AP Human Geography Models

A collection of vocabulary flashcards encapsulating key models and theories in Human Geography.

Von Thunen Agricultural Model

Explains the connection of different agricultural practices and the location of the market, accounting for land needed and transportation costs.

Cultural Landscape

Proposed by Carl Sauer, this concept refers to the idea that human activity superimposes itself on the physical landscape, leaving unique imprints from each cultural group.

Brandt Line

Theorized in 1980, it divides the world between the developed North and the less developed South.

Human Development Index (HDI)

Measures human development based on life expectancy, education, and gross national income adjusted for purchasing power parity.

Losch Model of Profitability

Suggests that manufacturing plants choose locations to maximize profit.

Rostow Levels of Development

A model consisting of five stages: Traditional Society, Pre-conditions to Take-off, Take-off, Maturity, High Mass Consumption.

World Systems Theory

Theorizes the world as a unified economic system with different roles for countries, divided into core, periphery, and semi-periphery.

Clark’s Industrial Sectors

Categorizes economies into five sectors: Primary (extractive), Secondary (manufacturing), Tertiary (services), Quaternary (information processing), and Quinary (decision-making functions).

Weber’s Least Cost Model

Explains the relationship between transportation costs of materials and industrial location, focusing on bulk-gaining and bulk-reducing industries.

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

A set of laws explaining migration patterns and trends, emphasizing distance, steps, urban movement, and economic causes.

Malthusian Theory

Posits that food grows arithmetically while population grows exponentially, with positive and negative checks affecting population growth.

African Model of Cities

A model designed with concentric rings from a commercial center, including slum-like settlements on the periphery.

Central Place Theory

Explains business location in relation to population centers, suggesting people travel shorter distances for essential goods.

Concentric Zone Model

Assumes that the Central Business District (CBD) is the center of the city, with home values increasing as distance increases.

Galactic City Model

Describes edge cities that are connected to another city by highways or beltways.

Gravity Model

Calculates urban center interactions based on size and distance, indicating larger cities exert greater draw power.

Multiple Nuclei Model

Accounts for the importance of cars and commuting, with various nuclei that support each other in urban areas.

Peripheral Model

Describes urban areas with an inner city surrounded by suburban residential and business areas connected by beltways.

Primate City Rule

States that the largest city is more than twice as large as the next city, indicating a disproportionate urban structure.

Rank-Size Rule

Describes a hierarchy of cities where each city has a population that is a fraction of the largest city, half for the second largest, and so on.

Sector Model

Proposes that different sectors attract activities based on environmental factors, growing in wedge-shaped areas from the CBD.