AP Human Geography Module 4-6 Vocab

Ecology

a biological science concerned with studying the complex relationships among living organisms and their physical environments

Cultural Ecology

The study of the interactions between societies and their local environments

Ecosystem

a territorially bounded system consisting of the interaction between humans and the environment

environmental perception

The mental images that comprise humans' perception of nature; environmental perception may be accurate or inaccurate

natural recources

materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain

nonrenwable resource

natural resources that are available on earth in finite quantities that will eventually be used up

renewable resource

natural resources that earth will replenish over time

greenhouse gasses

Compounds in the atmosphere from fossil-fuel combustion, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), that absorb and trap heat energy close to Earth's surface

greenhouse effect

the global warming trend caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide

environmental determinism

The belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures and that humanity is a passive product of its physical surroundings

possibilism

The belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome environmental challenges

global scale

Geographic scale that looks at geographic phenomena across the entire world

regional scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a particular region

national scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a specific country

local scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a state or province, a city or town, or neighborhood

global perspective

Geographic perspective that acknowledges the two-way relationship between local communities and global patterns, emphasizing that the forces of globalization need to take into account local-scale cultural, economic, and environmental conditions

region

a geographical unit based on one or more common characteristics or functions

Formal Reigon

a geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common

border zone

A region where cultural markers overlap and blend into a recognizable border culture

Functional Reigon

a geographic area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit

nodes

central points where the functions of a functional region are coordinated and directed

metropolitan area

An area composed of a heavily populated urban core and its less populated surrounding areas

perceptual/vernacular region

A geographic area that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants, based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique regional name

Mental Map

a personal representation of a portion of Earth's surface

sense of place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it's important to him or her

Activity Space

Where a person goes and what he or she does on a day-to-day basis

regional identity

The awareness of belonging to a group of people within a region

Contested Boundaries

Boundaries that are disputed for religious, political, or cultural reasons

regional analysis

The process of examining patterns and processes within and between regions at multiple geographic scales (local, national, regional, and global)