Human Geography Unit 1:

Quantitative

Absolute location, absolute distance & absolute direction (COORDINATES)

Qualitative

Relative distance, location and direction (relative to objects, not exact coordinates)

Mercator Map (advantages & disadvantage)

Advantage —> Shows true direction, good for navigation

Disadvantage —> Not true size near the poles

Gall-Peters Map

Advantage —> shows true direction

Disadvantage —> countries look more elongated, disorts shape

Robinson Map

Advantage —> only distorts shape and size a little, looks like a globe

Disadvantage —> Extreme distortion near the poles (countries near equator look smaller)

Azimuthal Map

Advantage —> birds eye view map & countries near pole are more accurate

Disadvantage —> countries near the end of the circle are distorted

GPS

Global Positioning System —> using satellites to give your precise coordinates

GIS

Geographic Information System —> layering different information onto a map (traffic, restaurants, bike paths)

Distance Decay

People are more likely to interact with people that they are closer in distance to

Time Space Compression

Going against distance decay through new inventions such as airplanes, telephone, internet

Spatial Association

the relationship between different objects in the area (how objects are arranged and connected)

Site Factors

climate, natural resources, absolute location

Situation Factors

Rivers, roads, stuff SURROUNDING a site

Environmental possibilism

Environment puts limits on society but they find finds to go around it (air conditioning, heating, irrigation)

Environmental determinism

Environment puts limits on society so they aren’t able to inhabit that area (desert, an area being too hot)

Land Use

How land has been changed or modified to be used for a specific purpose or task / what cultures are present in the society

Scales of Analysis

Global, Regional (south asia), National (U.S.), sub-national (states), local (city/town)

Formal Regions

Clear set boundaries, defined by social, economical and political characteristics

Functional Region

Organized around focal point

You use the closest focal point to you (subway, metro)

Restaurants have areas that they will deliver to but can’t deliver outside that functional region

Perceptual Region

Area that has no perfect definition

Only exists because of people’s feelings, beliefs or attitudes