1.4 Spatial Concepts and 1.5 Human-Environment Interaction

How do we describe what a location is like?

Place:

Sense of Place, Cultural Landscape/Built Environment, Placelessness

Sense of Place

Factors that contribute to the uniqueness of a location

Cultural Landscape/Built Environment

Physical artifacts that humans created which make up the landscape

Placelessness

A location without a sense of Place; no distinct attributes

How do we describe where a place is located?

Location

Absolute vs. Relative, Toponym, Site, Situation

Absolute Location

Where a location is EXACTLY; Longitude and Latitude

Relative Location

Where a location is in relation to another place

Toponym

Location’s name, usually reflective of the culture and history of a place

Site/Physical Landscape

Environmental features of a location; includes climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, and elevation

Situation

location of a place relative to its surroundings and connectivity to other places

Tropical latitudes are near the…

Equator

High latitudes receive ___sunlight, so these places are ___year round

less;cold

Higher altitudes mean…

Colder climates

Lower Altitudes mean…

warmer climates

Clustering

close together

Density

The number of something in a defined area

Dispersal

far apart

Distribution

the way something is spread out over an area

Regionalization

The process geographers use to divide and categorize space into smaller areas of analysis

Spatial interaction

connections, contacts, movement, and flow of things between places

Distance Decay

The interaction between two places declines as the distance between two places increases

Physical Barriers

Mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts

Cultural Barriers

Language, religion

Time-Space Compression

The increasing sense of accessibility and connectivity which seems to bring humans in distant places closer together; due to globalization and increased technology and transportation

Diffusion

the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another

Cultural Ecology

The study of how humans interact or adapt to the environment

Environmental Determinism

the belief that climate and landform are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal/cultural development

Possibilism

more modern interpretation, acknowledges limitations imposed by the natural environment, but focuses on the role of human culture to modify and respond to the environment to better fit human needs.