Geography vs History

Flashcards summarizing key concepts related to geography and its distinctions from history, including definitions of crucial terms.

Geography

The study of where things are found on Earth's surface and why they are located there.

History

The study of past events, particularly in human affairs.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic.

Region

An area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics.

Scale

The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole.

Cartography

The science of mapmaking.

Latitude

The numbering system to indicate the location of a parallel, drawn around the globe parallel to the equator.

Longitude

The numbering system to indicate the location of a meridian, drawn between the North and South poles.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth.

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)

The creation and dissemination of geographic data contributed voluntarily by individuals.

Mashup

A map that overlays data from one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service.

Remote Sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite or other long-distance methods.

Geographic Information Science (GIS)

Analysis of data about Earth acquired through satellite and electronic information technologies.

Map Scale

The relationship of a feature's size on a map to its actual size on Earth.

Projection

The scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map.

Mental Map

A personal representation of a portion of Earth's surface.