APHuG: Unit 1 Vocabulary

Spatial Perspective

a geographic outlook that seeks to identify and explain the uses of space

Spatial Patterns

the placement or arrangement of objects on Earth's surface; also includes the space between those objects

Time-Distance Decay

Also known as the "first law of geography"; the idea that near things are more related than distant things, and interaction between two places decreases the farther apart they are

Map Scale

the distance on a map in relation to distance in actual space; for example, 1 inch on a map might indicate a distance of 100 miles

Scale

The territorial extent of an idea or object

Absolute Distance

the distance that can be measured with a standard unit of length, such as a foot, yard, mile, or kilometer

Relative Distance

a measurement of the level of social, cultural, or economic similarity between places despite their absolute distance from each other

Topographic Map

a graphic representation of the three-dimensional configuration of Earth's surface

Reference Map

a map that shows geographic locations on Earth's surface, such as locations of cities or oceans

Thematic Map

a map that emphasizes the spatial patterns of geographic statistics or attributes, and sometimes the relationships between them

Choropleth Map

a thematic map that shows data aggregated for a specific geographic area, often using different colors to represent different values

Cartogram

a map that distorts the geographic shape of an area in order to show the size of a specific variable; the larger the area on a blank, the larger the value of the underlying variable

Proportional/Graduated Circle Map

a map that uses symbols (such as circles or dots) of different sizes to represent numerical values

Dot Density/Distribution Map

a map that uses dots to represent objects or counts; the dot can represent one object (a one-to-one blank map), or it can represent a number of objects (a one-to-one many blank map)

Map Projection

a method for representing the surface of Earth or a celestial sphere on a plane (two-dimensional) surface; all map projections distort some aspect of Earth's surface

Latitude (lines)

the (invisible) horizontal lines circling Earth parallel to the equator; blank is the degree of distance north or south from the equator, which is at 0 degrees, as far as the poles, which are at 90 degrees

Longitude (lines)

The (invisible) vertical lines on Earth's surface that mark imaginary circles connecting the North Pole with the South Pole

Prime Meridian

the zero-degree longitude line that runs through Greenwich, England; also known as the Greenwich blank

Global Positioning System (GPS)

a system of 24 satellites that orbit Earth twice daily and transmit radio signals Earthward; the basis for many map-based apps that provide directions on how to get from one place to another

Geographic Information System (GIS)

a software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface; allows the rapid manipulation of geospatial data for problem-solving and research

Space

the areas we occupy as humans; it has no value until the people who occupy it make it their own

Place

how we modify space based on who we are as a group of people

Cultural Landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create in inhabiting Earth — farm fields, cities, houses, and so on — and the meaning, values, representations, and experiences associated with those forms

Time-Space Compression

the decreasing distance between places, as measured by travel time or cost; often summarized by the phrase "the world is shrinking"

Ecosystem

a territorially bounded system consisting of the interaction between humans and the environment

Natural Resources

materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain

Nonrenewable Resources

natural resources that are available on Earth in finite quantities and will eventually be used up

Renewable Resources

natural resources that Earth will naturally replenish over time

Environmental Determinism

the belief that the physical environment is the dominant force shaping cultures and that humanity is a passive product of its physical surroundings

Global Scale Analysis

geographic scale that looks at geographic phenomena across the entire world

Regional Scale Analysis

geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a particular region

National Scale Analysis

geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a specific country

Local Scale Analysis

geographic scale that identifies and analyzes geographic phenomena within a state or province, a city or town, or a neighborhood

Region

a geographical unit based on one or more common characteristics or functions

Formal Region

a geographical area inhabited by people who have one or more traits in common

Functional Region

a geographic area that has been organized to function politically, socially, culturally, or economically as one unit