AP HUG Vocab Test Unit 1.1-1.2

Human Geography

The branch of geography that studies how human activity affects or is influenced by Earth’s surface

Absolute direction

Corresponds to the direction on a compass: north, south, east, west, and combinations such as northeast and southeast

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

Choropleth Map

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

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

Census

An official count or survery of a population, typically recording various details about individuals, such as age, sex, and race

Contagious diffusion

The wavelike spread of ideas in the manner of a contagious disease or forest fire, moving throughout space without regard for hierarchy

Cultural landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create in inhabiting Earth - farm fields, cities, houses, and so on - and the meaning, values, representatives, and experiences associated with these forms

Data aggregation

The process of collecting and organizing large amounts of information

Dot density 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

Expansion diffusion

Occurs when ideas or practices spread throughout a population, from one area to area, in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers or users and the areas of occurrence increase

Fieldwork

learning and doing research involving firsthand experience, which takes place outside the classroom setting

Geographic information systems (GIS)

A software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earths surface; allows the rapid manipulation of spatial 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

Goode homolosine projection

A map projectio that avoids shape distortion and the restrictions of a rectangular map by creating “interruptions” in the map’s continuity; in each section, map projection regions are shown “equally”, like an orange peel being laid out in a flat surface

Hierarchical diffusion

Occurs when ideas leapfrog from one important person, community, or city to another, bypassing other persons, communities, or rural areas

Map

A two-dimensional (flat) representation of a geographic area or place

Map legend

A key to the meaning of the symbols and colors on a map

Map projection

A method for representing the surface of Earth or a celestial sphere on a plane (two-dimensional) surface; all map projections distort some aspect of Earth’s surface

Mercator projection

A map projection that is useful for navigation because the lines connecting points on the map represent the true compass direction; however, landmasses become increasingly distorted the farther away they are from the equator

Peters projection

A map projection that shows all landmasses with their true areas but distorts their shapes

Place

how we modify space based on who we are as a group of people

Proportional circle map

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

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

Reference map

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

Remote sensing

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

Relative Location

The position of place or person in relation to the position of another place or person

Relocation diffusion

Occurs when individuals or groups with a particular idea or practice migrate from one location to another, thereby bringing the idea or practice to their new homeland

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, allowing humans to view patterns and processes that are both visible and invisible to the naked eye

Space

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

Stimulus diffusion

Occurs when a specific trait is rejected, but the underlying idea is accepted

Spatial patterns

The placement or arrangement of objects on Earth’s surface; also includes the space between those objects

Spatial perspective

A geographic perspective that seeks to identify and explain the uses of space

Scale

The territorial extent of an idea or object

Thematic map

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

Time-distance decay

Also known as the “first law of geography”; the idea that near things are more related than distant things, and interaction between two places decreases the farther apart they are

Time-space compression

The decreasing distance between places, as measured by travel time or cost; often summarized by the phrase “the world is shrinking”