HGAP U1

Geography

The study of the Earth's surface that has helped us survive throughout various surfaces.

Globalization

The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on a global scale.

Sustainability

A set of practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their needs.

Gender

How a society defines the differences between males & females.

Geography Literacy

a general understanding of the geographic forces at work in the world.

Map

A two-dimensional (flat) representation of a geographical area. They never represent every aspect of a place, so almost every place shown is solely represented by its characteristics.

Cartographer

A person who makes maps

Data Aggregation

The process of collecting and organizing large amounts of information

Spatial perspective

geographic outlook that seeks to identify and explain the uses of space

Spatial patterns

The placement or arrangement of objects on Earth's surface; also includes the space between those objects

Time-distance delay

Also known as the "first law of geography"; the idea that near things are more related than distant things, and interaction between two places decreases the farther apart they are

map symbols

Graphic elements that organize information on the map.

Compass Rose

A drawing, usually found on the edge of a map, showing the 4 cardinal directions and the map's orientation

Absolute Direction

Corresponds to the direction on a compass: north, south, east, west, and combinations such as northeast and southwest

Map scale

The distance on a map in relation to distance in actual space; for example, 1 inch on a map might indicate a distance of 100 miles

Legend

A key to the meaning of the symbols and colors on a map

Scale

The territorial extent of an idea or object. Smallest-scale map = global scale; Largest-scale map = local scale

Absolute distance

The distance that can be measured with a standard unit length, such as a mile or a kilometer.

Relative distance

A measurement of the level of social, cultural, or economic similarity between places, despite their absolute distance from each other

Relative direction

A direction that can be described as position, such as in front of or behind, to the left or to the right

Elevation

Distance above sea level, measured in feet or meters.

Topographic map

a graphic representation of the 3D configuration of Earth's surface

Reference Maps

A map that shows geographic locations on Earth's surface, such as the locations of cities or oceans.

Thematic maps

A map that emphasizes the spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes, and sometimes the relationships between them

Choropleth maps

A thematic map that shows data aggregated for a specific geographic area, often using different colors to represent different values.

Cartogram

A map that distorts the geographic shape of an area in order to show the size of a specific variable; the larger the area on a cartogram, the larger the value of the underlying variable

proportional/graduated circle map

A map that uses symbols (such as circles or dots) of different sizes to represent numerical values

Dot Density/Distribution Map

A thematic map type that uses dots to represent objects or counts, the dot can represent one object (a 1:1 dot density map), or it can represent a number of objects (a 1:1 many dot density map)

Map projection

A method for representing the surface of Earth or a celestial sphere on a plane (two-dimensional) surface; all map projections distort some aspect of Earth's surface

Mercator Projection

A map projection that is useful for navigation because the lines connecting points on the map represent the true compass direction; however, landmasses become increasingly distorted the farther away they are from the equator; most famous map

Peter's projection

A map projection that shows all landmasses with their true areas but distorts their shapes; tall

Goode Homolosine Projection

A projection that avoids shape distortion and the restrictions of a rectangular map by creating "interruptions" in the map's continuity; in each section, map projection regions are shown "equally", like an orange peel being laid out on a flat surface

Polar projection

A map projection that looks down at Earth from the perspective of one of the poles (North Pole or South Pole)

Robinson Projection

A projection that attempts to create the most visually appealing representation of Earth by keeping all types of distortion relatively low over most of the map; round-ish

Census

An official count or survey or population, typically recording various details about individuals, such as age, sex, and race. The Census Bureau collects data on the U.S. population every 10 yrs

Geospatial Technologies

equipment and software that are used to measure and analyze Earth's land and features

Fieldwork

Learning and doing research involving firsthand experience, which takes place outside the classroom setting

Absolute location

A precise position on Earth's surface.

Latitude

The (invisible) horizontal lines circling Earth parallel to the equator; latitude is the degree of distance north or south from the equator, which is at 0 degrees, as for the poles, which are at 90 degrees.

Longitude

The (invisible) vertical lines on Earth's surface that mark imaginary circles connecting the North Pole with the South Pole

Prime Meridian

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

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system of 24 satellites that orbit Earth twice daily and transmit radio signals Earthward; the basis for many map-based apps that provide directions on how to get from one place to another

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface; allows the rapid manipulation of geospatial data for problem-solving and research

Remote Sensing

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

Aerial Photography

Remote-sensing photography that produces fine-grained, high-resolution, highly detailed images

satellite imagery

Images of Earth's surface gathered from sensors on orbiting satellites

Relative location

The position of a place (or person) in relation to another place (or person)

Space

The areas we occupy as humans; it has no value until the people who occupy it make it their own

Place

How we modify space based on who we are as a group of people

Cultural landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create in inhabiting Earth — farm fields, cities, houses, and so on — and the meaning, values, representations, and experiences associated with those forms

Time-space compression

The decreasing distance between places, as measured by travel time or cost; often summarized by the phrase "the world is shrinking."

geographic processes

The physical and human forces that work together to form and transform the world

Diffusion

The pattern by which a phenomenon, such as the movement of people, or their ideas, technologies, or preferences, spreads from a particular location through time and space.

Independent Invention

Occurs when the same or a very similar innovation is developed at the same time in different places by different people working independently

Expansion diffusion

Occurs when ideas or practices spread throughout a population, from area to area, in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers or users and the areas of occurrence increase

Hierarchical Diffusion

Occurs when ideas leapfrog from one important person, community, or city to another, bypassing other persons, communities, or rural areas

reverse hierarchical diffusion

Occurs when ideas leapfrog from a lower level of a hierarchy to a higher level

Contagious Diffusion

The wavelike spread of ideas in the manner of a contagious disease or forest fire, moving throughout space without regard for hierarchy

Stimulus Diffusion

Occurs when a specific trait is rejected, but the underlying idea is accepted

Relocation Diffusion

Occurs when individuals or groups with a particular idea or practice migrate from one location to another, thereby bringing the idea or practice to their new homeland

friction of distance

The inhibiting effect of distance on the intensity and volume of most forms of human interaction; time-space compression diminishes friction of distance

Ecology

A biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment; the study of the structure and functions of nature.

Ecosystem

A territorially bounded system consisting of the interaction between humans and the environment

Environmental perception

The mental images that comprise humans' perception of nature; environmental perception may be accurate or inaccurate

Natural hazards

A physical danger present in the environment, such as a flood, hurricane, volcanic eruption, or earthquake

Tsunami

a huge ocean wave caused by a large volume of water, often caused by an earthquake

Greenhouse Gases

Compounds in the atmosphere from fossil-fuel combustion, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), that absorb and trap heat energy close to Earth's surface

Environmental Sustainability

A set of practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations' ability to meet their needs.

environmental determinism

The belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures and that humanity is a passive product of its physical surroundings

Possibilism

The belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome environmental challenges

Global scale

Geographic scale that looks at geographic phenomena across the entire world

Regional Scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a particular region

National Scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a specific country

Local scale analysis

Geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a state or province, a city or town, or a neighborhood

glocal perspective

Geographic perspective that acknowledges the two-way relationship between local communities and global patterns, emphasizing that the forces of globalization need to take into account local-scale cultural, economic, and environmental conditions

Formal region

A geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common

Border zone

A region where cultural markers overlap and blend into a recognizable border culture

Functional region

Also called a nodal region, a geographic area that has been organized to function properly, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit

metropolitan area

An area composed of a heavily populated urban core and its less populated surrounding areas

perceptual region (vernacular region)

A geographic area that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants, based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique regional name

Mental map

a personal representation of a portion of Earth's surface

Sense of place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it is important

Activity space

Where a person goes and what he/she does on a day-to-day basis (ex. school)

regional identity

The awareness of belonging to a group of people within a region

Contested Boundaries

Boundaries that are disputed for religious, political, or cultural reasons

Regional analysis

The process of examining patterns and processes within and between regions at multiple geographic scales (local, national, regional, and global)