2025 APHG Unit 1: 1.1

Physical Geography

the study of natural processes and physical features in the environment

Human Geography

the study of how humans understand, use, and change Earth

Spatial Perspective

geographic perspective focusing on how humans live and organize themselves on Earth and why events of human societies happen where they do

Ecological Perspective

geographic perspective focusing on relationships between living things and their environments

Absolute Location

the exact location of a place, usually given in longitude and latitude

Relative Location

the location of a place in relation to other places

Place

a location distinguished by its physical and human characteristics

Mental Map

internalized representations of portions of Earth’s surface

Site

a place’s absolute location and physical characteristics

Situation

a place’s location in relation to other places or surrounding features

Space

the area between two or more things

Distribute

arrange within a space

Pattern

how things are arranged in a space

Environmental Determinism

theory that the physical environment determines the development of human society

Distance Decay

principle stating that the farther away two things are from each other, the less interaction they will have

Time-Space Compression

principle describing how modern transportation and communication technology have allowed humans to travel and communicate over distances more quickly and easily

Possibilism

theory stating that humans can adapt the physical environment to their needs