AP Human Geography Flashcards, test #1

unit 1-2 human geography population test

Human Geography

The study of how people organize themselves spatially culturally politically and economically and how they impact the natural environment

Physical Geography

The study of natural processes on Earth's surface including landforms climate plants and animals

Spatial Perspective

Refers to where things are located and why they are located there and how spatial relationships influence human behavior and interactions.

Ecological Perspective

Refers to the relationships between living things and their environment

Absolute Location

The exact position of an object using coordinates such as latitude and longitude

Relative Location

A description of where a place is in relation to other places or features

Site

The physical characteristics of a location such as landforms climate labor force and resources

Situation

The location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places through transportation routes political cultural and economic ties

Region

An area of Earth's surface with certain characteristics that make it distinct from other areas

Formal Region

An area defined by one or more shared traits that everyone within it has in common; example South Carolina or the Pan-Arab region

Functional (Nodal) Region

An area organized around a central node or point with a function that extends around it; example an airline's flight network or a metro business area

Perceptual (Vernacular) Region

A region defined by people's feelings or attitudes about an area rather than official boundaries; example "The South" or "The Bible Belt"

Scale (Map)

The mathematical relationship between distance on a map and distance in the real world

Scale of Analysis

The level at which geographic data is examined; ranges from global to national to regional to local

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Technology that captures stores organizes analyzes and displays geographic data in layers

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A satellite-based system used to determine precise location on Earth's surface

Map Projection

A method used to represent the round Earth on a flat two-dimensional map; all projections distort some part of reality

Mercator Projection

A map projection that preserves direction and shape but distorts size especially near the poles

Robinson Projection

A compromise map projection that reduces distortion of size and shape but is not perfectly accurate for either

Gall-Peters Projection

An equal-area map projection that preserves size accurately but distorts the shape of landmasses

Azimuthal Projection

A projection that accurately shows direction from a central point but distorts shape and distance the farther you get from that point

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses color or shading to represent data values across defined areas like states or countries

Dot Map

A thematic map that uses dots to show the location or occurrence of a specific phenomenon

Graduated Symbol Map

A thematic map that uses differently sized symbols to represent the magnitude of data at specific locations

Isoline Map

A thematic map that uses lines to connect points of equal value such as elevation or temperature

Cartogram

A thematic map where the size of areas is distorted based on a data value such as population instead of actual land area

Absolute Distance

Distance measured using a standard unit of length such as miles or kilometers

Relative Distance

Distance measured in terms of other criteria such as time or money required to travel between two places

Absolute Direction

Direction based on cardinal directions such as north south east and west

Relative Direction

Direction based on people's perceptions and expressed using terms like left right up down front and behind

Distance Decay

The idea that interaction between places decreases as the distance between them increases

Time-Space Compression

The shrinking of relative distance between places due to advances in transportation and communication technology

Friction of Distance

The idea that distance requires time effort and cost to overcome and greater distance means greater friction

Environmental Determinism

A discredited theory that argues the physical environment controls human behavior and cultural development

Possibilism

The theory that the environment sets limits on human actions but humans can adapt to and modify their environment

Sustainability

Using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Wallerstein's World Systems Theory

A theory that divides the world into three tiers - core semi-periphery and periphery - based on their role in the global economy

Core Countries

Wealthy powerful countries that dominate trade control finance and have strong infrastructure in the world economic system

Periphery Countries

Less developed countries that provide cheap labor and raw materials to core countries in the world economic system

Semi-Periphery Countries

Countries that share characteristics of both core and periphery countries and often serve as a buffer between the two

Globalization

The expansion of economic cultural and political processes and connections on a global scale

Population Distribution

The pattern of where people live across a given area

Clustered Distribution

A population pattern where people live close together in groups

Dispersed Distribution

A population pattern where people are spread out over a large area

Linear Distribution

A population pattern where people live along a line such as a coast river or road

Arithmetic Density

The total number of people divided by the total land area of a place

Physiological Density

The total population divided by the amount of arable (farmable) land

Agricultural Density

The number of farmers divided by the amount of arable land

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support

Overpopulation

A situation where a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The number of live births per 1000 people in a population per year

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The number of deaths per 1000 people in a population per year

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

The rate of population growth calculated as (CBR minus CDR) divided by 10 expressed as a percentage

Doubling Time

The number of years it takes for a population to double in size calculated as 70 divided by the NIR

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her childbearing years

Replacement Level Fertility

A TFR of about 2.1 which is the level needed to keep a population size constant over time

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The number of deaths of infants under age one per 1000 live births

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live in a given country or population

Sex Ratio

The number of males per 100 females in a population

Dependency Ratio

The number of dependents (under 15 and over 65) per 100 people in the working-age population

Population Pyramid

A graph showing the age and sex structure of a population using horizontal bars

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

A model showing how a country's birth rates death rates and natural increase rate change as it develops economically through five stages

DTM Stage 1

High Stationary - high birth rates and high death rates resulting in slow population growth

DTM Stage 2

Early Expanding - death rates drop rapidly due to improved healthcare while birth rates stay high causing rapid population growth

DTM Stage 3

Late Expanding - birth rates begin to decline while death rates continue to fall slowly causing growth to slow

DTM Stage 4

Low Stationary - both birth and death rates are low resulting in slow or stable population growth

DTM Stage 5

Declining - birth rates fall below death rates causing population decline

Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM)

A model describing the changing patterns of fertility mortality and disease as a population moves through the DTM

Malthusian Theory

Thomas Malthus's theory that population grows exponentially while food supply grows only arithmetically leading to eventual food shortages

Neo-Malthusian

Modern thinkers who agree with Malthus that population growth will outpace resources despite technological advances

Pronatalist Policy

A government policy designed to encourage higher birth rates such as financial incentives for having children

Antinatalist Policy

A government policy designed to discourage higher birth rates such as China's one-child policy

Push Factor

A reason that causes a person to leave their home location such as war persecution or a poor economy

Pull Factor

A reason that attracts a person to a new location such as jobs safety or a better climate

Voluntary Migration

Migration that occurs by choice often influenced by economic environmental or cultural factors

Forced Migration

Migration in which a person has no choice but to leave due to conflict political persecution or natural disaster

Internal Migration

Movement of people within the borders of a single country

International (Transnational) Migration

Movement of people across international borders from one country to another

Step Migration

Migration that occurs in a series of stages or shorter moves rather than one long move

Chain Migration

A pattern of migration where people move to a location because family or friends have already migrated there

Guest Workers

Migrants who temporarily live and work in another country before returning to their home country

Circular Migration

A repeated pattern of leaving and returning to an origin location such as with guest workers

Transhumance

The seasonal movement of livestock and the people who herd them between different pastures

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

A set of principles proposed in the 19th century describing patterns of migration such as most migrants moving short distances and being young adults

Gravity Model

A model that predicts the interaction between two places based on their population size and the distance between them

Intervening Obstacle

An environmental or cultural factor that hinders or prevents migration

Intervening Opportunity

A nearer and more attractive alternative destination that causes migrants to stop before reaching their original destination

Migration Selectivity

The idea that migrants are not a random sample of the origin population but often share certain traits like age or gender

Refugee

A person who is forced to flee their home country due to persecution war or disaster and crosses an international border

Asylum Seeker

A person seeking protection in another country who has not yet been officially granted refugee status

Internally Displaced Person (IDP)

A person forced to flee their home but who has not crossed an international border

Repatriate

To return refugees or migrants to their home country

Remittances

Money that migrants send back to family or their home country

Brain Drain

The loss of educated or skilled workers from a country due to emigration

Quotas (Immigration)

Numerical limits set by a country on the number of immigrants allowed to enter

Xenophobia

A dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries