Unit 1- Thinking Geographically

APHUG from AMSCO textbook

human geography

the relationship between people and the land. How human activity is affected by the earth

reference map

used to locate/reference the world

projection

a transformation employed to represent the 3D surface of a globe on a 2D plane which involves systematic distortion of shapes, areas, distances, and directions.

latitude

the imaginary lines to measure north to south. Starts at the equator

longitude

the imaginary lines to measure east to west. Starts at the prime meridian

map scale

the relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground

prime meridian

the line 0 degrees longitude

thematic map

a map that has data that is analyzed. This data has a common theme

cartography

the study of drawing maps

distortion

misrepresentation of area, distance, or direction of geographic features

cartogram

size of place is distorted based on data or theme, not land area

isopleth/isoline map

lines around an area to show data and/or quantity.

dot distribution map

a type of thematic map that uses dots to visualize data or quantity

choropleth map

a map with different shades of color based on data

graduated symbol/proportional map

a map that uses symbols of different sizes to show quantity

remote sensing

gathers information from satellites that orbit earth to obtain spatial date through photos of great distances

qualitative data

interpretations of data sources

quantitative data

information measured by numbers

global positioning system

a system that uses data from satellites to pin-point a location on earth

Geographic information system

a computer system that uses a map with data in layers on a reference map to create a complex map

gravity model

a model that explains how regions of human populated areas interact and are influenced by the variables of their populations and distance between them

distance decay

the interaction between two locales as the distance between them increases

model

representations of reality to help see patterns, specific factors, and understand variations place to place

pattern

the geometric arrangements of objects in space

density

frequency with which something occurs in space; often an average

place

the location of a specific point on earth with common characteristics

distribution

the way a phenomenon is spread out over an area

toponym

the name given to a place on earth

situation (relative location)

the location of a place relative to other places

absolute mathematical location

describes the position of a place in a way that never changes; geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude

site

the physical characteristics of a place, can be modified by humans; quality depends on cultural values

location

the position that something occupies on earths surface

space

the physical gap or interval between two objects or locations

time space compression

the shrinking “time-distance” or relative time distance between two locations because of improved methods of transportation

concentration

extent of a feature spread over space

cultural ecology

the geographic study of human environment relationships

built environment

the physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape in their understanding of land use

cultural landscape

anything built by humans and is in realm of land use

environmental determinism

the belief or approach where the physical environment causes social development

possibilism

the belief that the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adapt to their enviroment

sustainability

the use of earths resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future

scale of analysis

the relative size, scale, or lens a map is viewed to observe geographical information

globalization

the expansion of cultural processes to the point they become global in scale and impact

mental (cognitive map)

a mental representation of an individual’s perceived physical environment

functional or nodal region

region organized around a focal point and defined by an activity.

formal region

an area with common characteristics that are the same

perceptual region

an area that is informal; what people perceive to exist

region

an area with common characteristics