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All definitions are from the AMSCO AP Human Geography book. Need an online version? Go to www.geauxhistory.com/library-aphug.html.
Ethnocentrism
Believe their own cultural group is more important and superior to other cultures.
Ex: The Americans are the best by screaming “USA! USA!”
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
Average number of children who would be born per woman of that group in a country, assuming every woman lived through their childbearing years. (15-49)
Ex: Japan’s TFR is 1.26.
Asylum Seekers
Immigrants that receive protection and special status from the government of a receiving country; not legally recognized as a refugee.
Environmental Determinism
The belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture.
Census Data & Demographics
A count of the population, every 10 years, to ensure congressional districts have about the same number of people. Helps determines the number of representatives in their state and showcases diversity.
Ex: Region 1 had a population of 50 ten years ago with half of the population being Asian 10 years later, region one now has a population of 150 with 50% being Hispanic.
Life Expectancy
Number of years a person is expected to live, factors include health, nutrition, etc.
Ex: The average life expectancy in the US is 77 years old.
Stimulus Diffusion
When an underlying idea from a culture hearth is adopted by another culture but the adopting group modifies or rejects ones trait.
Ex: McDonald’s in the US has real beef in their burger but India changes their burger to be vegetarian.
Relocation Diffusion
The spread of culture and/or cultural traits by people who migrate and carry their cultural traits with them.
Ex: Someone from the Philippines moved to the US and teaches their community about tinikling.
Hierarchical Diffusion
Spread of culture outward from the most interconnected places or from centers of wealth and influence.
Ex: A high end celebrity started a new fashion trend and now the rest of the population are trying it out.
Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion
A trait diffuses from a group of lower status to a group of higher status.
Ex: Someone who is lower middle class starts a new trend that the celebrities now want to try.
Population Pyramids
As known as age-sex composition graph, showcases age and gender data of population of a certain country.
It can be used for birth/death rates and more.
Ex: There are only a few people who are 90+ living in the U.S.
Cultural Landscape
A built environment that is built by humans and in the realm of land use.
Ex: An ancient ranch that was built in the 1800’s and is still there but not for use.
Intervening Opportunities
Migrants that encounter opportunities en route that disrupt their original migration plan.
Ex: A migrant discovers they can work their dream job but in a different country not for their intention.
Syncretism
The fusion or blending of two distinctive cultural traits into a unique new hybrid trait.
Ex: The Russian Orthodoxy
Acculturation
The ethnic or immigrant group moving to a new area adopts the values and practices of the larger group that has received them.
Ex: A family from the Philippines moves to the U.S and adopts the American value of privacy.
Cultural Trait
Visible and invisible elements that make up ones culture.
Ex: Women wearing a hijab to showcase it is a part of their culture.
Indigenous Populations
The population who have historical ties to a particular territory, often predating colonial/ outside influences. 250M - 600M worldwide.
Ex: The Native Americans who are barely given any US benefits despite living here first.
Contagious Diffusion
When a cultural trait spreads continuously outward from its hearth through contact among people.
Ex: Two people engage in conversation and explain each other’s cultural trait: wearing a hijab and games.
Relative Location
Description of where something is in relation to other things.
Ex: My house is just south of Summerlin and between a big park.
Ethnic Religion
Belief traditions that emphasize strong cultural characteristics among their followers; typically does not accept new followers.
Ex: Judaism constantly shares about the Star of David since their followers are mainly Jewish.
Universalizing Religion
Actively seeks converts to its faith regardless of their ethnic background; universal.
Ex: Christianity constantly seeks converts so they can teach their widespread beleifs.
Hearth
Where a religion or ethnicity began that later spreads.
Ex: The Middle East is where Judaism originated and officially began.
Colonialism
A particular type of imperialism in which people move into and settle on the land of another country.
Ex: Americans colonized the Native Americans land and called it theirs; we’re sitting on it right now,
Placemaking
The process of creating public spaces that contribute to people’s health, happiness and well-being.
Ex: The UnCommons here in LV is where people can work and enjoy delicious meals with an outdoor space to relax.
Aging Population
An increase of average ages within a population; usually due to longer life expectancies.
Ex: Japan’s 30% of its population is well over 60 years old.
One-child Policy
A policy in China where it only allowed couples to have one child due to China’s overpopulation.
A countries effects include: a change of dependency ratio and a downfall of economic workforce.
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
A computer system that can store, analyze and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets.
Ex: Google Earth showcases places around the world.
GPS (Global Positioning Systems)
A receiver on the earth’s surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location.
Ex: Apple Maps tells me which route is the fastest to go to my destination.
Popular Culture (Pop)
Cultural traits such as clothing, music, movies and types of businesses spread quickly over a large area and are adopted by various groups.
Ex: The rise of popularity of Daniel Caesar’s songs.
Indo-European [language family]
A large group of languages that might have descended from a language spoken around 6,000 years ago.
Ex: English comes from this exact family.
Buddhism
A religion from present-day Nepal that mainly focuses on teaching the causes of suffering by meditating; goal was to achieve enlightenment.
Christianity
A religion from Eastern Mediterranean and southwestern Asia that focuses on love, faith and peace; has a teacher name Jesus.
Also: is a universalizing religion that spread due to contagious, hierarchical, expansion & relocation diffusion.
Arabic
A semitic language that serves aa the liturgical language of Islam; spoken by millions of people across the Middle East & North Africa.
Also: originated in the Arabian Peninsula
Diffusion of Language
Through relocation and expansion diffusion, many places now have their own language; from the language of business to lingua francas.
Ex: The spread of Spanish was from colonization and religious missions.
Indigenous Boarding Schools
Schools where the Native Americans were forced to go in order to “fit in” with the American culture by washing their identities away.
The French: Language & Colonization
Language: comes from the Latin & Romance family; siblings with the Spanish language.
Colonization: led in the European colonialism, motivated by “God, gold, and glory" & established large empires in the Americas.
Wanted:
Religious influence; spreading their form of Christianity
Economic Wealth; exploiting land, labor and capital to enrich the country
Political Power; expanding their influence throughout the world.
Intraregional Migration Patterns in the 19th & 20th Centuries
Where people move within a region but from rural to urban areas and from cities to the suburbs.
Ex: I move from my LA apartment to my Houston ranch.
State-less Nation
A cultural majority group that has no independent political entity (aka no governing authority)
Ex: The Kurdistan people are spread over six states (countries) in SW Asia that amount to 25-30 million people.
Kurds
The largest stateless nation that pushes for their own independent country; spread over to Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria & Azerbaijan.
Continuum of Language Family to Dialect
The language family tree broken down into this:
F (family)
B (branches/ languages)
G (groups/ dialects
D (differentiations)
Folk Culture
Beliefs and practices of small, homogeneous groups of people, often living in rural areas that are relatively isolated and slow to change.
Ex: The Amish does not use any modern form of technology.
DTM (Demographic Transition Model)
Shows five typical stages of population change that countries experience as they modernize.
Stage 1: High Stationary; low and young population; high birth/ death rates, 0 - .5% natural increase
Stage 2: Early Expanding; high birth rates, declining death rates and rapid population growth, .5 - 4% natural increase
Stage 3: Late Expanding; decline in birth/death rates, rapid yet slow population change, rising life expectancy, 4 - .8% natural increase
Stage 4: Low Stationary; low but stable birth/ death rates, low population growth, .8 - 0% natural increase
Stage 5: Declining; low birth/ death rates, low population growth but highly developed
Creolization
Process through which new, mixed cultures emerge, leading to the blending of language, customs and traditions; occurs in diverse ethnic groups.
Ex: Haiti Creole; uses grammar from African languages and French vocab.
Religious Dietary Restrictions - Pork
Islamic people are restricted pork due to the fact it goes against their religious beliefs and laws.
Hierarchy of Political-Administrative Units
The hierarchy order of units from the most to the least amount of power.
Empire
Nation-state
Province
County
Largest Category of International Migrants
People fleeing armed conflict.
Region Types (Connectedness)
Formal (Uniform/Homogeneous) Regions - are united by having 1+ similar traits such as: political, physical, cultural and economic traits
Functional (Nodal) Regions - United by networks of communication, transportation & other interactions (the airport)
Perceptual (Vernacular) Regions - Defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them (the Midwest)
Density Types
Agricultural Density - ratio of farmers to the area of arable land.
Arithmetic Density - calculated by dividing a region’s population by its total area
Physiological Density - calculated by dividing population by the amount of arable land
Arable - land suited for growing crops
Hmong
Ethnic minority group form Laos; helped the US fight communism in Southeast Asia.
Multinational State
A country that contains more than one nation; one dominant nation controls most of the political power, smaller ones still can make an impact.
Ex: Canada mostly speaks English but 15% of the population speak French.
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