ap hug unit 1

what is a thematic map?

communicates information about a place including spatial aspects (like what it is like there). it always displays data

• choropleth

• dot-density

• graduated/proportional symbol

• cartogram

• isoline and topographic

what is a reference map?

how general information, like navigation and location. they show where things are.

• political: states/countries/capitals

• physical: natural features

• road: highways, streets, etc.

what kind of map is this? what are its strengths and weaknesses?

• choropleth map: uses various shades of a color or patterns to show location/distribution of spatial data

  • strengths: easy to collect data for (through census records, etc.); offer big-picture view of what’s being mapped

  • weaknesses: scale matters (doesn’t show regions of a country/makes them seem uniform), not 100% accurate

what kind of map is this? what are its strengths and weaknesses?

• dot distribution/dot-density map: each dot represents a specified quantity of a spatial characteristic

  • strengths: extremely specific/accurate

  • weaknesses: takes longer to collect data; more expensive

what kind of map is this?

graduated/proportional symbol map: uses symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of a variable

what kind of map is this? what is it used for?

• isoline map: use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space

• used for weather and elevation

what kind of map is this?

topographic map: shows elevation through texture or through lines and their distance apart

what kind of map is this? what are its strengths and weaknesses?

• cartogram: the sizes of countries are shown according to a specific variable

  • strengths: displays just data; shows variables in proportion; good for visualization

  • weaknesses: distorts area and gives up geographical accuracy

small scale maps vs. large scale maps?

• small scale map: shows a large area with small amounts of data/detail

  • has a smaller ratio

  • zoomed out

• large scale map: shows a small area with a large amount of data/detail

  • has a larger ratio

  • zoomed in

absolute vs. relative location?

• absolute location: the exact, precise location of something, often denoted by address or latitude and longitude

• relative location: the location of something based on its relationship to another place (reference point)

the way something is spread out over an area

distribution

an indication that two (or more) phenomena may be related associated, or correlated with one another

pattern

things on a map are close together

clustered/agglomerated

things on a map are far apart

dispersed

how many units are in a given area

density

what is remote sensing? what is it used for?

• the use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites which orbit the earth above the atmosphere to collect digital images of the earth’s surface

  • used for monitoring environmental changes and weather

what are satellite navigation systems, or global positioning systems (gps)?

• satellites orbit the earth to communicate locational information to gps receivers

  • display absolute location and is used for navigation

what is geographic information systems (gis)?

computer system/software that stores, analyzes, and displays information from multiple digital maps or data sets

• has both thematic and physical layers

what is space?

the measurable, physical distance between locations

location vs. place?

• location: where something is on a map (describes where a place is located)

• place: what is at a location (describes what a location is like)

site vs. situation?

• site: local conditions

  • physical characteristics like climate, soil, landforms, minerals

  • human characteristics like age, education, savings, buildings

• situation: a location’s relationship/link with the outside world

  • includes natural transportation corridors as well as roads, railroads, cables, airports

what is sense of place?

factors that contribute to the uniqueness of a location and can be used to distinctly identify a location (like if u saw a picture you’d know where it is)

a location’s name, usually reflecting the culture and history of a place

toponym

the increasing sense of accessibility and connectivity which seems to bring humans in distant places closer together (through globalization and technology)

time-space compression

what is friction of distance?

the fact that distance creates a barrier, cost, or resistance to the interaction between two places

what is distance decay?

• the interaction (people, trade, etc.) between two places declining as the distance between two places increases

  • can also be caused not by distance but by physical barriers like mountains, rivers, oceans, and deserts or by cultural barriers like language and religion

what is a region?

one or more unifying characteristics (human or physical) patterns of activity

• formal, functional, or perceptual/vernacular

what is a formal region?

a region that is uniform in whatever trait(s) is being mapped

• economic: picture shown; all use a common currency (euro)

• social: maps of islamic world

• political: could be a country itself, or even a state like florida

• environmental: the sahara desert on a map

what is a functional region

• regions organized around a central node (focal point) and the relationship is typically based around economics, travel, or communication

  • ex: airports are nodes that connect to other places. all the places it connects to are the functional region but nothing else

what is a perceptual/vernacular region

• regions based on a person’s perspective or perception of a certain location

  • informal; can be based on sense of place and cultural identity; boundaries often vary because people have a different sense of what defines and unites a region

environmental determinism vs. possibilism?

• environmental determinism: the belief that climate and landforms are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal/cultural development; environment determines success of a society

• possibilism: acknowledges the limitations imposed by the natural environment, but focuses on the role of human culture to modify and respond to the environment to better fit human needs

  • humans can modify environment to support them

what are some examples of possibilism?

• building dams or bridges

• air conditioning

• terrace farming

• irrigation projects

• screened porches and breezeways

• basically anything you can see is a result of humans trying to mitigate environmental factors

what are scales of analysis?

the level at which data is being presented

smallest to largest: census tract (neighborhood) < city/local < county < sub-state/state (florida) < state/country/national < regional (bigger than a country) < global

how do scales of analysis impact the results of a study

• changing the geographic "zoom level" can reveal, hide, or completely alter spatial patterns and conclusions

• broader levels (national, regional, etc.) can hide local inequalities/opinions

the process of a cartographer showing the curved surface of the earth on a flat surface (map)

map projection

what map is this? what are its advantages and disadvantages?

mercator map

• advantages: used for direction and shape; it preserves right angles of latitude and longitude, so it is good for naviagtion

• disadvantages: area distorted near the poles (shows greenland and africa to be the same size, but this is not true irl); increases size of high latitude areas

map scale vs. scales of analysis?

• map scale: the mathematical ratio between distance on a map and the actual distance on the ground

• scale of analysis: the observational level or geographic grouping (such as local, national, or global) used to organize and interpret data

what is the scale of analysis of the data? how do you know?

national, because it shows the amount of deaths per nation

what is the scale of analysis of the data? how do you know?

sub-state, because it shows the data for each state in the u.s.

how is geographic data collected?

• fieldwork: the act of physically visiting a location or place and recording the information there

  • can be in-person or census