Unit 1 Geography Vocabulary (me

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the Unit 1 list.

Movement

The mobility of people, goods, and ideas across the surface of the Earth.

Location

The geographical position of anything on Earth's surface.

Cultural Ecology

How human culture and the natural environment interact and shape each other

Region

An area Earth distinguished by a distinctive combination of cultural and physical features.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by particular human and physical characteristics.

GIS

Geographic Information System; a computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

GPS

Global Positioning System; a system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

Remote sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or from other long-distance methods.

The Census

An official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals.

Absolute Distance

The exact spatial distance between two points measured using a standard unit of length, such as miles or kilometers.

Relative Distance

A measure of distance that includes the spatial interaction between two points using time, cost, or social/cultural factors instead of absolute distance.

Site

The physical character of a place, including factors such as climate, topography, vegetation, and elevation.

Situation

The location of a place relative to another place.

Absolute location

The exact position of a place on Earth's surface, often defined by coordinates such as latitude and longitude.

Relative location

The regional position or situation of a place relative to the position of other places.

Hierarchical diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places.

Contagious diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population.

Relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend through physical movement of people from one place to another.

Stimulus diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend that changes and adapts based on culture and people in a certain place

Function Region

An area organized around a node or focal point.

Perceptual Region

An area defined by people shared feelings, opinions and cultural identity rather than official borders and data

Formal Region

An area in which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.

Choropleth map

A thematic map that uses tones or colors to represent specific quantitative data about specific places

Cartogram

A map that changes the physical size of countries to show data such as population, wealth instead of true land size

Cultural Landscape

Visible imprint of human activity and culture on earth surface like building bridges or cutting down trees to build a house

Time-Space compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.

Distance Decay

The further away something else the less connected and intractable it is

Determinism

The view that the physical environment sets limits on human environment, culture, and social development.

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.

Spatial distribution

The arrangement of phenomena on the Earth's surface.

Clustered

A spatial pattern where objects are grouped together or concentrated in a specific area.

Dispersed

A spatial pattern where objects are scattered or spread out relatively far apart over an area.

Thematic map

A map designed to show a specific theme or spatial pattern connected to a particular geographic area.

Reference map

A map that shows the geographic locations of features such as rivers, boundaries, roads, and cities.