AP Human Geography Final Review Sheet

Formal Region

An area defined by one predominant or universal characteristic throughout its entire area.

Environmental Determinism

the environment causes the social development of humans

Scales of Inquiry

the level of geographic area being studied or investigated

Distortion

all projections have some sort of distortion

Choropleth Map

a map that uses shading of colors to display information

Sustainability

the use of earth’s resources to ensure their availability in the future

Demographic/Epidemiologic Transition

measures population growth over time. The longer people live, the more degenerative diseases they face.

Chain Migration

when a migrant communicates home, it can cause a “chain” of migrants to follow.

Worldwide Intraregional Migration

it has been from rural to urban

Ethnocentrism

viewing one’s culture/ethnicity as superior to others

Cultural Landscape

the built part of the environment. The imprint humans leave behind on the environment

Syncretism

The blending traits from two different cultures to form a new trait

Diffusion of English Worldwide

mostly through relocation diffusion

Ethnic Religions

Judaism, Hinduism, etc

Stateless Nations

nations of people without their own state. (Basque & Kurdish Peoples)

Balkanization

the process by which a country may break up into smaller parts due to ethnic conflict/strife (Yugoslavia)

Relict Boundary

a boundary that is no longer functional but can still be seen on the landscape. (Berlin Wall & The Great Wall of China)

Gerrymandering

the process of redrawing voter districts to gain political power

Nation-State

a country that has a homogenous nation of people. (Iceland, Japan, etc)

Shatterbelt

a geographic area of conflict caught between two opposing forces (Eastern Europe, Korea, and Vietnam during the Cold War.)

Subsistence Agriculture

crops produced to feed the farmer and his or her family

Total fertility rate

the average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years

Eat-local

the movement to eat locally sourced food to conserve fossil fuels

Von Thunen’s Model

labor-intensive crops, controlled forest, extensive labor crops, grazing animals - all about transportation and land costs

Central Place Theory

explains the location of services based on range and threshold

Primate City

the largest settlement in the country, more than double the size of the next largest city

Edge City

usually on the fringes of a city, home to retail, business, or commercial activities

Gentrification

revitalization of depressed areas in a city, boosting land value but potentially displacing lower-income individuals

Gravity Model

the interaction between two places based on size and distance

Core-Periphery Model

the core relies on the periphery for natural resources, with core regions more developed

Complementarities

when two countries' import and export needs match

Quaternary

the part of the tertiary sector dealing with the collection and processing of information

Bulk Reducing Industry

final product lighter than inputs, located near inputs (e.g., metal smelting)

Agglomeration

companies in the same industry locating near each other to lower costs