AP Human Geo Unit 1

Interrupted map

map that tries to remove distortion by removing parts of the globe

uninterrupted map

map that displays entirety of earth’s surface

Mercator projection

map that is accurate in direction, but distorted.

Used for naval expedition

Gall-Peters projection

shows true size, but distorts shape and direction

Reference map

informational maps that shows boundaries, names of places, geographic features of an area

toponym

name given to a location

topographic map

reference map; uses contour lines to show terrains & elevation

absolute direction

exact direction of someone

relative direction

direction in relation to surrounding object’s location

absolute distance

exact distance between two

relative distance

approximate distance between two

• e.g. Location A to B takes 13 hours.

thematic map

map that shows geographic distribution of a specific topic or theme

choropleth map

thematic map; uses different shades or types of colours

dot density map

thematic map; uses dots

• good to show spatial distribution

confusing if data is clustered together

spatial analysis

process of analyzing patterns and relationships in geographic data

clustered

objects in area are close together

dispersed

objects in area is spread out with space between them

Graduated symbol map

thematic map; uses shapes, symbols to show quantitive data

isoline map

thematic map; uses lines to connect points of equal value

• weather map

cartogram map

thematic map; greatest value represented by largest area

flow line map

thematic map; shows movement of ideas, people etc across areas

remote sensing

process of collecting info about Earth’s surface via satellites

• useful to know changes of areas overtime

• help create thematic maps

Geographic Information System (GIS)

computer system that can collect, analyze, display geographic data

Global Positioning System (GPS)

network of satellites used to determine location in Earth’s surface

Geospatial technologies

help locate places and visualize geographic data

• includes: remote sensing, GIS, GPS

methods to collect geographic data

• field observations

• personal interviews

• media reports

• government documents

• travel narratives

qualitative data

data open for interpretation

• observations, interviews

quantitative data

information that is often numerical

• census

census

official count of all people who lives in particular area (demographic)

• involve gender, age, race, occupation info

small scale map

map that shows large portion of Earth’s surface

• less detailed data

Why do governments use geographic data?

To understand the needs & plan for the future regarding public services/laws

supranational organization

alliance with 3+ nations with common goals

• power above national government

Why do supranational organizations use geographic data?

to deal with war, famine, epidemics etc

census tract

small geographic data defined by US Census Bureau

• to better understand at local level

Why do businesses use geospatial data?

• location of operation

→ low tax rate

→ more sales

→ % of workers with desirable skills

→ changes in global market

absolute location

exact location using longitude & latitude

relative location

description of location using surrounding

place

specific point that has one or more unique characteristics

physical vs. human characteristics

physical: climate, vegetation, waters etc

human: religion, culture, language etc

→ both provide a sense of place!

sense of place

strong feeling or perception people have of a place

placelessness

a place without strong response from individuals, due to lack of uniqueness

spatial association

relationships between different objects in an area

3 types of spatial distribution

• concentration(clustered or dispersed)

• density (amount in an area)

• pattern

flow

movement of people, ideas, goods, services

time-space compression

reduction of time to get from one place to another

• more enabled with globalization

distance decay

effect of distance on cultural or spatial connections

environmental determinism vs. possibilism

• the environment sets the possibilities for humans and society

• environment puts limits, but people can adjust the physical environment

types of land use

how land is modified for a purpose

• agriculture

• industrial

• commercial

• residential

• recreational (stadiums, parks)

• transportation (road, subway, airports etc)

natural resource

• renewable: can be used without running out

• non-renewable: can be only used once

→ societies must be sustainable!

sustainability

use of Earth’s resources so it will still be available in the future

scale

relationship of a distance on a map to actual distance

scale of analysis

observation of data at global, national, regional, local scale

• the boundaries of the map differs based on type of scale

large scale map

map that shows less of Earth’s surface but more detailed data

region

geographic area with common characteristics/patterns of activity

formal/uniform regions

defined by economic, political, social, or environmental characteristics

functional/nodal regions

organized around a center point(node)

• like around airports, power plants, subway station etc

perceptual/vernacular regions

linked together because of people’s opinions, feelings, belief (personal)

• middle east → everyone have different idea of what countries are part of it