Ap Human unit 1

What is geography about?

Geography is about how space is used and how things connect in different areas. It studies patterns and systems across places.

What are reference maps?

Reference maps show where things are, like mountains, cities, or borders.

What are thematic maps?

Thematic maps focus on one theme or topic and often show patterns over time and space.

What is a choropleth map?

A map where areas are shaded or patterned based on data, like population density.

What is a dot map?

A map where each dot represents a certain amount of something, like people.

What is a proportional symbol map?

A map where symbols are sized to show a value, like bigger circles for bigger numbers.

What is an isoline map?

A map with lines connecting places that share the same value, like temperature on a weather map.

What is absolute distance?

The distance between two points measured in standard units, like miles or kilometers.

What is relative distance?

Distance described in meaningful terms, like “5 minutes away.”

What is absolute direction?

Direction based on north, south, east, and west.

What is relative direction?

Direction based on culture or location, like “down south” or “far east.”

What does clustering mean on a map?

When things are grouped closely together.

What does dispersal mean on a map?

When things are spread out or far apart.

What is elevation?

The height of a place above sea level.

What does scale mean in geography?

It shows the size of the area studied and the relationship between real distance and distance on a map.

What is a natural landscape?

Physical features like climate and soil that provide the setting for human activity.

What is a cultural landscape?

The visible expression of human activity on the land.

Why do places change?

Because today’s places are shaped by decisions and conditions from the past.

What is spatial interaction?

How places interact with other places in structured and understandable ways.

What is accessibility?

How easy or hard it is to overcome distance to reach a place.

What is friction of distance?

How difficult it is to cross space and time barriers.

What is connectivity?

The ways places are connected, like through roads, phones, or TV.

What is spatial diffusion?

How ideas or things spread from one place to another.

What affects diffusion rates?

Population, communication, advantages of the idea, and the importance of where it started.

What is globalization?

The growing interconnection between people and societies around the world.

What is a region?

An area with similarities inside it and differences from the outside areas.

What is a formal region?

A region with uniform traits, like Georgia as a political region or Chinatown.

What is a functional region?

A region organized around a central point, like a sports team’s fan base.

What is a perceptual region?

A region based on feelings or ideas, not strict data.

What is site?

The internal physical and cultural characteristics of a place.

What is situation?

The external connections and relations of a location.

What is spatial distribution?

The arrangement of things on Earth’s surface.

What is density in geography?

The number of things in a specific area.

What is arithmetic density?

Population per square mile.

What is physiological density?

Population per unit of arable (farmable) land.

What is agricultural density?

The number of farmers compared to farmland.

What does dispersion mean?

How spread out something is in an area.

What is a linear pattern?

Objects arranged in a line, like along a highway.

What is a clustered pattern?

Objects grouped around a central point.

What is a random pattern?

Objects arranged irregularly without structure.

How can geographers collect data?

Through field observations, media reports, documents, interviews, photos, and landscape analysis.

What is geospatial data used for?

To make decisions for businesses, governments, and individuals, like where to build or how to track deforestation.

What is environmental determinism?

The idea that the environment controls culture and development.

Why was environmental determinism used in history?

It was used to justify colonialism, saying some regions were less developed because of their environment.

What is possibilism?

The idea that while the environment influences culture, humans are the main drivers of development.

What is relocation diffusion?

When people move and bring their ideas or innovations with them.

What is expansion diffusion?

When an idea spreads and more and more people adopt it.

What is contagious diffusion?

When an idea spreads quickly person to person, like a virus.

What is hierarchical diffusion?

When ideas spread from higher-up people in society down to others.

What is stimulus diffusion?

When an idea spreads but changes and adapts as it moves.

What is map projection?

The method used to make Earth’s curved surface flat.

What happens to all maps?

All maps have distortion.

What are meridians?

Lines running north to south that meet at the poles.

What are parallels?

Lines of latitude that run east to west and shrink toward the poles.

What are the 6 properties of the global grid?

1. All meridians are equal length.
2. All meridians meet at the poles and are true north-south lines.
3. All latitudes are parallel to the equator.
4. Parallels get shorter near the poles.
5. Meridians and parallels meet at right angles.
6. The scale is the same everywhere in the same direction.

What is space in geography?

The area something covers, which can be looked at as absolute or relative.

What is place in geography?

The values and meanings we connect to a location.

What is absolute location?

A specific spot given with coordinates or an address.

What is relative location?

Where something is in relation to other places.