Geog 2811 Notes - Core Geographic Concepts (Sept 10)

Vocabulary flashcards covering core geographic concepts such as space, place, location, distance, direction, density, dispersion, patterns, and scale as presented in the notes.

Space

The Earth's surface area available or occupied; the way things are distributed over the surface of the Earth.

Place

A location characterized by both physical and cultural content; defined by location, direction, distances, and scale, with attributes that change over time and interdependence with regions.

Sense of Place

The emotional attachment and meaning a place holds for people.

Location

The position that something occupies on Earth's surface; identified by name, site, or situation.

Absolute Location

The precise coordinates of a place, typically expressed as latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to other places or landmarks.

Site

The physical attributes of a place's location (e.g., terrain, resources) that make it suitable or unsuitable.

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places; how surrounding features affect its meaning or use.

Toponyms (Place Names)

Names given to places, often linked to people, religion, or physical features, reflecting cultural features and sometimes needing removal if offensive.

Pattern

The geometric arrangement of objects in space; refers to distribution with emphasis on design rather than spacing.

Density

The measure of the number or quality of items within a defined unit or area, relative to space.

Crude Density

The number of people per unit area of land.

Physiological Density

The number of people supported by a unit area of arable land.

Agricultural Density

The ratio of farmers to arable land.

Dispersion

The spread of a phenomenon over an area; the opposite of concentration; relates to how spread out items are.

Concentration

The clustering of items in a given area; higher density in a smaller space.

Clustered/Agglomerated

Items located close together in a tight group.

Dispersed/Scattered

Items spread out over space; not tightly grouped.

Spatial Distribution

The arrangement of items on the Earth's surface, including patterns of density and dispersion.

Connectivity

The spatial relationship and interaction between nature, culture, and human action.

Absolute Direction

Direction based on cardinal points (north, south, east, west).

Relative Direction

Direction that is culturally based and can vary by context.

Absolute Distance

The exact physical distance between two points (miles, kilometers, feet, meters).

Relative Distance

Distance expressed in meaningful terms (travel time or generalized distance) rather than exact units.

Levels of Equal Travel Time

A concept where equal travel time is used to compare locations, often shown with travel-time maps (e.g., red lines indicate travel time).

Scale

The mathematical relationship between the size of an area on a map and the actual size of the mapped area; affects generalization and the level of detail; can be local, regional, or global.

Large Scale vs Small Scale

Large scale (e.g., 1:25,000) shows more detail over a smaller area; small scale shows less detail over a larger area.

Content and Elements of Place

The physical and cultural components that give a place its character; attributes and content change over time and in relation to other places.