Unit 1 AP Human Geography Vocab

1.1

Human Geography

The spatial analysis of human population, cultures, activities, and landscapes.

Physical Geography

The spatial analysis of the structure, processes, and location of the Earth’s natural phenomena.

Spatial Distribution

The physical location of geographic phenomena across space.

Scale of Analysis

Representation of a real-world phenomenon at a certain level of reduction.

Cartographic Scale

The ratio between a distance on a map and its corresponding distance in the real world.

Sense of Place

A state of mind derived from infusing a place with meaning and emotion.

Spatial Interaction

The degree of flow of people, ideas, and goods among places.

Cartography

The art and science of making maps, including data compilation, layout, and design.

Reference Maps

Maps showing the absolute location of places and geographic features using latitude and longitude.

Thematic Maps

Maps that tell stories, showing the degree of some attribute or the movement of a geographic phenomenon.

Absolute Location

The position of an item on Earth expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude and longitude.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A satellite-based system for determining the absolute location of places or geographic features.

Relative Location

The regional position of a place relative to other places.

Remote Sensing

A method of collecting data through instruments like satellites that are distant from the area of study.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A collection of hardware and software for collecting, storing, and analyzing spatial data.

Mental Map/Activity Space

An individual's perception and organization of space, including places of daily activity.

Formal Region

A region marked by a degree of homogeneity in one or more areas.

Functional Region

A region defined by a set of activities or interactions occurring within it.

Perceptual Region

A region that exists as a conceptualization or idea, not as a physically demarcated entity.

Distance Decay

The declining acceptance of an idea or innovation with increasing time and distance from its origin.

Time-Space Convergence

The accelerated movement of goods, information, and ideas due to technological innovations in the twentieth century.

Environmental Determinism

The view that the natural environment controls various aspects of human life.

Possibilism

The belief that human decision-making, not the environment, is crucial in cultural development, viewing the environment as a set of constraints.