AP Geography Vocab 1a

Globalization

The expansion of economic, cultural, and political processes on a global scale so that they become international in scale and impact.

Diffusion

The spatial spreading or scattering of a culture trait, idea, or disease from a central point (hearth) to other locations.

Culture Hearth

The area/region from which innovative ideas, culture traits, and advanced technologies originate and spread outward.

Absolute Location

The exact, precise position of an object or place on the Earth's surface, typically expressed in GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Relative Location

The regional position or situation of a place in relation to other human and physical features around it.

Vernacular Region

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity or mental map (also called a perceptual region).

Formal Region

An area defined by one or more distinctive, measurable cultural or physical traits shared across the entire area (also called a uniform region).

Functional Region

An area organized around a focal point or node, linked to the center by transportation, communication, or economic activity (also called a nodal region).

Demographic Transition Model

A model showing the transition of a country's population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as it industrializes.

Arithmetic Density

The total number of people divided by the total land area, measuring overall population crowding.

Physiological Density

The number of people per unit of arable (farmable) land, showing pressure on agricultural resources.

Centripetal Force

An attitude or force that unifies people, supports a state, and enhances national cohesion.

Centrifugal Force

A force or attitude that divides people and weakens or destabilizes a state.

Devolution

The movement of power from a central government to regional or local governments within a state.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a region or state into smaller, often hostile political units along ethnic lines.

Stateless Nation

An ethnic group or nation that possesses a distinct culture and identity but does not have its own sovereign state.

Gerrymandering

The manipulative drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a specific political party or group.

Transhumance

A seasonal movement of livestock between mountain and lowland pastures, practiced by pastoral nomads.

Von Thunen Model

An economic model that predicts agricultural land use patterns by balancing transportation costs and market distance of perishable goods.

Agglomeration

The clustering or spatial concentration of similar or related firms and industries in order to share infrastructure and reduce costs.