AP Human Geo Crash Course

there is a good chance I might be something called "cooked"

Toponym

Name (ex, Boring, Accident, Los Angeles)

Absolute Location

Coordinates

Situation

Relation to landmarks and street names

Site

Buildings, beliefs, sights, sounds, tastes, celebrations that can define a place

Physical features (?)

Landmarks and natural features

Cultural features

Social practices, norms, and common sights (?)

Region Definition

Area of shared unique characteristics

Formal region

defined by clear, distinct boundaries and uniform characteristics.

Functional region

defined by a central point and the surrounding areas affected by it.

Vernacular region

an area defined by people's perceptions or collective identities, often informal and lacking precise boundaries.

Reference Maps

maps that show locations of places and geographic features using symbols and labels.

Thematic Maps

maps that focus on specific themes or subjects, such as population density, climate, or economic activity, rather than geographic location.

Cloropleth Maps

thematic maps that use color or shading to represent data values across geographic areas.

Cartogram Maps

Thematic maps that use space on a map to display the degree of variables

Dot Distribution Maps

Shows patterns with dots (ex. 1 dot represents 100 people)

Graduated Symbol

Classifies data in ranges, assigning a shape size to a range

Isoline/Isopleth Maps

Uses lines on maps to connect points/places where the value of that variable shown is of equal value, typically used for weather/topography

Large-scale maps

Small area, but with more detail

Small-scale

Bigger area, more detail

Issues w/ Map Projection

Uses a curved surface on flat paper, must show everything even though there will be inevitable cutoffs and distortion

Mercator Projection

Accurate direction, shapes around the poles are enlarged, distance is only true around the equator

Homolosine

Direction is true along the parallels, loss of distance accuracy

Gall-Peters

Equal size on the globe is equally sized on the map, extreme distortion in polar regions and along the equator

Why do map projections matter?

Some maps distort certain countries to make them look more bigger/relevant

Friction of Distance

Increased distance leads to increased interference

Distance Decay

Friction of Distance leads to decreased contact

Space-Time Compression

Reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place, connections have reduced distance

Diffusion

Space-Time Compression leads to new ideas + objects, which leads to change

Contagious Diffusion

Spreads in waves outward

Hierarchial Diffusion

Spread from those in power to others

Stimulus Diffusion

Spreads, not in original form, and there are different versions of the diffused concept/thing

Relocation Diffusion

Spreads due to relocation/colonization

Placelessness

Place loses uniqueness

Global vs Local

Diffusion leads to loss of local character, and there is tension between traditional culture and newly adopted ideas