World Geography Chapter 1

Key terms for this class broskito

Reference map

shows location of certain features (Example: U.S. states - left map above)

Thematic map

shows spatial phenomena (data) (Example: U.S. temperature map, right map above)

Choropleth map

type of thematic map where colors/shades represent different data values/ intensity (Example: U.S. temperature map, right map above)

areal differentiation

The geographic description and explanation of spatial differences on Earth’s surface, including both physical as well as human patterns.

areal integration

The geographic description and explanation of how places, landscapes, and regions are connected, interact, and are integrated with each other.

choropleth map

A thematic map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map.

colonialism

The formal and established rule over local peoples by a larger imperialist government.

culture

Learned and shared behavior by a group of people empowering them with a distinct “way of life”; it includes both material (technology, tools, etc.) and non-material (speech, religion, values, etc.) components.

decolonialization

The process of a former colony’s gaining (or regaining) independence over its territory and establishing (or reestablishing) an independent government.

diversity

The differences between cultures, ethnicities, economies, landscapes, and regions.

formal region

A geographic concept used to describe an area where a static and specific trait (such as a language or a climate) has been mapped and described. A geographic concept of areal or spatial similarity, large or small. A formal region contrasts with a functional region.

functional region

A geographic concept used to describe the spatial extent dominated by a specific activity. The circulation area of a newspaper is an example, as is the trade area of a large city.

geography

The spatial science that describes and explains physical and cultural phenomena on Earth’s surface.

geopolitics

The relationship between politics and space and territory.

globalization

The increasing interconnectedness of people and places throughout the world through converging processes of economic, political, and cultural change.

glocalization

(which combines globalization with locale) is the process of modifying an introduced globalized product or service to accommodate local tastes or cultural practices.

gross domestic product (GDP)/gross national product (GNP)

GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a given country (or other geographical unit) in a single year. GNP is a somewhat broader measure that includes the inflow of money from other countries in the form of the repatriation of profits and other returns on investments, as well as the outflow to other countries for the same purposes.

gross national income (GNI)

The value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s borders (gross domestic product, or GDP), plus the net income from abroad (formerly referred to as gross national product, or GNP).

Human Development Index (HDI)

For the past three decades, the United Nations has tracked social development in the world’s countries through the Human Development Index (HDI), which combines data on life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, gender equity, and income.

human geography

The form of geography that concentrates on the spatial analysis of economic, political, social, and cultural systems.

lingua franca

An agreed-upon common language to facilitate communication on specific topics such as inter- national business, politics, sports, or entertainment.

megacities

Urban conglomerations of more than 10 million people.

neocolonialism

Economic and political strategies by which powerful states indirectly (and sometimes directly) extend their influence over other, weaker states.

net migration rate

A statistic that depicts whether more people are entering or leaving a country through migration per year. It is usually expressed as a positive or negative number per 1,000 people in the population.

physical geography

The form of geography that examines climate, landforms, soils, vegetation, and hydrology.

population density

The number of people per areal unit, usually measured in people per square kilometer or per square mile.

population pyramid

A graph representing the structure of a population, including the percentage of young and old. The percentages of all different age groups are plotted along a vertical axis that divides the population into male and female. In a fast growing population with a large percentage of young people and a small percentage of elderly, the graph will have a wide base and a narrow tip, giving it a pyramidal shape.

rate of natural increase (RNI)

The standard statistic used to express natural population growth per year for a country, region, or the world based upon the difference between birth and death rates. RNI does not consider population change from migration. Though most often a positive figure (such as 1.7 percent), RNI can also be expressed either as zero or even as a negative number for no-growth countries.

region

A geographic concept of areal or spatial similarity, large or small.

regional geography

A basic division in geography which focuses on areal units or regions and the particular environmental and human characteristics that distinguish them.

thematic geography

A basic division in geography which focuses on a specific topic or theme as opposed to analyzing a specific place or a region.

total fertility rate (TFR)

The average number of children who will be borne by women of a hypothetical, yet statistically valid, population, such as that of a specific cultural group or within a particular country. Demographers consider TFR a more reliable indicator of population change than the crude birthrate.