HUMAN GEOGRAPHY VOC UNIT 1

i hate myself

cartography

the science of making maps

contagious diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population.

density

A measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume.

diffusion

Net movement of a substance, from a region of high concentration of the substance to a low concentration, which does not require energy.

distance decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

enviromental determinism

the view that the natural enviroment has a controlling influence over various aspects of human life including cultural development

equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole

expansion diffusion

Spread through a population in an area in such a way that the number/area influenced continually increases.

formal region

(or uniform or homogeneous region) an area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics

friction of distance

The concept of friction of distance is based on the notion that distance usually requires some amount of effort, money, and/or energy to overcome

functional region

A region defined by the particular set of activities or interactions that occur within it.

GIS

geographic information system

GPS

(global positioning system) is a system that determines accurately the precise position of something on earth

hierarchical diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places.

hearth

Center of Innovation

international date line

A theoretical line following approximately the 180th meridian, the regions to the east of which are counted as being one day earlier in their calendar dates than the regions to the west.

latitude

East-west lines parallel to the equator used to measure distance in degrees north or south of the equator

longitude

Distance east or west on the earth's surface, measured in degrees from a certain meridian (line from the North to the South Pole).

mercator projection

A map projection that fairly accurately shows shape and direction, but distorts distance and size of land masses.

possibilism

*when physical environment may limit human actions, people have the ability to adjust to their environmen

prime meridian

Divides the world into the eastern and western hemisphere at 0 degrees longitude.

projection

An estimate or forecast of a future situation or trend based on a study of present ones.

relocation diffusion

Actual movement of individuals who have adopted the idea/innovation, and carry it to a new(and maybe distant) locale, where they disseminate it(ex: migration)

remote sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods.

robinson projection

A projection that maintains overall shapes and relative positions without extreme distortion. Most classrooms use this projection.

scale

Generally, the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole, specifically the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

site

A place or location

situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and other places.

space-time compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as a result of improved communications and transportation systems

stimulus 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

time zones

24 hour zones that 1,000 miles apart from the other, each one is an hour before or after the one next to it, helps to differentiate between the different times from one point on the Earth to another point.

toponym

the name by which a geographical place is known

vernacular region

A place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.

erastosthenes

This ancient scholar calculated the circumference of the earth, described it as a sphere, and predicted that ships could sail from Greece to India. First to use the term "Geography"

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates

Cartogram

a map on which statistical information is shown in diagrammatic form.

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses tones or colors to represent spatial data as average values per unit area.

cultural landscape

the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape

Map Distortion

a change in the shape, size, or position of a place when it is shown on a map

Dot Density Map

Thematic map that uses dots to represent the frequency of a variable in a given area

Perceptual Region (Vernacular)

how people think about or percieve a region (ex. "the middle east")

The Equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole

Geospatial Data

data that describe both the locations and characteristics of spatial features on the Earth's surface

global scale

Interactions occurring at the scale of the world, in a global setting.

Globalization

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

graduated symbol map

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

Geography

the study of the earth's physical and cultural features

Isoline Map

Map displaying lines that connect points of equal value; for example, a map showing elevation levels

Local Scale

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

map scale

The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

topographic map

A map that shows the surface features of an area.

physical map

A map that shows mountains, hills, plains, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.

physical characteristics

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

political map

A map showing units such as countries, states, provinces, districts, etc. Each is normally a different color

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place

Thematic Map

a map that shows a particular theme, or topic

population density

Number of individuals per unit area

Accessibility

the relative ease with which a destination may be reached from some other place

Alternative Resources

new renewable or inexhaustible energy source; includes solar energy, wind, and geothermal energy

Choropleth Map

A thematic map that uses tones or colors to represent spatial data as average values per unit area.

Complementarity

The actual or potential relationship between two places, usually referring to economic interactions.

Conservation

The key to sustaining the environment is conservation. Conservation calls for management of of natural resources by using less today in order to provide for future generations.

Cultural Ecology

The argument that landscapes are the products of complex human-environment relationships.

Erosion

Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)

Functional Region (Nodal Region)

An area organized around a node or focal point

Homogenous Region

another name for formal region or uniform region

Intervening Opportunities

This concept also helps explain connectivity. It is the idea that if one place has a demand for something and there are two potential suppliers, the closer supplier will represent the intervening opportunity because transportation costs will be less.

Geography

the study of the earth's physical and cultural features

Mercator Projection

A true conformal cylindrical map projection, the Mercator projection is particularly useful for navigation because it maintains accurate direction. Mercator projections are famous for their distortion in area that makes landmasses at the poles appear oversized.

National scale

as viewed across the whole country

Mental Map

An internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on what an individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a place and where places are located.

nonrenewable resource

a resource that cannot be replaced

nonrenewable resources examples

fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas)

diamonds,

metals

renewable resource

A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed

renewable resources examples

Plants, Water, Trees, Wind, Air, etc.

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place

Perceptual Region (Vernacular)

how people think about or percieve a region (ex. "the middle east")

region

An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features.

sense of place

Someone's attachment to a region perceived as their home is called sense of place.

soil depletion

the loss of soil fertility caused by removal of minerals by continuous cropping

spatial diffusion

Describes the way that phenomena, such as technological idea, cultural innovations, disease, or economic goods travel over space.

Sustainability

Using Earth's resources in ways that ensure their availability for future generations. The United Nations recognizes the idea of bridging together the environment, the economy, and society.

uniform region

a region/area sharing one or more physical or cultural feature. (formal regions)