geography study guide (unit 1)

what does the m stand for in "mr help"?

movement

what does the r stand for in "mr help"?

regions

what does the he stand for in "mr help"?

human-environment interaction

what does the l stand for in "mr help"?

location

what does the p stand for in "mr help"?

place

How are people and places linked by communication and the flow of people, products and information/ideas?

Movement of People (cars, trucks, trains, place)

Movement of Products (cars, trucks, trains, planes)

Movement of Information and Ideas (phones, computer, email, mail, TV, radio, magazines)

formal region

an area with clear boundaries (city, state, country)

functional region

an area that has a purpose behind it and brings people together (bus routes, highways, school districts)

perceptual region

a region defined by popular feelings and images rather than by objective data (the south or Aggieland)

How do people interact with and change their environment?

Depend on the environment (rivers for water and transportation)

Adapt to the environment (wear clothes sustainable to the weather. shorts for summer, coats for winter)

Modify the environment (heat and cool buildings for comfort)

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates (address or latitude and longitude)

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place (near, far, short drive)

physical characteristics

features of the earth's surface, such as landforms, water systems, climate patterns, and plant and animal life

human characteristics

characteristics of a place that make a place unique because of the people who live there such as art, language, religion, type of government, landmarks, etc. (times square, taj mahal, the bean)

latitude

horizontal line that describes distance north or south of the equator

longitude

vertical line decribing distance east or west of the equator.

tropic of cancer

line of latitude at 23.5 degrees North of the equator

tropic of capricorn

line of latitude at 23.5 degrees South of the equator

equator

a line of latitude that runs around the middle of Earth

prime meridian

the line of 0 degrees longitude

Mercator map projection

used for navigation. accurately shows direction, but distorts distance and size of land masses.

robinson map projection

visually appealing. has low levels of distortions, distortions are close to N&S poles.

gall-peters map projection

used for spatial distribution related to an area. has accurate sizes but shapes are distorted

polar plane map projection

well suited for maps of the Arctic, Antarctica, and Hemisphere maps. points on map are correct distance from center but the shapes and areas grow larger as they get farther away from the center.

choropleth map (thematic)

uses various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of data

dot distribution Map

map used to show specific location and distribution of something. dots are used to demonstrate the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena

graduated symbol map

A map with symbols that change in size according to the value of the attribute they represent.

isoline map

A thematic map with lines that connect points of elevation creating contours depicting surface features. Popular amongst hikers.

What does LACEMOPS stand for?

latitude, air masses, continentality, elevation, mountain barriers, ocean currents, pressure and prevailing winds, storms

Latitude (LACEMOPS)

hottest at the equator, main control of temperature, seperates climates.

Air Masses (LACEMOPS)

shows seasonal changes, large volume of air when temperature is the same across horizontal bands.

Continentiality (lacemops)

refers to the annual temperature, significant change in summer and winter temperatures means farther from sea, water moderates climate, water takes longer to heat and cool than land.

elevation (lacemops)

As you go up in this, the temperature decreases and the air becomes drier.

mountain barriers (lacemops)

rain shadows affect one side, can stop storms and air masses, wind conjoining moisture hits the windward side of the mountain.

ocean currents (lacemops)

movement of seawaters similar to the temperature, cold/warm ocean currents can impact temperature on land, warm currents create wet conditions on the coast.

Pressure and Prevailing Winds (LACEMOPS)

high pressure winds makes the weather hot and dry, two types are westerlies and tradewinds, in Northern Hemispheres winds blow right and in Southern Hemispheres they blow left "Coriolis Effect"

Storms (LACEMOPS)

certain areas (Carribean) are more likely to have hurricanes and places in the North and East are more likely to get cyclones. when hot and cold air masses collide = storms

Solstice

when Earth's rotation axis is tilted directly toward or away from the Sun

Equinox

when Earth's rotation axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun

Four types of climate

polar, temperate, tropical, and subtropical

what is a polar climate?

cold and dry year round (less than 50 degrees). typically in N & S poles.

what is a temperate climate?

It is not an extreme climate, either hot or cold. It is a mild climate with seasonal weather changes.

what is a tropical climate?

usually warm or hot with periods of precipitation. the two seasons in climate are dry and wet seasons.

what is a subtropical climate?

area with hot and humid summers and mild to cold winters. thunderstorms in summer.

tectonic plates

Sections of the Earth's crust that move due to convection currents.

covergent boundary

A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other.

divergent boundary

A plate boundary where two plates move away from each other and can cause earthquakes.

transform boundary

A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions. Can create volcanoes.

natural resources

materials or substances such as water, oil, sunlight, and forests that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. Exist on Earth without technology or act of humankind.

renewable resource

A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed. (ex: wind energy, solar energy, and ocean currents.)

nonrenewable resource

a resource that cannot be easily replaced and can run out. (ex: oil, gas, coal)

Sustainability

the ability to meet the current needs of humanity without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities

When did technological advancement really start to increase?

Industrial Revolution

What led to the development of semi-permanent settlements?

farming

urban sprawl

The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs.

challenges of urban growth

strains a city's capacity to provide services like healthcare and education, can led to poor housing, homelessness, pollution, and addiction, and can destroy open space or change the physical environment.

Megacity

City with more than 10 million people

Migration

Form of relocation diffusion involving permanent move to a new location. Typically over long distances.

Internal Migration

Permanent movement within a particular country. Typically for education or economic improvement.

external migration

migration across an international border.

push factors

Factors that induce people to leave old residences.

pull factors

Factors that induce people to move to a new location.

step migration

Migration to a distant destination that occurs in stages (ex: from farm to nearby village and later to a town and city)

Chain Migration

migration of people to a specific location because relatives or members of the same nationality previously migrated there

Seasonal Migration

The process of moving for a period of time in response to labor or climate conditions

asylum seeker

Someone who has migrated to another country in the hope of being recognized as a refugee

refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster

example of forced migration

African Slave Trade

example of historical migration

the great migration

material culture

the physical things created by members of a society (ex: arts, houses, foods, clothes, sports, dance, etc)

non-material culture

the ideas created by members of a society (ex: beliefs, practices, aesthetics)

race

associated with biology, linked to physical characteristics (ex:skin color)

Ethnicity

Identity with a group of people that share a common language, history, or place of origion.

Globalization

refers to the processes by which goods, services, people, information, and ideas flow across national borders

cutural hearth

an area where new ideas and innovations spring up and spread to other parts of the world

first cultural hearth

Mesopotamia (betwen tigris and euphrates river)

characteristics of popular culture

culture of mainstream (spread quickly through world, usually through tech), changes quickly (how fast trends come and go), and can be many different things (music, sports, TV, internet)

Contagious Diffusion (type of expansion diffusion)

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population

hierachical diffusion (type of expansion diffusion)

spread of ideas from person/group of authority or power to other people

Stimulus Diffusion (type of expansion diffusion)

a form of diffusion in which a cultural adaptation is created as a result of the introduction of a cultural trait from another place. (ex: McDonald's menu changes based off of location)

relocation diffusion

spread of an idea through movement of people from one place to another

barriers to cultural diffusion

strict government, lack of technology, and underdeveloped countries

language

allows people to communicate information and experiences (unifying force)

language family

Group of languages with a shared but fairly distant origin

unitary system

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

federal system

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

who is in charge of a theocracy?

religious leaders

who is in charge of a absolute monarchy?

king, queen, prince, Emir, and Oman.

who is in charge of a constitutional monarchy?

divided by monarchy and legislature; most with legislature

who is in charge of a representative democracy?

leaders elected by the people

who is in charge of a autocracy/dictatorship?

one leader or party

how are laws made in a theocracy?

religious thoughts and beliefs regulate law making

how are laws made in a absolute monarchy?

the king or monarch make all the laws and decisions

how are laws made in a constitutional monarchy?

the elected people in the legislative body makes the law

how are laws made in a representative democracy?

representatives makes laws in agreement with those who elected them.

how are laws made in an autocracy/dictatorship ?

leader imposes the law

how much personal freedom do citizens have in a theocracy?

freedom within religious boundaries