AP Human Geo vocab words

Distance decay

the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases

Absolute distance

describing how far a distance is quantitative units of distance (miles, kilometers, etc.)

Projection

a method of taking a 3D object and putting in on a 2D plane

Reference Map

maps that emphasizes the location of places (without data attached)

Spatial distribution

arrangement of a phenomenon across the Earth's surface

Relative distance

describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (one hour north of)

Spatial Interaction

the flow of goods, people, or information among places, in response to localized supply and demand

Thematic maps

a map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location

Case study

detailed observations that provide insight into a group of people in a specific area

Census

an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10 years)

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

software that captures, manages, analyzes, and displays data that is collected geographically

GPS (Global Positioning System)

a system that measures distance from a series of satellites to determine location on the planet

Qualitative data

subjective information that is opinion based, is usually descriptive, and often expressed as text

Quantitative data

objective data that is fact based, usually measurable and usually expressed in numbers

Remote sensing

the science of making measurements of the earth using sensors on airplanes or satellites

Geospatial

relating to data that is specific to one location

Absolute location

describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system

Distance decay

the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases

Friction of distance

a metaphor that explains that effort must be used to overcome distance

Relative location

describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark