AP HUG Unit 1

Density

the frequency with which something occurs in a space → involves the numbers of a feature and the land area.

Sustainability

systems that provide people with what they want and need without impacting the future generations ability to get what they want and need.

Distribution

the arrangement of a feature in space.

Remote sensing

process of collecting information about the Earths surface from satellites orbiting the Earth-- data used in GIS.

Concentration

extent of a feature spread over space.

Spatial Perspective

Analyzing where things are located and why they are located there.

Possibilism

the environment has an impact on society but people have the ability to adjust the physical environment and set their own path in life.

Flow

: the movement of people, ideas, goods, services → certain places may be located to increase /decrease .

Toponym

: name given to a place on Earth.

Location

: position that something occupies.

Environmental Determinism

: Idea that the environment is the driver of societal development.

Field observations

: geographer gives firsthand accounts (accurate and detailed but sometimes not possible to gather data)

Relative distance

: qualitative (time, money, cardinal directions)

Photo analysis

: use photos to understand type of culture, demographics, population density, and whats happening in a place.

Qualitative Data

: Observations, interviews, and individual thoughts → up for discussion, will often change, hard to replicate.

Topographic

shows contour lines of elevation to show physical things on Earths surface (printed in 3D)

Isoline

information is connected through points of equal or very similar values (uses lines or color coding)

Dot Density

points show precise locations of data → more precise than choropleth

Graduated Symbol

shows percentage of amount of something and (imprecise) location using different sizes of the same symbol →

Cartogram

data is shown dynamically → the greater the value for country, the larger the area it is represented with on the map

Flow Line

shows movement of goods, people, or ideas (must look at colors, items transported, and size) larger/thicker arrows to show higher volume of trade

Thematic map

focus on a specific theme → chloroplast, flow line, cartogram, graduated symbol

Reference map

to better understand what happens on earths surface → geographic area

Absolute distance

quantitative (km, miles)

Relative distance

qualitative (time, money, cardinal directions)

Interrupted Map

pieces of the map are removed to try & remove distortion → not good for navigation or direction

Uninterrupted Map

no removed pieces or "break points" but maps have more distortion

Geographic Information System

computer system that layers maps by collecting, analyzing, and then displaying data

example uses

helps farmers know which parts of their field need what, gps

Field observations

geographer gives firsthand accounts (accurate and detailed but sometimes not possible to gather data)

Landscape analysis

studying wildlife, vegetation, or geography to see how a place has been impacted by people

Photo analysis

use photos to understand type of culture, demographics, population density, and whats happening in a place

Ways to collect data without being at the place

• media reports, travel narratives, government documents, personal interviews

Qualitative Data

Observations, interviews, and individual thoughts → up for discussion, will often change, hard to replicate

Quantitative Data

Information counted/measured → usually in number form, not up for debat

Individual

Look for employment opportunities, local schools, crime rates, public services, cost of living, etc

Waldo Tobler's first law of geography

while all things on Earth are related to all other things, the closer things are to one another, the more they are related

Distance Decay

Effect of distance on interactions → the farther away one thing is from the other, the less interaction the two will have

Space

physical distance between two places on Earth's surface

Distribution

the arrangement of a feature in space

Density

the frequency with which something occurs in a space → involves the numbers of a feature and the land area

Concentration

extent of a feature spread over space

Clustered

closely spaced together

Dispersed

relatively far apart

Place

specific point on Earth distinguished by particular characteristics

Location

position that something occupies

Toponym

name given to a place on Earth

"Sense of place"

 individual's perception of a place

**Spatial Perspective

**Analyzing where things are located and why they are located there

Flow

the movement of people, ideas, goods, services → certain places may be located to increase/decrease flow

**Absolute Location

**GPS coordinates of the position of something on a map

**Relative Location

**position of a place in relation to other places or features (n, s, e, w) or (in between rivers or by an ocean, etc.)

Sustainability

systems that provide people with what they want and need without impacting the future generations ability to get what they want and need

Scale

the ratio of a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground

Mercator Projection

Advantages: Shows true direction, Good for navigation purposes

Limitations: Massively distorts area, Size is distorted increasingly near the poles (greenland = africa in size) → creates bias against less-developed world

Gall - Peters

Advantages: Shows true direction, Area is relatively precise
Limitations: Distorts shape, Continents appear elongated

Robinson

Advantages: Globe-like appearance that looks ‘real’, Distorts size and shape, but not too much
Limitations: Imprecise measurements, Extreme distortion at the poles: flat at poles and compressed at equator

Azimuthal

Advantages: Preserves direction, When used from the point of the North Pole. no country is seen as the center
Limitations: Distorts shape and area, Only shows one half of area

Goode - Homolsine

Advantages: Minimizes distortion in size and keeps land masses uninterrupted
Limitations: Doesn’t present info easily to the reader, Can’t be used for navigation in ocean

Fuller

Advantages: Good at keeping size and shape and not interrupting land masses
Limitations: Hard to interpret -- doesn’t use cardinal directions

Winkel Tripel

Advantages: Shows minimum distortion in reference to land, distance, and direction
Limitations: Very distorted at poles, Lines of longitude and latitude are curved

Region:

Geographic area with common characteristics and patterns → can be global, regional, or national

Formal (Uniform) Regions:

geographic area with common attributes, traditionally defined by economic, social, political, or environmental characteristics.
Examples: European Union (formal political region), Rocky Mountains (physical formal),

Functional (Nodal) Region:

Geographic area organized around a node, or center point → often around economic activity, travel, or communication
Examples: power plant (can only serve so many people), metro systems, airports, local pizza place delivery zones

Perceptual Region:

geographic area that has no perfect definition → only exists because of people’s feelings, beliefs, or attitudes of the region. Differ from person to person because these exist in our minds
Examples: different ideas of what makes up the middle east,

space time compression

opposite of distance decay. the set of processes that cause the relative distances between places (i.e., as measured in terms of travel time or cost) to contract, effectively making such places grow “closer" because of technological advancements.

How do Local governments use geographic data

use data to dictate land zones, where to build schools, etc.

How do Regional governments use geographic data

voting districts, which projects get state funding, allocate funding for infrastructure

How do National governments use geographic data

which laws should be passed, determine where federal funding should go, how to change tax policies

How do Local-scale businesses use geographic data

See where to build store-front, look at where people are living, medium income

How do Regional-scale businesses use geographic data

See which locations are outperforming others

How do National-scale businesses use geographic data

Countries tax rates, employment/labor laws, etc.

How do Individuals use geographic data

Look for employment opportunities, local schools, crime rates, public services, cost of living, etc.

chloropleth

uses colors to represent spatial data (referring to certain theme)