APHG- Unit 1

Absolute direction

finding a location using compass direction

Regional Scale

patterns observed across a region (an area characterized by a unique combination of features)

Absolute distance

measurement using a standard unit of length

Absolute location

describes the precise location of a place using latitude & longitude

Area distortion

referring to a map projection with skewed size of certain areas/landmasses

Cartographic scale

the relationship between distance on a map and distance in real life.

Census Data

information about the members of a given population

Clustering

objects that form a group

Direction distortion

The direction from one place to another is misrepresented.

Dispersal

objects that are scattered

Distance decay

the idea that the likelihood of interaction diminishes with increasing distance

Distance distortion

Distance between two points may be longer or shorter than in reality

Elevation

height above sea level

Environmental Determinism

theory that a society is formed and determined by the physical environment, especially the climate; human society development is controlled by the environment

Field observation

the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, firsthand, information there

Flows

movement in a steady stream

Formal Region

region marked by a shared trait (cultural, physical, etc.)

Functional Region

describe an area organized around a node or focal point. The node or focal point provides a service to the area within the region.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A database that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

Geographical data

information that identifies the geographic location of features and boundaries on earth (natural and constructed)

Geographic scale

the "size' at which a map is being represented

Global Positioning System (GPS)

data collected by satellites to provide absolute location and/or data necessary for navigation

Global scale

patterns observed across the world

Human Possibilism

the belief that the physical environment may limit some human activity, but people ultimately have the ability to adjust and adapt to their environment.

Land use

the function of land- e.g. agricultural, commercial, residential, transportation, recreation

Landscape analysis

using field observation, spatial data, and aerial photography to gather data to define and describe landscapes

Local scale

the level of geography that describes the space where an individual lives or works; a city, town, or county

Map distortion

all maps are distorted as a result of projecting a 3-dimensional surface onto a 2-dimensional surface in area, distance, shape, and/or direction

Media reports

In general, "media" refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are different types of media.

National scale

as viewed across the whole country

Natural resources

something found in nature and is necessary or useful to humans

Online mapping/visualization

compilation and publication of websites that provide graphical and text information in the form of maps/visuals

Pattern

an arrangement of objects on earth, including the space in between those objects

Perceptual region

region defined by a person's feelings or beliefs

Personal interviews

a type of survey that involves a person-to-person meeting between the interviewer and respondent

Photographic interpretation

The act of examining photographic images for the purpose of identifying objects and judging their significance

Place

describes an area on the surface of the Earth with distinguishing human & physical characteristics

Policy documents

communicate organizational policies and procedures

Qualitative data

data gathered by surveys, field studies, photos, videos, and interviews that can't be quantified.

Quantitative data

numerical data

Reference maps

maps used to show general information about places (political, physical, road, and plat)

Regional analysis

analyzing regions at a variety of scales-global, national, local

Relative direction

finding a location not using compass direction e.g. left, right, forward, backward, up, down

Relative distance

Approximate measurement of the physical space between two places eg. 10 minutes by car or 25 minutes walking

Relative location

describes the location of a place in comparison to other human and physical features

Remote sensing

collecting data with instruments that are distant from the area of study

Satellite imagery

images of earth collected by satellites

Scale

the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole

Scales of Analysis

Scale of the data on a thematic map (global, regional, national, and local)

Shape distortion

misrepresentation of the actual shape of the structure

Space

Area between two places

Sustainability

Using the earth's resources in a way that doesn't cause permanent damage to the environment and preserves the resources for use by future generations

Thematic maps

maps used to display specific types of information (theme) pertaining to an area

Space-time compression

As technology improves, the amount of time it takes for an idea/person/good to travel across space becomes shorter

Travel narratives

records of the places, people, and occurrences of a particular region that a traveler visits