Unit 1: Thinking Geographically - AP Outline

Absolute Direction

Corresponds to the direction on a compass: north, south, east, west, and combinations such as northeast and southwest

Absolute Distance

The distance that can be measured with a standard unit length, such as a foot, yard, mile, or kilometer.

Absolute Location

A precise position on Earth's surface

Census Data

an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals such as age, sex, and race.

Cultural Landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create inhabiting Earth and the meaning, values, representations, and experiences associated with those forms

Elevation

distance above or below sea level

Environmental Determinism

The belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures and that humanity is a passive product of its physical surroundings

Formal Region

A geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common

Functional Region

A geographic area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface; allows the rapid manipulation of geospatial data for problem-solving and research

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system of 24 satellites that orbit Earth twice daily and transmit radio signals Earthward; the basis for many map-based apps that provide directions on how to get from one place to another

Natural Resources

Materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain

Perceptual/Vernacular region

A geographic area that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants, based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique regional name

Place

A location on Earth that is distinguished by its physical and human characteristics

Possibilism

The belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome environmental challenges

Reference map

A map that shows geographic locations on Earth's surface, such as the locations of cities or oceans

Region

A geographical unit based on one or more common characteristics or functions

Relative Direction

A direction that can be described as position, such as in front of or behind, to the left or to the right

Relative Distance

A measurement of the level of social, cultural, or economic similarity between places despite their absolute distance from each other

Relative Location

The position of one place (or person) in relation to the position of another place (or person)

Remote Sensing

the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it.

Satellite Imagery

Images of Earth's surface gathered from sensors mounted on orbiting satellites; these sensors record in both the visible and non-visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing humans to view patterns and processes that are both visible and invisible to the naked eye

Scale

The territorial extent of an idea or object

Sense of Place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it's important to him or her

Thematic Map

A map that emphasizes the spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes, and sometimes the relationships between them

Distance Decay

Idea that near things are more related than distant things, and interaction between two places decreases the farther apart they are until ultimately the interaction ends or does not exist

Time-Space Compression

The decreasing distance between places, as measured by travel time or cost; often summarized by the phrase "the world is shrinking"

Flow

Movement of people, goods, or information that has economic, social, political, or cultural effects on societies.

Globalization

Increasing interconnection of all parts of the world as the full range of social, cultural, political, and economic processes becomes international in scale and effect. One result of space-time compression: Expansion of economic, cultural, and political processes on a worldwide scale

Human Geography

The study of the processes that have shaped how humans understand, use, and alter Earth

Pattern

The way in which things are arranged in a particular space

Sustainability

The use of Earth's land and natural resources in ways that ensure they will continue to be available in the future; Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Scale of Analysis

Observation of data at the global, regional, national, or local scale

Clustering

Spatial pattern where people or objects are closely grouped together in specific areas of a population. This suggests that the concentrated regions have a higher density than the surrounding areas

Dispersal

Spatial pattern where objects are spread out from one another