Unit 1: Thinking Geographically (copy)

Place

An area of bounded space of human importance.

Activity Space

The area where daily activities occur.

Regions

Areas categorized based on common characteristics, including formal, functional, and vernacular regions.

Scale

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

Sequent Occupancy

The succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a place’s history.

Absolute Location

The exact position of a place using coordinates like latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to another known place or geographic feature.

Distance Decay

The principle that the farther away different places are, the less likely interaction will occur.

Central Place

A node of human activity that serves as a center for economic exchange.

Hearth

The point of origin or place of innovation for human phenomena.

Expansion Diffusion

A pattern where phenomena originates in a central place and expands outward.

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses color variations to express geographic variability of a theme.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A system that incorporates data layers for spatial analysis and mapping.

Gravity Model

A mathematical model used to calculate transportation flow between two points.

Ecotone

The environmental transition zone between two bioregions.

Friction of Distance

The inhibiting effect of distance on interaction between two places.

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of the physical environment in a person's mind.

Dot Density Map

A map that uses dots to represent the volume and density of a geographic feature.

Robinson Projection

A map projection that balances area and shape for a visually practical representation.

Mental Map

A cognitive image of the landscape as perceived by a person.

Formal Region

An area with a homogeneous characteristic, like a common language.

Functional Region

An area defined by a central node or focal point with practical purpose.

Vernacular Region

A region based on the perception or collective mental map of its residents.

Arithmetic Density

The number of things per square unit of distance.

Physiologic Density

The number of people per unit of arable land.

CDB (Central Business District)

The core area of urban landscape, containing major economic activity.

Lande Survey Patterns

Methods used for dividing land which affect property lines and political boundaries.

Time Zones

Divisions of the Earth into regions that share the same time, typically 15 degrees apart.