Geography Lecture Notes Flashcards: Maps, Spatial Concepts, Location & Scale, Regions & Place, Tools & Technology, and Human-Environment & Resources

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards covering map types and projections, spatial concepts and patterns, location, distance and scale, regions and place, tools, data and technology, and human-environment interactions as presented in the lecture notes.

Mercator Projection

A cylindrical map projection that preserves direction but distorts size, especially near the poles.

Goode-Homolosine Projection

A map projection that minimizes distortion for landmasses by using interruptions in the oceans.

Gall-Peters Projection

A cylindrical equal-area map projection that preserves size but distorts shape; also called the Peters Projection.

Robinson Projection

A map projection that balances size and shape distortion, often used for world maps.

Azimuthal Projection

A map projection that displays Earth’s surface as if projected onto a flat plane, usually tangent at one point (such as the poles), preserving directions from that point.

Conic Distribution

A spatial pattern in which phenomena are arranged in a cone-shaped or radiating form, often spreading outward from a central point and narrowing toward the edges.

Projections Distribution

How different map projections alter the representation of spatial distributions.

Topographic Maps

Maps that show elevation and landform details using contour lines.

Political Maps

Maps that show governmental boundaries of countries, states, and cities.

Physical Maps

Maps that show natural features such as mountains, rivers, and deserts.

Reference Maps

Maps that show general information about places, including physical and political features.

Road Maps

Maps that show highways, streets, and major transportation routes.

Dot Distribution Maps

Maps that use dots to represent the presence, quantity, or value of a phenomenon to show spatial patterns.

Isoline Maps

Maps that use continuous lines to connect points of equal value, such as elevation or temperature.

Graduated Symbols Map

A thematic map that uses symbols of varying sizes to represent data, grouped into categories so size changes in steps rather than continuously. (Example:

• Cities with population 0–1 million → small circle

• Cities with population 1–5 million → medium circle

• Cities with population 5+ million → large circle

• A city with 4.2 million and one with 1.3 million would both get the same size circle if they’re in the same category.)

Proportional Symbols Map

A thematic map where the size of symbols is directly proportional to the exact data value, changing continuously without grouping into categories.

Choropleth Maps

Thematic maps that use different colors or shading to represent data values in predefined areas.

Cartograms

Maps in which the size of an area is scaled according to a specific variable, such as population.

Phenomena

Any observable feature, pattern, or process on Earth’s surface that can be studied geographically, including physical, human, cultural, or economic examples.

Spatial Distribution

The arrangement of a phenomenon across Earth’s surface, including its location, pattern, and density. Answers “Where is it?” and “How spread out is it?”

Spatial Arrangement

The organization or layout of phenomena in space, focusing on the pattern they form and how features are positioned relative to each other. Answers “What shape or organization do they form?”

Spatial Patterns

The recurring arrangement or shape formed by the distribution of phenomena, such as clustered, dispersed, linear, or random arrangements.

Distribution

The arrangement of something across Earth's surface.

Pattern Distribution

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area.

Pattern

The repeated spatial arrangement of objects.

Random Distribution

The irregular and unpredictable arrangement of objects in space.

Clustered Distribution

A spatial pattern where objects are grouped closely together.

Dispersed Distribution

A spatial pattern in which objects are spread out over a wide area with large distances between them.

Circular Distribution

A spatial arrangement of phenomena in a roughly circular pattern, often around a central point.

Linear Distribution

Spatial arrangement of objects in a straight line, often along roads or rivers.

Geometric Distribution

Spatial arrangement of objects in regular shapes or patterns such as squares or triangles.

Flow

The movement of people, goods, ideas, or information between locations.

Connectivity

The degree of linkage between locations in a network, such as transportation or communication systems.

Spatial Interaction

The flow of goods, people, or ideas between locations.

Spatial Association

The relationship between the distribution of one feature and another feature.

Absolute Location

The precise position of a place on Earth, expressed in coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to other places.

Absolute Distance

The exact measurement of the physical space between two locations, usually in miles or kilometers.

Relative Distance

A measure of the social, cultural, or economic connections between two places, not just physical distance.

Friction of Distance

The idea that distance requires effort, time, or cost to overcome, which influences interactions between places.

Distance Decay

The decreasing interaction between two locations as the distance between them increases.

Time-Distance Decay

The combined effect of distance and time in reducing the likelihood of interaction.

Time-Space Compression

The reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place due to improved communication and transportation.

Geographic Scale

The level at which geographic data is analyzed, ranging from global to local.

Relative Scale

The level at which data is grouped or analyzed relative to other scales.

Scale

The relationship between the distance on a map and the actual distance on the ground.

Cartographic Scales

The relationship between distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground.

Scale of Analysis – Global

Analysis of patterns and processes at a worldwide scale.

Scale of Analysis – World Regional

Analysis of patterns and processes at a continental or subcontinental scale.

Scale of Analysis – National

Analysis of patterns and processes within a single country.

Scale of Analysis – National Region

Analysis at the subnational level, such as provinces or states.

Scale of Analysis – Local

Analysis of patterns and processes in a small geographic area such as a city or neighborhood.

Scale of Analysis – Sustainability

Examining environmental, social, and economic processes at various geographic scales to determine long-term viability.

Region

An area distinguished by unique physical and/or cultural features.

Formal Regions

Areas where everyone shares one or more distinctive characteristics, such as language or climate.

Uniform Regions

Another term for formal regions; areas where everyone shares one or more common characteristics.

Functional Regions

Areas organized around a central node or focal point, connected by transportation or communication systems.

Nodal Regions

Another term for functional regions; areas organized around a central node.

Perceptual Regions

Areas defined by people’s beliefs, feelings, or attitudes rather than formal boundaries.

Vernacular Regions

Areas perceived as distinct based on cultural identity and perception rather than formal criteria.

Homogeneous Regions

Another term for formal regions; areas where everyone shares a common characteristic.

Sub-Regions

Smaller divisions of regions that share some characteristics with the larger region but also have distinct features.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by particular characteristics.

Sense of Place

The feelings and meanings associated with a location.

Site

The physical characteristics of a place, such as climate and topography.

Situation

The location of a place in relation to its surrounding human and physical features, used to explain the place’s accessibility, connectivity, and importance.

Toponyms

The names given to places on Earth.

Landscape

The visible features of an area, including natural and human-made elements.

Landscape Analysis

The study of the visible features of an area to understand the processes shaping it.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that stores, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A satellite-based navigation system that determines absolute location.

Remote Sensing

The collection of data about Earth’s surface from satellites or aircraft.

Geospatial Data

Information about physical objects that can be represented by coordinates in a geographic system.

Spatial Data

Information about the location and shape of geographic features.

Field Data

Information collected directly from observations or measurements in the field.

Field Observation

The act of visiting a location to collect firsthand geographic data.

Fieldwork

The practice of collecting primary data on location through observation, interviews, or measurements.

Qualitative Data

Non-numerical information used to describe characteristics, such as interviews or photographs.

Quantitative Data

Numerical information used for statistical analysis.

Aerial Photography

The taking of photographs from aircraft or drones to capture images of Earth's surface.

Geo-Visualization

The use of maps and other visual tools to display and analyze geospatial data.

Graph

A diagram showing the relationship between two or more variables, often used in data analysis.