Untitled Flashcards Set (copy)

Accessibility

The quality of being easy to obtain or use; affected by transportation networks and topography.

Cartography

The science of making maps.

Cartogram

A map where thematic mapping variables like population or income are substituted for land area, distorting geometry for representation.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses shadings or colors to show levels of a variable within predefined areas.

Climate

The long-term average weather condition at a specific location.

Cultural landscape

The human imprint on the physical landscape, emphasizing relationships among social and physical phenomena.

Diffusion

The process of spreading a cultural trait or trend from one place to another over time.

Distance decay

The diminished importance of interaction with phenomena as distance from the origin increases.

Census

A count of the population that occurs every ten years in the U.S. and is a source of population data.

Child Mortality Rate (CMR)

The number of deaths of children aged 1-5; used to assess health in a population.

Demography

The statistical study of human populations, particularly size and distribution.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of people under 15 and over 64 compared to those of working age.

Eugenic population policies

National policies designed to favor certain racial or cultural sectors over others.

Infectious Diseases

Diseases that are spread by pathogens and can cause significant mortality within communities.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years an individual can expect to live.

Neo-Malthusians

Those who express concern about population growth and its potential threats.

Overpopulation

A situation where the number of people exceeds the capacity of the environment to support them.

Population explosion

The rapid increase in population that has occurred since 1750.

Pro-natalist policy

A government policy that encourages higher birth rates in the population.

Rural Settlement Patterns

Types of patterns formed by the arrangement of homes and farms; includes clustered and dispersed settlements.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming aimed primarily at feeding the farmer and their family rather than for sale.

Sustainable agriculture

Farming practices that maintain productivity over time without damaging the environment.

Urban Heat Island

A phenomenon where urban areas experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas.

Spatial Association

The relationship between the distribution of one feature and another; often studied in geography.

Centripetal Forces

Forces or attitudes that tend to unify a state and enhance support for it.

Megalopolis

A continuous, extended urban area formed by the merging of several cities.

Zoning

Legally dividing an urban area into sections for specific uses such as residential or commercial.