AP Human Geography Semester 1 Final

absolute direction

Based on the cardinal points of north, south, east, and west

absolute distance

Exact measurement of the physical space between two places.

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates

concentration

The spread of something over a given area.

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population

density

the number of objects in a particular space

distance decay (friction of distance)

the effects of distance on interaction, generally the greater the distance the less interaction

distribution

the arrangement of a feature in space

environmental determinism

A doctrine that claims that cultural traits are formed and controlled by environmental conditions.

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature from one place to another in a snowballing process

formal region (uniform region)

An area that shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics

functional region

An area organized around a node or focal point

geographic information systems (GIS)

A set of computer tools used to capture, store, transform, analyze, and display geographic data.

globalization

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

global positioning system (GPS)

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

hierarchical diffusion

The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

landscape

visible features of an area of land

latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

map projection

a way of representing the spherical Earth on a flat surface

pattern

the geometric arrangement of objects in space

place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character.

possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.

prime meridian

The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

qualitative

Data in the form of recorded descriptions rather than numerical measurements.

quantitative

Data that is in numbers

reference map

Maps that show the absolute location of places and geographic features determined by a frame of reference, typically latitude and longitude

region

a geographic unit based on one or more common characteristics or functions

relative direction

Directions such as left, right, forward, backward, up, and down based on people's perception of places

relative distance

Approximate measurement of the physical space between two places.

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place

remote sensing

the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it.

resources

materials found in the earth that people need and value

site

The absolute location of a place, described by local relief, landforms, and other cultural or physical characteristics.

situation

the relative location of a place in relation to the physical and cultural characteristics of the larger regional or spatial system of which it is a part

spatial

pertaining to space on the Earth's surface

stimulus diffusion

Occurs when the innovative idea diffuses from its hearth outward, but the original idea is changed by the new adopters

sustainability

The use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future.

thematic map

a map that shows a particular theme, or topic

time-space compression (convergence)

the decreasing distance between places

toponym

the name given to a place on Earth

vernacular / perceptual region

a region based on the perception of a person of an area. This perception may not be agreed upon by everyone.

age distribution

Percentage of the total population, or the population of each sex, at each age level.

asylum seeker

a person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking safety in another

brain drain

the loss of highly educated and skilled workers to other countries

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

census

A complete enumeration of a population.

chain migration

The migration event in which individuals follow the migratory path of preceding friends or family members to an existing community.

demographic

relating to population

dependency ratio

The number of people under age 15 and over age 64 compared to the number of people active in the labor force

doubling time

the time required for a population to double in size

ecumene

The portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement.

epidemiology

Branch of medical science concerned with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that affect large numbers of people.

guest worker

a foreign laborer living and working temporarily in another country

internally displaced persons (IDP)

someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders

intervening obstacle

an environmental or cultural feature that hinders migration

life expectancy

The average number of years an individual can be expected to live, given current social, economic, and medical conditions. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live.

migration

movement of people from one place to another

natality

relating to birth statistics

overpopulation

The number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living.

push-pull factors

The push factor involves a force which acts to drive people away from a place and the pull factor is what draws them to a new location.

quotas

In reference to migration, laws that place maximum limits on the number of people who can immigrate to a country each year.

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI)

The percentage of annual growth in a population excluding migration.

refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster

sex ratio

the ratio of males to females in a population

transnational

extending or operating across national boundaries

transhumance

The seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures.

acculturation

an ethnic or immigrant group adopts some of the ways of the host culture

assimilation

an ethnic or immigrant group blends in with host culture and loses many culturally distinctive traits

animism

the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.

creole

A language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language

cultural convergence

cultures become more alike as their interactions increase

culture hearth

a center where cultures developed and from which ideas and traditions spread outward

cultural landscape

the visible imprint of human activity on the landscape

dialect

A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

ethnic cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society.

ethnic enclave

A place with a high concentration of an ethnic group that is distinct from those in the surrounding area

ethnic landscape

landscape affected and varied by the ethnic group living there

ethnic religion

religion that is identified with a particular ethnic or tribal group and that does not seek new converts

ethnocentrism

evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

hierarchical religion

A religion that has a well defined geographic structure that organizes territory into local administrative units.

indigenous

native to a certain area

isogloss

a line on a dialect map marking the boundary between linguistic features.

lingua franca

a language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce

material culture

tangible, physical items produced and used by members of a specific culture group and reflective of their traditions, lifestyles, and technologies

monotheism

belief in only one god

nonmaterial culture

The beliefs, practices, aesthetics, and values of a group of people.

pidgin

A form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.

placemaking

Cultures make place fit their identity, portray value in a landscape, and build things in a landscape to show what they believe and value

polytheism

belief in more than one god

sequent occupance

the notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape

syncretism

a blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith

theocracy

government run by religious leaders

universalizing religion

faiths that claim applicability to all humans and that seek to transmit their beliefs through missionary work and conversion