AP Geo Unit 1 Vocab

absolute location

A precise position on Earth’s surface

Accessibility

The degree of ease with which it is possible to reach a certain location from other locations. Accessibility varies from place to place and can be measured.

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

Cartographer

A person who makes maps

Cartography

The science of making maps.

choropleth map

A thematic map that shows data aggregated for a specific geographic area

Circular distribution

Phenomena are equally spaced from a central point

Clustered

when objects in an area are close together.

Concentration

The spread of something over a given area

Connection

Refers to the relationship among people and objects across the barrier of space.

Density

The frequency with which something exists Within a given unit of area.

Diffusion

The pattern by which a phenomenon such as the movement of people

Dispersed

The spacing of people within geographic population boundaries.

Distance decay

The diminished importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

Distortion

the misrepresentation of shape

dot density or 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)

geographic information system (GIS)

A software application for capturing

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

Globalization

The process by which businesses and other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

The time in the zone encompassing the prime meridian

Homogeneous

of the same or a similar kind or nature.

Homolosine

is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection for world maps.

human geography

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

International Date Line

An arc that for the most part follows 180° longitude

International Date Line

is crossed heading east (lowered America)

Isoline

On a map

large-scale maps

usually have higher resolution and cover much smaller regions than small-scale maps. Map scale ratio in which the ratio of units on the map to units on the earth is quite small.

latitude (lines)

The (invisible) horizontal lines circling Earth parallel to the equator; latitude is the degree of distance north or south from the equator

longitude (lines)

The (invisible) vertical lines on Earth’s surface that mark imaginary circles connecting the North Pole with the South Pole

Mercator projection

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

nonrenewable resources

Natural resources that are available on Earth in finite quantities and will eventually be used up

Pattern

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a particular area.

Physical maps

their primary purpose is to show landforms like deserts

political map

A map that shows the spatial organization of the countries and territories on the entire globe at a given point in time

Projection

A system used to transfer locations from Earth' surface to a flat map.

reference map

A map that shows geographic locations on Earth’s surface

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

Scale

Generally the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole.

Scale of analysis

The relative size of the map or lens we choose to use to observe geographical phenomena. Also called relative scale

small-scale maps

show a larger geographic area with few details on them. Small scale maps show large areas like countries or huge geographic areas such as continents.

spatial data information

that has a geographic aspect to it. In other words

spatial patterns

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

thematic map

A map that emphasizes the spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes

topographic map

A graphic representation of the three-dimensional configuration of Earth’s surface

township and range

Land survey system created by the U.S. Land Ordinance of 1785

Built environment

The human-made space in which people live

Climate

The average pattern of weather over a 30-year period for a particular region

cultural landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create in inhabiting Earth — farm fields

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

Field observations

the act of physically visiting a location

Flow

Patterns and movement of ideas

formal region

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

functional (nodal) region

A geographic area that has been organized to function politically

Human-environment interaction

The effect that humans have on their environment and the effect that the environment has on humans.

Land rent theory

assumes a central business district representing the most desirable location with a high level of accessibility.

map scale

The distance on a map in relation to distance in actual space; for example

mental map

A personal representation of a portion of Earth’s surface

physical geography

The study of Earth’s physical characteristics and processes: how they work

Place

A specific point on Earth

Possibilism

The belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome environmental challenges

prime meridian

The zero-degree longitude line that runs through Greenwich

qualitative data

descriptive rather than numerical or statistical in nature. Qualitative geography involves methods such as ethnography

quantitative data

data that can be counted or measured in numerical values

Region

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

Regionalization

the process of dividing up the earth into smaller regions or units or the tendency to form decentralized regions.

sense of place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it is important to them

Site

The physical character of a place.

Situation

The location of a place relative to another place.

Space

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

Space-time compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

time-space compression

The decreasing distance between places

Toponyms

The name given to a portion of Earth's surface.

transnational corporation (TNC)

A firm with the power to coordinate and control operations in more than one country

Vernacular region

(or perceptual region) An area that people believe exists; is part of their cultural identity