core

Periphery Country Examples

North Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Pakistan