Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

Absolute Direction

Absolute Direction

Corresponds to the direction on a compass: north, south, east, west, and combinations such as northeast and southwest

Absolute Distance

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

Absolute Location

A precise position on Earth's surface

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 cartogram, the larger the value of the underlying variable

Cartographer

a person who makes maps

Census

an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals such as age, sex, and race.

Choropleth Map

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

Contagious Diffusion

The wavelike spread of ideas in the manner of a contagious disease or forest fire, moving throughout space without regard for hierarchy

Cultural Ecology

The study of the interactions between societies and their local environments

Cultural Landscape

The built forms that cultural groups create inhabiting Earth and the meaning, values, representations, and experiences associated with those forms

Diffusion

The pattern by which a phenomenon such as the movement of people, or their ideas, technologies, or preferences, spreads from a particular location through time and space

Dot Density Map

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

Ecosystem

A territoriality bounded system consisting of the interaction between humans and the environment

Elevation

distance above or below sea level

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

Expansion Diffusion

This occurs when ideas or practices spread throughout a population, from area to area, in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers and users and the area of occurrences increase

Fieldwork

Learning and doing research involving first-hand experience, which takes place outside the classroom setting

Formal Region

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

Friction of Distance

The inhabiting effect of distance on the intensity and volume of most forms of human interaction; time-space compression diminishes friction of distance

Functional Region

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

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

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

Hierarchical Diffusion

Occurs when ideas leapfrog from one important person, community, or city to another, bypassing other persons, communities, or rural areas

Interdependence

The ties established between regions and countries that over time collectively create a global economic system that is not necessarily based on equality

Isoline

On a map, a line that connects or links different places that share a common or equal, such as elevation

Map

A two-dimensional (flat) representation of a geographic area or place

Map Projection

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

Map scale

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

Natural Resources

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

Nodes

Central points where the functions of a functional region are coordinated and directed

Nonrenewable Resources

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

Perceptual/Vernacular region

A geographic area that is perceived to exist by its inhabitants, based on the widespread acceptance and use of a unique regional name

Place

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

Possibilism

The belief that any physical environment offers a number of possible ways for a society to develop and that humans can find ways to overcome environmental challenges

Proportional or Graduated circle map

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

Reference map

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

Region

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

Relative Direction

A direction that can be described as position, such as in front of or behind, to the left or to the right

Relative Distance

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

Relative Location

The position of one place (or person) in relation to the position of another place (or person)

Relocation Diffusion

Occurs when individuals or groups with a particular idea or practice migrate from one location to another, thereby bringing the idea or practice to their new homeland

Remote Sensing

the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it.

Renewable Resources

Natural resources that Earth will naturally replenish over time

Reverse Hierarchical Diffusion

Occurs when ideas leapfrog from a lower level of a hierarchy to a higher level

Satellite Imagery

Images of Earth's surface gathered from sensors mounted on orbiting satellites; these sensors record in both the visible and non-visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing humans to view patterns and processes that are both visible and invisible to the naked eye

Scale

The territorial extent of an idea or object

Sense of Place

How a person feels about a particular place and why it's important to him or her

Space

the areas we occupy as humans; it has not value until the people who occupy it make it their own

Spatial Patterns

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

Stimulus Diffusion

Occurs when a specific trait is rejected, but the underlying idea is accepted

Thematic Map

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

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

Time-Space Compression

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

Topographic Map

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

Flow

Movement of people, goods, or information that has economic, social, political, or cultural effects on societies.

Globalization

The expansion of economic, cultural, and political processes on a worldwide scale

Human Geography

The study of the processes that have shaped how humans understand, use, and alter Earth

Pattern

The way in which things are arranged in a particular space

Place

A location on Earth that is distinguished by its physical and human characteristics

Qualitative

Involving data that is descriptive of a research subject and is often based on peoples opinions

Quantitative

Involving data that can be measured by numbers

Site

A place's absolute location, as well as its physical characteristics, such as landforms, climate, and resources

Situation

Location of a place in relation to other places or it's surrounding features

Sustainability

The use of Earth's land and natural resources in ways that ensure they will continue to be available in the future

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Connectivity

the directness of routes linking pairs of places; an indication of the degree of internal connection in a transport network; all of the tangible and intangible means of connection and communication between places.

Globalization

A reference to the increasing interconnection of all parts of the world as the full range of social, cultural, political, and economic processes becomes international in scale and effect. One result of space-time compression

Scale of Analysis

a framework for understanding how events and processes at different scales influence one another that refers to the size of the Earth's surface being considered in any situation

Sense of Place

infusing a place with meaning as a result of experiences in a place

Sequent Occupance

Imprints left on the cultural landscape by a series of successive societies. Each society contributed to the cumulative cultural landscape.

Spatial Perspective

Looking at where things occur, why they occur where they do, and how places are interconnected.