Unit 1 Vocab List (AP Human Geo)

Physical Geography

the study of spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment

Human Geography

the study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities

Analyze

to break down into parts and study each part carefully

Time-distance decay

things near each other are more closely connected or related than things that are far apart

Quantitative data

any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

Qualitative data

any information collected as interviews, photographs, remote satellite images, descriptions, or cartoons

Scales of analysis

how you look at topics atg the local, regional, country, or global scale

Small-scale map

shows a larger amount of area with less detail

Large-scale map

shows a smaller amount of area with a greater amount of detail

Absolute location

the precise spot where something is according to a system

Relative location

a description of where something is in relation to other things

Clustered distribution

distributions (phenomena) that are arranged in a group or concentrated area

Dispersed distribution

distributions (phenomena) that are spread out over a large area

Remote sensing

gathers information from satellites that orbit the earth or other craft above the atmosphere

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

GPS receivers on the earth’s surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets

Region

a group of places in the same area that share a characteristic

Site

the characteristics at the immediate location

Situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

Toponyms

place names that designate locations

Time-space compression

the shrinking “time distance” (relative distance) between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication

Spatial interaction

the contact, movement, and flow of things between locations

Friction of distance

when things are farther apart, they tend to be less connected

Distance decay

the concept of the inverse relationship between distance and connection

Sustainability

trying to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment

Built environment

the physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape

Cultural landscape

includes anything built by humans and is in the realm of land use

Environmental determinism

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture

Possibilism

a view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

Global scale

the entire world

National scale

one country

National regional scale

a portion of a country or a region(s) within a country

Local scale

a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood

Aggregation

when geographers organize data into different scales to allow the data to be more easily mapped or organized in a chart or graph

Formal regions

sometimes called uniform regions or homogeneous regions, they are united by one or more traits

Functional regions

regions organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity, usually political, social, or economic, that occurs across the region; nodal regions united by networks of communication, transportation, etc.

Perceptual regions

defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them; also known as vernacular regions, their boundaries vary widely from people’s different perceptions