AP Human Geography Unit 1 — Maps, Spatial Patterns, Data, and Regions

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes.

Maps

A visual representation of geographic data used to analyze spatial patterns and relationships across the Earth's surface.

Spatial patterns

The arrangement of phenomena in space, showing where things are located.

Absolute distance

A measurable distance between two places (e.g., miles or kilometers) that can be shown on maps.

Relative distance

A measure of social, cultural, or political differences between locations; not tied to a fixed physical distance.

Absolute direction

Cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) that denote fixed bearings.

Relative direction

Direction described in relation to another place (e.g., north of Atlanta); not a fixed bearing.

Clustering

Phenomena that are located close together in space.

Dispersal

Phenomena that are spread out, with gaps between occurrences.

Elevation

Height of geographic features relative to sea level; often shown with isoline maps.

Isoline map

A map that uses lines to connect points of equal value; closer lines indicate rapid change and elevation is a common example.

Scale

The ratio or bar that shows how distance on a map corresponds to distance in the real world.

Large scale map

A map showing a relatively small area with high detail (e.g., a city street map).

Small scale map

A map showing a large area with less detail (e.g., a world map).

Compass rose

A symbol on a map indicating directions; may include intermediate directions.

Reference map

A map that displays specific geographic locations (e.g., roads, boundaries, physical features).

Thematic map

A map that depicts geographic information or themes rather than just locations.

Choropleth map

A thematic map that uses color or shading to represent data values across areas.

Dot distribution map

A thematic map using dots to show the location of data points; one-to-one or one-to-many representations.

Graduated symbol map

A thematic map where symbol sizes vary in proportion to the data.

Topographic map

An isoline map showing elevation; lines close together indicate steep terrain.

Cartogram

A map that distorts geographic sizes to display differences in data (e.g., population).

Mercator projection

A famous projection that preserves direction but distorts landmasses near the poles; often Eurocentric.

Peters projection

A projection that preserves area (size accurate) but distorts shapes.

Polar projection

A projection that shows the world from the North or South Pole; directions are true but edges are distorted.

Robinson projection

A compromise projection that distributes distortion more evenly across the map.

Latitude

Horizontal lines measuring distance north to south; parallel to the equator.

Longitude

Vertical lines measuring distance east to west; aligned with the prime meridian.

Absolute location

The precise coordinates (latitude and longitude) of a place.

Relative location

Location described in relation to another place, often in terms of distance or travel time.

Space

The physical characteristics of a location that can be measured mathematically.

Place

The meaning and identity that people attribute to a location.

Flows

Patterns of spatial interaction between locations, such as movement along networks like roads.

Distance decay

The principle that the strength of spatial interaction weakens with increasing distance.

Time-space compression

The decreasing time or cost required to travel between places, leading to a sense of closer global connectedness.

Patterns

The arrangement of phenomena across space; main types include random, linear, and dispersed.

Random pattern

A pattern with no discernible order.

Linear pattern

A pattern where phenomena are arranged in a straight line.

Dispersed pattern

A pattern where phenomena are spread out across an area with gaps.

Human-environment interaction (HEI)

The study of how humans use natural resources, shape the environment, and create the built environment.

Scales of analysis

Levels at which geographic data can be examined: global, regional, national, and local; zooming in increases detail.