unit 1 hgap

Absolute direction

A precise direction based on the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.

Relative direction

A direction described in relation to another location, such as 'west of the school.'

Absolute distance

The exact distance between two places, usually measured in units such as miles or kilometers.

Relative distance

Distance measured by how much time, cost, or effort it takes to travel between places.

Absolute location

The exact position of a place, usually given by coordinates such as latitude and longitude.

Relative location

The location of a place in relation to other places or landmarks.

Cartography

The science and art of making maps.

Map projection

A method of representing Earth's curved surface on a flat map, which causes some distortion.

Mercator projection

A map projection that preserves direction and shape fairly well but exaggerates sizes near the poles.

Robinson projection

A map projection designed to make the entire world look visually balanced by reducing extreme distortion.

Homolosine projection

A projection that reduces distortion of area and shape by dividing the map into sections; often looks interrupted.

Map scale

The relationship between distance on a map and actual distance on Earth.

Graphic scale

A visual line on a map showing actual distances.

Representative fraction

A ratio showing map distance to real-world distance, such as 1:100,000.

Word statement

A written description of scale, such as '1 inch represents 10 miles.'

Reference map

Shows general geographic information, such as roads, cities, rivers, and borders.

Thematic map

Shows information about a particular topic or theme.

Physical map

Shows natural features such as mountains, rivers, and elevation.

Political map

Shows human-created boundaries such as countries, states, and cities.

Isoline map

Uses lines connecting places with the same value, such as elevation or temperature.

Choropleth map

Uses different colors or shading in areas to show data values.

Dot map

Uses dots to show the location or quantity of a particular phenomenon.

Graduated symbol map

Uses symbols of different sizes to represent different values.

Symbol map

Uses symbols to represent specific geographic features or data.

Cartogram

Distorts the size or shape of geographic areas based on a particular variable, such as population.

Mental map

A person's internal picture or understanding of a geographic area.

Census data

Information collected about a population, such as age, income, race, and population size.

Qualitative data

Non-numerical information describing characteristics, experiences, opinions, or observations.

Field observations/study

Information gathered by directly observing a place or people in the field.

Media reports

Information gathered from news, television, websites, or other media.

Personal interviews

Information collected by asking people questions directly.

Travel narratives

Written descriptions of places based on someone's travel experiences.

Photographic interpretation

Learning about a place by examining photographs and identifying geographic features.

Quantitative data

Numerical information that can be measured or counted.

Census

Numerical population information collected by a government.

Property values

Numerical information about how much properties are worth.

Tax rolls

Government records showing property values and taxes owed.

Climate

The long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.

Elevation

The height of a place above sea level.

Natural resources

Materials or substances from nature that humans use, such as water, forests, minerals, and fossil fuels.

Topography

The arrangement and shape of the physical features of Earth's surface, including mountains, valleys, and plains.

Land use

How humans use a particular piece of land, such as for farming, housing, industry, or recreation.

Cultural ecology

The study of how people and their cultures interact with and adapt to their environment.

Environmental determinism

The belief that the physical environment determines or strongly controls human behavior and culture.

Possibilism

The idea that the environment provides opportunities and limits, but humans choose how to use those opportunities.

Sustainability

Using resources in a way that meets current needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs.

Pattern

The arrangement of geographic features or phenomena across space.

Linear pattern

Features arranged in a line, often along a road, river, or coastline.

Centralized pattern

Features concentrated around a central point.

Random pattern

Features arranged without a clear or predictable pattern.

Clustering

The grouping of similar features or activities close together.

Concentration

The degree to which something is spread out or grouped together in an area.

Dispersal

The spreading of people or things over an area.

Distribution

The arrangement of a phenomenon across geographic space.

Place

A specific location that has physical and human characteristics that give it meaning.

Site

The physical characteristics of a location, such as climate, landforms, soil, and water.

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places and surrounding features.

Sense of place

The feelings, meanings, and connections people have toward a particular place.

Placelessness

The loss of a place's unique identity because similar businesses, buildings, landscapes, and cultures appear everywhere.

Space

The physical area or distance between locations and the way things are arranged across Earth's surface.

Spatial systems

Systems and technologies used to collect, analyze, and understand geographic information.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system used to collect, store, analyze, and display geographic data on maps.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A satellite-based system that determines the precise location of something on Earth.

Satellite imagery

Images of Earth's surface taken by satellites orbiting Earth.

Remote sensing

Collecting information about Earth's surface from a distance, usually using satellites or aircraft.

Region

An area of Earth that shares one or more characteristics.

Formal region

An area where everyone or everything shares a clearly defined characteristic.

Functional region

An area organized around a central point or node and connected through interactions.

Perceptual/vernacular region

An area people believe exists based on their opinions, feelings, or perceptions.

Diffusion

The spread of an idea, innovation, cultural trait, or phenomenon from one place to another.

Relocation diffusion

A cultural trait spreads because people physically move to a new location.

Hierarchical diffusion

An idea spreads from influential people or places to others.

Contagious diffusion

An idea spreads rapidly from person to person or place to place, similar to the spread of a disease.

Stimulus diffusion

An idea spreads but is changed or adapted to fit the new culture.

Distance decay

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

Time-space compression

The reduction in the time it takes to travel or communicate between places because of improved transportation and technology.

Globalization

The increasing connection and interaction between people, economies, cultures, and places around the world.

Cultural landscape

The visible features of an area that reflect human culture and activity.

Landscape analysis

Studying the visible features of a landscape to understand the human and physical processes that created it.

Scale

The level at which a geographic phenomenon is studied.

Local scale

A small area, such as a neighborhood or city.

Regional scale

A larger area containing multiple places that share characteristics.

National scale

An entire country.

Global scale

The entire world.

Location

The position of something on Earth's surface.

Natural resources

Useful materials and features provided by nature, such as water, soil, forests, minerals, and fossil fuels.