AP Human Geography - Unit 4 & 5

Climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time

Weather

the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.

Tropical Region

warm, moist climate zone near the equator

Subtropical Region

hot, often dry, climate zone between 25 and 30 degrees latitude, north or south of the equator

Midlatitudes Region

a wide band of latitudes on either side of the Equator, midway between the Equator and the North or South Poles

High latitude Region

Subarctic, Tundra, Ice Cap

Desert Region

An extremely dry area with little water and few plants

Mediterranean Region

Mild winters and dry hot summers

Intensive Agriculture

any agricultural system involving the application of large amounts of capital and/or labor per unit of cultivated land; may be part of either subsistence or commercial economy

Market Gardening

the growing of vegetables or flowers for market

Plantation Agriculture

Growing specialized crops such as bananas, coffee, and cacao in tropical developing countries, primarily for sale to developed countries.

Mixed Crop/Livestock

Commercial farming characterized by integration of crops and livestock; most of the crops are fed to animals rather than consumed directly by humans.

Major Belts: Corn belt

Northern Mid West

Major Belts: Soy Belt-

South Mid West

Mahor Belts: Beef Belt-

South Mid West

Extensive Agriculture

An agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit land area.

Shifting Cultivation

A form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period.

Nomadic Herding Vs. Ranching

migratory but controlled movement of livestock solely dependent on natural forage Vs A form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area.

Clustered Settlements

groups of homes located near each other in a hamlet or village

Dispersed Settlements

characterized by a lower density of population and the wide spacing of individual homesteads.

Linear Settlements

a pattern of settlements in which homes and other buildings follow the lines taken by the road

Neolithic Revolution

The switch from nomadic lifestyles to a settled agricultural lifestyle is this revolution.

Domestication of Plants/Animals

the taming of animals/plants for human use, such as work or as food

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

Second Agricultural Revolution

An agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit land area.

Crop Rotation and Nitrogen Fixing

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil + Using plant rotation to place nitrogen into the soil

Green Revolution

Rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers.

Subsistence Agriculture

an agricultural practice that produces just enough food for a farmer's family

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm.

Extensive Agriculture

An agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor per unit land area.

Intensive Agriculture

any agricultural system involving the application of large amounts of capital and/or labor per unit of cultivated land; may be part of either subsistence or commercial economy

Factory Farms and Industrial Agriculture

The technique allows for large numbers of animals to be raised in relatively small spaces.

Agribusiness

Commercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the food-processing industry, usually through ownership by large corporations.

Commodities

a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.

Supply Chain Components

the connected chain of all of the business entities, both internal and external to the company, that perform or support the logistics function

Economies of Scale

The larger your company gets, the more you produce, the less it costs per item.

Vertical Integration

Practice where a single entity controls the entire process of a product, from the raw materials to distribution

Von Thunen's Model

An agricultural model that spatially describes agricultural activity in terms of rent. Activities that require intensive cultivation and cannot be transported over great distances pay higher rent to be close to the market. Conversely, activities that are more extensive , with goods that are easy to transport, are located farther from the market where rent is less.

Single Crop Economy

Economy of a country depend on a single crop. Very dangerous ex- Latin America- coffee and sugar cane

Climate Comparative Advantage

the ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than another producer

Negative Effects of Agriculture

Agricultural run off, pollution, destruction of nature

Deforestation

the action of clearing a wide area of trees, usually as the result of creating more farmland.

Wetland Removal

When wetlands are drained and filled so the land can be used for buildings and other development

Organic Farming

the use of natural substances rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enrich the soil and grow crops

Farmer's Market/Local Food Movement

markets at which local farmers and food producers sell fresh locally grown items

Biotechnology and GMOs

Genetically modified organism made when DNA is removed from one organism and placed within the DNA of what can be a very different organism. Used to create super foods and crops.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

network between agricultural producers and consumers whereby consumers pledge support to a farming operation in order to receive a share of the output from the farming operation

Fair Trade

Alternative to international trade that emphasizes small businesses and worker owned and democratically run cooperatives and requires employers to pay workers fair wages, permit union organizing, and comply with minimum environmental and safety standards.

Food Insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

State (Country)

A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

Types of Nations:

Stateless, Nation-State, Multinational State, and Multistate nation

Stateless:

A culture with no country.

Nation-State:

A country thats boundaries match that of one particular culture.

Multinational State:

A state with multiple cultures within in.

Multistate Nation:

A culture separated into multiple states

Autonomous and Semi Autonomous Regions

an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority

Self-Determination

Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Independence Movement

a movement that is trying to gain political independence for some area that it thinks should be its own country

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules colonization of Africa

Shatterbelt and Chokepoints

Areas that are constantly breaking up and/or fragmenting (e.g. Southeast Asia)

Neocolonialism

Also called economic imperialism, this is the domination of newly independent countries by foreign business interests that causes colonial-style economies to continue, which often caused monoculture (a country only producing one main export like sugar, oil, etc).

Territoriality

is a predisposition to defend a fixed geographic area, or territory, as one's exclusive domain.

State Shape: Elongated

A state with a long, narrow shape.

State Shape: Compact

a state that possesses a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance from the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions

State Shape: Fragmented

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.

State Shape: Perforated

a state that completely surrounds another one

State Shape: Prorupt

A state, such as Thailand or Myanmar (Burma), that is round in shape with a large extension

Exclave

a part of a country that is seperated from the rest of the country and surrounded by foreign territory.

Enclave

a distinct region or community enclosed within a larger territory

Landlocked

A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea.

Border Types: Superimposed

a boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural pattern

Border Type: Subsequent

a boundary line that is established after the area in question has been settled and that considers the cultural characteristics of the bounded area

Border Type: Antecedent

a boundary line established before the area in question is well populated

Border Type: Consequent

a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language

Boundary Creation Process

establishing a joint committee which includes technical experts mainly in surveying, monumentation, and mapping, responsible for executing the treaty in its framework and for setting up the technical specifications.

Demilitarized zone

A zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited

De facto Boundaries

Boundaries that are not legal, but are established anyway.

South China Sea Conflict

a territorial dispute over islands involving several Asian countries.

United Nations Convention and Law of the Sea

a code of maritime law approved by the United Nations in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from shore and 200-nautical-mile-wide exclusive economic zones

Internal Divisions

The ways a country politically divides its land.

First, Second, Third Order Divisions 1st:

Provinces, states, first division within a country.

First, Second, Third Order Divisions 2nd:

Second layer of divisions like counties

First, Second, Third Order Divisions 3rd:

Third layer of divisions like cities and towns

Special Administrative Region

a region of the country that temporarily maintains its own laws and own system of government

Unitary Government

A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency.

Federal Government

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Separatism

A dissident minority that has total or partial secession from the state as its primary goal

Ethnic Cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society.

Uneven Development

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

Ethnonationalism

the tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence. A fundamental centrifugal force.

Terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

Devolution of States

The process of a state losing power.

Supranationalism and Technology

three or more countries agree to give up a degree of autonomy in order to pursue common goals. (ex. European Union)

Supernational Treaties

Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A 1949 defense alliance initiated by the US, Canada, and 10 Western European nations

European Union (E.U)

(syn Common Market) an economic association established in 1957 by a number of Western European countries to promote free trade among its members

Centrifugal force:

Force that divides