key vocab (ap human geo)

Geography

The study of the earth’s surface and the processes that shape it.

Location

The position of something on the earth’s surface, including absolute and relative aspects.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by its particular characteristics.

Space

The physical gap or interval between two objects.

Pattern

The geometric arrangement of objects in space.

Scale

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

Carrying Capacity

The largest population size an environment can sustain.

Demographic Transition Model

A model that describes population change over time, divided into four stages.

Migration

The movement of people from one place to another.

Urbanization

The process of cities growing and populations moving to urban areas.

Push and Pull Factors

Conditions that drive people away from an area (push) or attract them to another (pull).

Culture

The body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute a group’s distinct tradition.

Ethnicity

Identity with a group of people who share a cultural tradition.

Language Family

A collection of languages related through a common ancestor.

Religion

A system of beliefs and practices that attempts to order life in terms of culturally perceived ultimate priorities.

Diffusion

The spread of an idea, innovation, or cultural practice.

Acculturation

The adoption of cultural traits from another group.

Syncretism

The blending of two or more cultural influences to form a new culture.

State

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government.

Nation

A group of people who share common cultural characteristics.

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself without interference.

Territoriality

A country’s or community’s sense of ownership over a specific geographic area.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries for political advantage.

Agricultural Revolution

The transformation of agriculture through the use of new technology.

Green Revolution

A set of research and technology transfer initiatives that increased food production worldwide.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming primarily for personal consumption, not for profit.

Commercial Agriculture

Agriculture primarily for sale in the market.

Von Thünen Model

A model that explains agricultural land use in relation to distance from a market.

Central Business District (CBD)

The commercial and business center of a city.

Concentric Zone Model

A model of urban land use that divides the city into concentric rings.

Sector Model

A model that explains urban land use based on transportation routes.

Multiple Nuclei Model

A model of urban land use that recognizes multiple centers of activity.

Industrialization

The development of industries for the machine production of goods.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced by a country in a year.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A composite index used to measure and rank countries’ levels of human development based on life expectancy, education, and income.

World Systems Theory

A theory that explains economic disparities in terms of core, semi-periphery, and periphery nations.

Brandt Line

A division between the developed North and developing South.

Sustainability

The use of resources in ways that do not deplete them for future generations.

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of Earth’s surface caused by the trapping of heat by gases like carbon dioxide.

Ecological Footprint

A measure of how much land and resources a population needs to support its lifestyle.

Renewable Resources

Resources that can be regenerated naturally, like solar energy or wind.

Nonrenewable Resources

Resources that do not regenerate on a human time scale, like coal or oil.

Centripetal Force

Forces that pull people together.

Centrifugal Force

Forces that push people apart.

Relocation

The physical movement of people.

Expansive Migration

The movement of people that occurs when a culture or language spreads without relocation.

Lingua Franca

A common language shared by people who speak different native languages.

Creolization

The process in which different cultures come together to form a new, blended culture.

Cultural Convergence

The process by which different cultures become more similar over time.

Cultural Divergence

The process of different cultures becoming more distinct from each other over time.

Universalizing Religions

Religions that seek to appeal to all people.

Ethnic Religions

Religions centered around a specific ethnic group.

Assimilation

The process whereby individuals or groups adopt the cultural norms of a dominant group.

Multiculturalism

The presence of multiple cultures and the promotion of diversity within a society.

Suburb

A residential area where people live.

Edge City

An area outside the main city where people work and shop.

Gentrification

The process where wealthier people move into poorer neighborhoods, raising property values and pushing out longtime residents.