AP Human Geography - Unit 1

sequent occupance

the idea that successive societies leave their cultural impact on a place, contributing to a cumulative cultural landscape

cultural landscape

terraforming/the transformation of a natural landscape by a cultural group

relocation diffusion

the spread of ideas through the movement of people

expansion diffusion

the spread of an idea that continuously evolves

hierarchical diffusion

• type of expansion diffusion
• the spread of an idea through powerful/influential people

contagious diffusion

• type of expansion diffusion
• the rapid spread of ideas through a population

stimulus diffusion

• type of expansion diffusion
• the spread of an underlying principle, even if certain characteristics change

time-space compression

a reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something bc of improved communications and transportation systems

absolute location

• the exact location of a place (often expressed through latitude and longitude)
• fixed, does not change

relative location

the location of a place expressed through relation to other places

distribution

the arrangement of features in a space

environmental determinism

theory that environment plays a decisive role in human behaviors and social/cultural development

site

the features of a location

situation

• where a city is, in relation to surrounding features
• “greater regional framework in which the city finds itself”

possibilism

the theory that physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the agency to adjust

formal region

an area defined by one prominent characteristic

functional/nodal region

area organized around central focal point (or node)

perceptual/vernacular region

an area that people deem part of their cultural identity

spatial interaction

flow of information, products, people from one location to another

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

• software tools that allow users to map, analyze, visualize spatial data
• allows for analysis in context of location

Global Positioning System (GPS)

satellite-based navigation system

latitude

a measure of location expressed in degrees north or south of the equator

longitude

a measure of location expressed in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian

cartogram

maps in which size is distorted to convey information

dot map

map that illustrates presence of a variable through dot density

choropleth

map with color gradient displaying data

isoline

map that joins places of equal value (ex. topographic that shows elevation gradient.)

proportional symbols map

map with symbols that vary in size to represent a variable