AP HG Unit 1 Thorough

Space

An abstract concept that refers to the geometric surface of the Earth

Thinking spatially

understanding the pattern and distribution of objects and analyzing their relationships, connectedness, movement, growth, and change across space and over time

activity space

an area wherein activity occurs on a daily basis

place

an area of bounded space of some human importance

sense of place

When a place is distinct and can easily be identified for its uniqueness (distinguishable place)

toponym

the place-name of a location that reveals its geographic or historical significance (has a meaning behind the name)

regions

a type of place, and there are other categories of places, such as urban places, places of work, resource locations, and transportation nodes

sequent occupancy

the succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a place’s history (a place with historical layers) (ex. the place specificity of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a complex mix of Indigenous, Spanish colonial, and modern American influences based upon the sequence of past and current societal developments)

Scale

relationship of an object or place to the Earth as a whole.

map scale

describes the ratio of distance on a map to distance in the real world in absolute terms

What is relative scale (scale of analysis)?

The level of aggregation or the level at which you group things for examination (e.g., individual, local, city, state, national, global).

Why is relative scale important in geographic analysis?

Because comparing data across different scales can lead to incorrect assumptions (e.g., assuming Atlanta represents all of Georgia).

What is meant by the term “glocal”?

A concept combining global and local scales, emphasizing the importance of both.

What are scale modifiers?

Terms that specify the level of scale, such as transnational corporation vs. local business or federal regulation vs. local government.

How can using scale modifiers help on the AP Human Geography exam?

They can earn you points in the free-response section by providing specific detail or example material.

What are the three main types of regions?

Formal, functional, and vernacular.

What is a formal region?

An area with at least one homogeneous characteristic or uniformity throughout (e.g., a common language).

Give an example of a formal region.

A linguistic region like English-speaking countries (e.g., U.S. and Australia).

Why can regional boundaries be hard to define in culture(type of peripheral) regions?

Because culture regions have "fuzzy" borders where it's unclear where one ends and another begins.

What kind of boundaries do political regions have?

Finite and well-defined (e.g., U.S.-Canada porous border, U.S.-Mexico protected border).

What are environmental region boundaries like?

Transitional and measurable, such as ecotones between biomes.

What is an ecotone?

A transitional zone between two different biomes or environmental regions.

What is an example of an ecotone?

The Sahel, a dry grassland between the Sahara Desert and African tropical savanna.

What is a functional region (or nodal region)?

An area with a central place (node) that serves a practical purpose; influence is strongest near the center and weakens with distance.

Give an example of a functional region.

A sports team's fan base or a city's media coverage area—stronger near the city, weaker further away.

What geographic concept explains the weakening of influence in functional regions?

Distance decay.

How does an outlet mall demonstrate functional region concepts?

It draws mostly local shoppers, but also attracts distant shoppers less frequently due to distance decay.

What is an intervening opportunity?

A nearer attraction that takes precedence over a more distant one, affecting travel or activity patterns.

What is a vernacular region?

A region based on people’s perceptions or mental maps, often shaped by culture, identity, or common understanding.

Give an example of a vernacular region.

The American South (or "Dixie") defined by accents, music, religion, Civil War history, or cultural traits.

Why should we be careful when defining vernacular regions?

Because perceptions vary widely and certain traits may be found in unexpected places (e.g., country music in Canada).

What is absolute location?

The fixed location of a place using coordinates like latitude and longitude.

What is relative location?

A place’s location described in relation to other places or features.

How is latitude defined?

Lines measuring degrees north or south of the Equator (think “latitude = ladder”).

How is longitude defined?

Lines measuring degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian (think of how “long” the ladder is).

What is the proper format for absolute location coordinates?

Latitude first, then longitude; both with cardinal directions (e.g., 38° 53′ 23″ N, 77° 0′ 32″ W).

What is decimal degrees?

A coordinate system that divides degrees into decimal points instead of minutes and seconds.

Where is 0° latitude and what are its key reference points?

The Equator (0°), with the North and South Poles at 90° latitude.

Where is 0° longitude and why does it run through Great Britain?

It runs through Greenwich, London; established by the British due to maritime innovations and international agreement in 1884.

What is the International Date Line?

An irregular line around 180° longitude where the date changes by one day when crossed.

How are time zones determined?

Generally by 15° longitudinal intervals, based on Earth’s 360° rotation divided by 24 hours.

Why does China have only one time zone?

For political and practical reasons, the entire country follows a single time zone.

What is the relationship between time zones and political boundaries?

Time zone boundaries often follow political or local area lines for practical governance.

How does relative location add value to a place?

It can increase a place’s importance, such as Dublin's proximity to the U.K. making it a business hub in the 1990s.

What is site?

The physical characteristics of a place (e.g., NYC has a deep water harbor by the Atlantic Ocean).

What is situation?

A place's relationship and interrelatedness with other places (e.g., NYC's trade connections via the Hudson River).

What is linear absolute distance?

The distance between two places measured in standard units like miles or kilometers.

What is distance decay?

The principle that interaction decreases as distance from the origin increases.

What is Tobler’s Law?

“Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.”

What is friction of distance?

The increased time and cost of interaction over long distances that can reduce interaction.

What is space-time compression?

The reduction of time and relative distance due to technology, leading to increased interaction.

What is human-environmental interaction?

The relationship between humans and their environment, including impacts like resource use and sustainability.

What is a central place?

A node of human activity, usually an economic center located at a transportation hub.

What is central place theory?

A model developed by Walter Christaller in the 1930s to explain the distribution of cities and services in hexagonal market areas.

What is a core-periphery relationship?

A spatial relationship where one area (core) is dominant and surrounded by less influential areas (periphery).

What is an example of a core-periphery relationship?

The Mormon cultural core in Salt Lake City vs. the peripheral LDS areas in surrounding states.

What is a spatial pattern?

The arrangement or distribution of objects on Earth's surface.

What is clustering?

When things are grouped together in one area.

What is agglomeration?

Purposeful clustering around a central point, such as an economic hub.

What is a random pattern?

A distribution with no discernible order or logic.

What is a scattered pattern?

Objects that appear disorganized even though they may have an underlying pattern.

What is a linear pattern?

A spatial pattern that forms a straight line.

What is a sinuous pattern?

A wavy spatial pattern, like a heartbeat on an EKG.

What is the metes and bounds system?

A land division method using natural features, common in eastern U.S. before the 1830s.

What is the township and range system?

A rectilinear land survey system based on latitude and longitude, used in much of the western U.S.

What is the long-lot system?

A land division method with narrow lots along roads or rivers, used in French colonial areas like Québec and Louisiana.

What is arithmetic density?

The number of things per unit of land area (e.g., Starbucks per square mile).

What is physiologic density?

The number of people per unit of arable (farmable) land.

What is agricultural density?

The number of farmers per unit of arable land.

What is a hearth in geography?

The origin point of an idea, innovation, or cultural trait.

What is expansion diffusion?

A diffusion pattern where an idea spreads outward from the origin in all directions.

What is hierarchical diffusion?

An idea spreading from larger to smaller places in a ranked order.

What is contagious diffusion?

A diffusion pattern that spreads rapidly to nearby places, often via transportation lines.

What is stimulus diffusion?

When a general idea spreads and inspires new innovations or adaptations (e.g., vegetarianism influencing menus).

What is relocation diffusion?

A diffusion pattern where something spreads across a physical barrier and takes root in a new location.

Why are maps important to geographers?

Maps are a key geographic tool for spatial analysis and differentiate geography from other social sciences.

What is spatial analysis?

The mathematical study of geographic patterns and relationships.

What is a topographic map?

A map that shows elevation (contour lines), urban areas, roads, rivers, and other landscape features with high accuracy.

What is a thematic map?

A map focused on a particular subject or theme, like population or weather patterns.

What is a choropleth map?

A thematic map that uses color variations to show the geographic distribution of a variable.

What is an isoline map?

A map that uses continuous lines to show equal values, such as temperature (isotherms).

What is a dot density map?

A map where dots represent volume or frequency of a variable, such as population or events.

What is a flow-line map?

A map that uses lines of varying thickness to show movement patterns and volume between places.

What is a cartogram?

A map that distorts shape and size to represent data, often used in subway maps or for population.

What is a mental map?

A person's internal, cognitive image of a geographic area based on personal experience.

What is map scale?

The relationship between distance on a map and distance in the real world.

What is a linear map scale?

A scale shown on the map as a bar or line that represents actual distances.

What is a ratio map scale?

A numerical comparison of map distance to real-world distance (e.g., 1:24,000).

What is a large-scale map?

A map with a small area and high detail, such as a city map (e.g., 1:50,000).

What is a small-scale map?

A map with a large area and low detail, such as a country or world map (e.g., 1:1,000,000).

What is a map projection?

A method for representing the curved Earth on a flat map, which always involves some distortion.

What is an equal-area projection?

A map projection that preserves area but distorts shape (e.g., Lambert projection).

What is a conformal projection?

A projection that preserves shape but distorts area (e.g., Mercator projection).

What are compromise projections?

Maps that balance distortion of shape and area (e.g., Robinson and Goode’s homolosine).

What is a model in geography?

An abstract representation of real-world phenomena that identifies general spatial patterns.

What is a spatial model?

A model showing patterns that are similar across different locations, like urban structure.

What is a non-spatial model?

A model that uses data to show change or patterns without spatial references (e.g., demographic transition model).

Why do geographers use models?

To visualize patterns, test theories, and generalize geographic relationships not visible on maps.

What is the bid-rent curve?

A graph that explains why land value and rent increase closer to the central business district (CBD).

What is the gravity model in geography?

A mathematical model that estimates interaction between two places using population size and distance.