AP Human Geography Unit 1: Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives

Geography

The study of where things are found on Earth’s surface and the reasons for the locations.

Spatial relationships

The way objects, people, or phenomena are arranged interact across space.

Human and environment interaction

The study of how humans modify, adapt to, and depend on the environment

Location

The position of anything on Earth’s surface (can be absolute, like coordinates, or relative)

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic (human or physical).

Scale

The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole (e.g., local vs. global).

Space

The physical gap or interval between two objects

Pattern

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area.

Regionalization

The process of dividing an area into smaller segments called regions.

Globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.

Physical map

A map showing physical features like mountains, rivers, and elevation .

Political map

A map showing human-created boundaries such as countries, states, and cities.

Thematic maps

Maps that tell a story or show a specific attribute (e.g., climate, wealth).

Reference maps

Maps used to find generic information or navigation (e.g., a road map).

Choropleth

A thematic map that uses colors or shading to represent different values or intensities.

Dot

A map where on dot represents a specific number of a phenomena (e.g., population).

Graduated symbol

a map using symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of a variable.

Isoline

A map connecting points of equal value (commonly seen in weather or topographic maps).

Cartogram

A map that distorts the size of areas to show a specific variable (e.g., making a country larger if it has a larger population).

Map projections

Methods of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map.

Mercator projection

A map projection that preserves shape but greatly distorts size near the poles.

Polar projection

A projection viewed from the poles ; it is accurate at the center but distorts shape at the edges.

Region

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

Formal region

An area where everyone shares one or more common, distinctive characteristics (e.g., a state).

Perceptual region

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity (e.g., “The South”).

Functional region

An area organized around a node or focal point (e.g., a pizza delivery area).

GIS (Geographic Information System)

Computer system that captures, stores, and displays geographic data in layers.

Satelites

Objects orbiting Earth that provide data for GPS and remote sensing.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A system that determines the precise location of something on Earth through satellites.

Remote sensing

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

Environmental Determinism

The old belief that the physical environment causes human social development.

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment sets physical limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action.