Unit 1 Vocab

Reference Maps

Reference Maps

Designed for general information about places; the two main types are political and physical.

Thematic Maps

Used as a communications tool to illustrate how human activities are distributed.

Cartogram

A map in which the size of an area is based on a particular variable.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses color or shading to represent statistical data.

Dot Density Map

A map that uses dots to represent the frequency of a variable in a specific area.

Absolute Distance

The exact measure of distance between two locations.

Relative Distance

The distance of one location to another in terms of the cultural, social, or economic connections.

Clustering

The grouping or bunching together of items within a geographic area.

Dispersal

The spread of items or phenomena over a wide geographical area.

Elevation

The height above or below sea level of a geographic location.

Map Projections

Methods of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map, which can distort shape, size, distance, and direction.

Mercator Map

A projection where the shape and directions of countries are accurate, but distorted towards the poles.

Robinson Map

A projection that distorts everything in small amounts for a more visually appealing view.

Goode Map

A projection that accurately portrays continent sizes but does not accurately depict directions and distances.

Gall-Peters Map

A projection that distorts the shape of countries, particularly near the equator.

Geospatial Data

Information that includes both physical features and human activities.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface.

GPS (Geographic Positioning System)

A system that uses satellites to determine a precise location on Earth.

Remote Sensing

The process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from satellites or airplanes.

Census Data

An official count of individuals in a population, occurring every 10 years in the USA.

Absolute Location

The precise spot where something is located.

Relative Location

The location of something in relation to other things.

Space

The extent of an area, which can be relative or absolute.

Place

Specific human and physical characteristics of a location.

Distance Decay

The effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions.

Time-Space Compression

The increasing sense of connectivity that brings people closer despite the same distances.

Pattern

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in an area.

Sustainability

The goal of reaching equilibrium with the environment while meeting present needs and ensuring resource availability for future generations.

Natural Resources

Physical materials from Earth that are needed and valued by individuals.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the physical environment determines social development.

Possibilism

The theory that while the physical environment may limit some human actions, humans can adapt.

Scale

The relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map.

Scale of Analysis

The level of zoom used when looking at geographic data.

Region

A place larger than a point but smaller than a planet, grouped by common features.

Formal Region

A region defined by measurable or documented data.

Functional Region

A region based around a node or focal point.

Vernacular Region (Perceptual Region)

An area defined by people's beliefs or perceptions.

Isoline

Lines on a map connecting points of equal value.

Proportional Symbol Map

A map using symbols of varying sizes to represent data.