APHUG Units 1-7 Vocab

absolute location

The precise point on Earth’s surface

Core

The countries with the most power, wealth, and technologies

Density

The number of something within a given space

distance decay

The distance between two things increases while connection decreases

Distribute

The organization of humans, cultures, and resources around the world

ecological perspective

How humans and the environment interact and connect

environmental determinism

Theory that states human behavior and development depend on climate and geography

Flow

The movement and change of people, ideas, and others, including diseases

formal region

Areas with physical and cultural consistencies

friction of distance

To get from one point to another takes time, energy, and cost

functional region

Area made around a point of transportation or communication

Globalization

How economies, cultures, ideas, and more spread around the world

human geography

The study of human societies and their interactions with their environment

Location

A position on Earth’s surface

mental map

A nonphysical map created in your mind which gives you a general idea of where you are

Model

A representation of something in reality

Node

A point of transportation, communication, or commerce

Pattern

The arrangement of humans and societies across regions

perceptual region

Areas defined by people’s feelings, mental maps, and beliefs rather than formal criteria

Periphery

Less developed regions that are dependent on core and semi-periphery regions

physical geography

The study of the Earth’s features and processes

Place

An area with unique characteristics

Possibilism

A theory where humans can adapt to overcome hardships and limitations

Region

An area with unique characteristics that differentiate it from surrounding areas

relative location

A position of a place described using other places and directions

Scale

The amount of detail of an area being studied

Semi-periphery

The middle between periphery and core

Site

A specific place using topography, climate, and vegetation

Situation

A location in relation to human and surrounding features

Space

The gap between two or more things

spatial perspective

How and why things are where they are

Sustainability

Conserving resources for future generations

sustainable development

Not overusing resources so future generations are not affected

Theory

An explanation of patterns and relationships

time-space compression

How two places are becoming less distant because of technology

vernacular region

An area defined by people’s culture, sense of place, and mental maps

world system

Countries divided by power, wealth, and technology into core, semi-periphery, and periphery

absolute distance

The exact distance using units of measurement

absolute direction

The exact direction using the compass rose

Cartographer

A person who studies and draws maps

Census

An official count of population

geographic information systems (GIS)

A system that collects data to visualize over reference maps

global positioning system (GPS)

A system that shows your exact location using satellites

map scale

Distance on the map corresponding to the ground

Quantitative

Can be expressed in numbers

Qualitative

Expressed in feelings and thoughts

reference map

A map that shows general locations

relative distance

Distance between two things using factors beyond measurement

relative direction

Describes direction using words like left, right, up, down, forward, and backward

remote sensing

Getting information without physically being there

thematic map

A map that displays specific data

Topography

The land surface

Agricultural density

The number of farmers divided by total arable land

arable land

Land capable of growing crops

arithmetic density

Total number of people divided by total land area

carrying capacity

The maximum number of people a region can support before environmental degradation

Climate

The long-term average weather pattern in a region

crude birth rate (CBR)

Births per 1,000 people

crude death rate (CDR)

Deaths per 1,000 people

Demographics

Statistical data relating to a population

dependency ratio

The number of dependents divided by the working population

Dispersed

Spread out

Fertility

The likelihood of having children

human migration

Movement of people from one place to another without plans to return

infant mortality rate (IMR)

Deaths per 1,000 infants under age one

Landform

Natural physical features of the Earth

life expectancy

Average number of years a person is expected to live

Mortality

Deaths within a population

physiological density

Population divided by arable land

population density

People per unit of land area

population distribution

Pattern of where people live

population pyramid

A chart showing age and sex distribution

sex ratio

Number of males per 100 females

Subsistence agriculture

Farming for personal or family consumption

temperate climate

Mid-latitude climate with moderate temperatures and precipitation

total fertility rate (TFR)

Average number of children per woman

Antinatalist

Belief that having children is morally wrong

demographic transition model (DTM)

Model showing population change over time

doubling time

Time it takes for a population to double

epidemiological transition model (ETM)

Model showing changes in causes of death

land degradation

Deterioration of land so it cannot support life

Neo-Malthusian

Supporter of Malthus’ theory

Overpopulation

Population exceeding the land’s carrying capacity

Pronatalist

Supporting higher birth rates

rate of natural increase (RNI)

Difference between birth and death rates

Urbanization

Movement of people to cities

Asylum

Protection granted to refugees

brain drain

Loss of skilled workers leaving a country

chain migration

Migration based on family or community ties

Circular migration

Repeated movement between home and host countries

Circulation

Short-term repetitive movement

Emigration

Leaving a country

forced migration

Migration due to force like conflict or disasters

gravity model

Model predicting interaction between places

guest workers

Temporary foreign workers

Immigration

Entering another country

internal migration

Movement within a country

Internally displaced persons

People forced to move within their country

interregional migration

Movement between regions

intervening obstacle

Barrier that hinders migration