APHG unit one vocab

Absolute Direction

Direction using fixed points such as north, south, east, and west. Example: Georgia is north of Florida.

Absolute Distance

The exact distance between two places. Example: Atlanta is about 70 miles from Athens.

Absolute Location

The exact location of a place using latitude and longitude. Example: New York City is about 40.7° N, 74.0° W.

Acculturation

Adopting parts of another culture while keeping your own. Example: A family celebrates both Christmas and Lunar New Year.

Assimilation

Completely adopting another culture. Example: Immigrants stop speaking their native language and only speak English.

Cartogram

A map that changes the size of areas based on data. Example: A population cartogram makes highly populated countries larger.

Cartography

The science and art of making maps. Example: Creating a map of the United States.

Choropleth Map

A map using different colors or shades to show data. Example: A map showing population density by state.

Clustering

When people or objects are grouped closely together. Example: Houses clustered together in a neighborhood.

Contagious Diffusion

The spread of an idea through direct contact. Example: A viral dance spreading between students.

Culture

A group's shared beliefs, customs, and traditions. Example: Japanese food, language, and traditions.

Cultural Ecology

The study of how people interact with their environment. Example: Farmers growing rice in wet areas.

Cultural Landscape

Human-made features added to the environment. Example: Roads, buildings, and farms.

Density

The amount of something in a given area. Example: Manhattan has high population density.

Diffusion

The spread of ideas, culture, or technology. Example: Pizza spreading from Italy around the world.

Dispersal

Movement away from a central location. Example: Families moving from cities to suburbs.

Distance Decay

Interaction decreases as distance increases. Example: People visit nearby stores more often than distant ones.

Distribution

The way something is spread over an area. Example: Population is unevenly distributed across Canada.

Dot Distribution Map

A map that uses dots to show the location or amount of something. Example: Dots showing where people live.

Ecology

The study of relationships between living things and their environment. Example: Studying animals and plants in a forest.

Environmental Determinism

The idea that the environment shapes human behavior and culture. Example: Climate influencing the types of homes people build.

Expansion Diffusion

An idea spreads while remaining strong where it began. Example: Christianity spreading from its hearth to other regions.

Formal/Uniform Region

An area with one or more shared characteristics. Example: The state of Georgia.

Functional/Nodal Region

An area organized around a central place or activity. Example: A city's public transportation system.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Computer systems that analyze and display geographic data. Example: Using GIS to plan new roads.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A satellite system used to find exact locations. Example: Using GPS for driving directions.

Globalization

Increasing connections between people and places worldwide. Example: Businesses selling products around the world.

Graduated Symbol Map

A map using different-sized symbols to show data. Example: Larger circles represent cities with larger populations.

Hearth

The place where an idea or culture begins. Example: The Fertile Crescent was a hearth of agriculture.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of an idea from important people or places to others. Example: A fashion trend spreading from celebrities.

Isoline Map

A map using lines to connect places with equal values. Example: Lines connecting areas with the same temperature.

Latitude

Lines measuring distance north or south of the Equator. Example: Atlanta is about 34° N latitude.

Location

The position of a place on Earth. Example: Atlanta is located in Georgia.

Longitude

Lines measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. Example: London is near 0° longitude.

Map Scale

The relationship between map distance and real distance. Example: One inch on a map equals 10 miles.

Mental Map

A person's mental image of a place. Example: Drawing your neighborhood from memory.

Meridian

A line of longitude. Example: The Prime Meridian is 0° longitude.

Parallel

A line of latitude. Example: The Equator is a parallel.

Pattern

The arrangement of features in an area. Example: Houses arranged along a road.

Place

A location with physical and human characteristics. Example: New York City is a place with skyscrapers, parks, and diverse cultures.

Possibilism

The idea that people can adapt to or change their environment. Example: Building irrigation systems in dry areas.

Projection

A method of showing Earth on a flat map. Example: The Mercator projection.

Reference Map

A map showing the locations of places and features. Example: A political map showing countries.

Relative Direction

Direction based on another location. Example: The school is east of the library.

Relative Distance

Distance measured by time, cost, or effort. Example: The store is 10 minutes away.

Relative Location

A place's location compared to other places. Example: Canada is north of the United States.

Region

An area with shared characteristics. Example: The Midwest is a region of the United States.

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of ideas through people moving. Example: Immigrants bringing their language to a new country.

Remote Sensing

Collecting information about Earth from a distance. Example: Satellites taking pictures of hurricanes.

Scale

The level at which geographic information is studied. Example: Studying a city versus the entire world.

Scale of Analysis

The geographic level used to study data. Example: Comparing population by state.

Site

The physical characteristics of a place. Example: A city built beside a river.

Situation

A place's location compared with surrounding places. Example: Atlanta's location near major transportation routes.

Space-Time Compression

Technology makes distance seem smaller by reducing travel or communication time. Example: Video calls connecting people worldwide instantly.

Spatial Perspective

Studying where things are located and how they are arranged. Example: Studying where earthquakes occur.

Stimulus Diffusion

An idea spreads but is changed to fit a new culture. Example: Fast-food restaurants offering local foods in different countries.

Sustainability

Using resources without harming future generations' ability to use them. Example: Using solar energy instead of fossil fuels.

Syncretism

The blending of different cultural traditions. Example: Combining elements of different religions.

Thematic Map

A map showing one specific topic or theme. Example: A map showing annual rainfall.

Vernacular/Perceptual Region

A region based on people's ideas or perceptions. Example: "The South" in the United States.