Unit 1 terms APHUG

UNIT TEST on 9/10

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 of length, such as a foot, yard, mile, or kilometer

absolute location

a precise position on Earth’s surface

area

a bounded portion of the Earth’s surface shaped, used, or defined by human activity

cartogram

a map that distorts the geographic shape of an area in order to show the size of a specific variable; the larger the area on a cartogram, the larger the value of the underlying variable

choropleth

a thematic map that shows data aggregated for a specific geographic area, often using different colors to represent different values

clustering

the spatial arrangement where similar objects, people, or activities are grouped closely together in a particular area

conic projection

a map projection where the surface of a globe is transferred onto an imaginary cone, which is then sliced and unrolled onto a flat plane

• good for mapping mid-latitude countries

• has extreme distortion near the poles

dot density/dot distribution map

a map that uses dots to represent objects or counts; the dot can represent one object (a one-to-one dot density map) or it can represent a number of objects (a one-to-many dot density map)

elevation

distance above 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 (environment determines human inhabitance)

equal area projection

a map projection that preserves the relative size of geographic regions across the entire map

• shows true size representation and is good for displaying thematic data

• severe shape distortion of landmasses and is terrible for navigation

fieldwork

learning and doing research involving first-hand experience, which takes place outside the classroom setting

flows

the movement of people, goods, money, and ideas across geographical space

formal region

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

friction of distance

the inhibiting effect of distance on the intensity and volume of most forms of human interaction

• time-space compression diminishes it

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

global scale

geographic scale that looks at geographic phenomena across the enitire world

Goode Homolosine projection

a map projection that avoids shape distortion and the restrictions of a rectangular map by creating “interruptions” in the maps continuity

• in each section, map projection regions are shown “equally,”

• like an orange peel being laid out in a flat surface

graduated circle map

a map that uses symbols (such as circles or dots) of different sizes to represent numerical values

isoline

on a map, a line that connects or links different places that share a common or equal value, such as elevation

landscape analysis

the process of studying, describing, and evaluating how human societies modify, shape, and give meaning to the physical earth

local scale analysis

geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a state or province, a city or town, neighborhood

Mercator projection

a map projection that is useful for navigation because the lines connecting points on the map represent the true compass direction

• landmasses become increasingly distorted the farther away they are from the equator

national scale analysis

geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a specific country

natural resources

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

pattern

the observable, geometric, or spatial arrangement of people, objects, and human activities across the Earth's surface

Peters projection

a map projection that shows all landmasses with their true area but distorts their shape

possibilism

the belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to overcome environmental challenges

• opposite of environmental determinism

projection

a method for representing the surface of Earth or a celestial sphere on a plane (2D) surface

• all map projections distort some aspect of Earth’s surface

• “all maps lie flat, all flat maps lie”

qualitative data

data based off of the quality of something; data you can get from making observations

• does not include numbers

quantitative data

data based off of the quantity something; any kind of data that has numbers in it

reference map

a map that shows geographic locations on Earth’s surface, such as the location of cities or oceans

region

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

regional analysis

the process of examining patterns and processes within and between regions at multiple geographic scales (local, national, regional, global)

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 Earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it

Robinson projection

a map projection that attempts to create the most visually appealing representation of Earth by keeping all types of distortion relatively low over most of the map

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

• allows 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

scale of analysis

the specific geographical level (local, national, regional, global) used to examine data, spatial patterns, and human processes

site

the exact physical and internal characteristics of a specific place, such as its climate, soil, and terrain

situation

a place's relative location defined by its connections, accessibility, and position in relation to other places and larger economic or transportation networks

space

the areas we occupy as humans; it has no value until the people who occupy it make it their own

spatial perspective

a geographic perspective that seeks to identify and explain the use of space

sustainability

the group of practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs

thematic map

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

time-distance decay

the idea that near things are more related than distant things, and interaction between two places decreases the farther apart they are

• known as the “first rule of geography”

time-space compression

the decreasing distance between places, as measure by travel time or cost

• “the world is shrinking”

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

Wallerstein World Systems Theory

a structural model that divides the global economy into a three-tier hierarchy of core, semi-periphery, and periphery nations to explain global inequality and uneven development

• core countries are wealthy, highly industrialized, and technologically advanced nations

• peripheral countries are poorer, less-developed nations with weak governments

• semi-peripheral countries are transitional countries that display a mix of core and peripheral characteristics