All Human Geo Gradesavers

physical geography

the study of earth's characteristics such as landforms, bodies of water, climate, ecosystems, and erosion

human geography

the study of humans and human activities such as population, culture, politics, urban areas, and economics

spatial models

have data points set in defined space and examine the direct relationship between people and places in defined space.

non-spatial models

illustrate theories using words, graphs, or tables and show changes over time.

time-distance decay

the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions

spatial patterns

general arrangement of things being studied

quantitative data

any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

geospatial data

information that describes objects, events, or other features with a location & it is quantitative and spatial

reference maps

designed for people to refer to for general information about places

political maps

show and label human-created boundaries and designations, such as countries, states, cities, and capitals

physical maps

show and label natural features, such as mountains, rivers, and deserts

road maps

show and label highways, streets, and alleys

plat maps

show and label property lines and details of land ownership

thematic maps

a specialized map made to visualize a particular subject about a geographic area

choropleth maps

show the location and distribution of spatial data using various colors or patterns. they also show rates/other quantitative data in defined areas.

dot distribution

show the specific location and distribution of something across a map

graduated symbol maps

use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something

isoline maps

uses lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space. used for weather and elevation.

topographic maps

a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions & elevations for natural and man-made features

cartogram

a type of map in which the geometry of regions are distorted in order to convey the information of some statistic(s)

small-scale maps

show a larger amount of area with less detail

large-scale maps

show a smaller amount of area with greater detail

scale

the relationship between the portion of earth being studied and earth as a whole

absolute location

the exact spot of where something is

absolute distance

the measurement of the distance from one point to another in terms of feet, meters, miles, or kilometers

relative location

description of where something is in relation to other things

relative distance

the approximate measurement of how close two points are based on features such as time, cost, and transportation

elevation

the distance of features above sea level

clustered distribution

arranged in a group or concentrated area

dispersed distribution

spread out over a large area

linear distribution

arranged in a straight line

map projection

method that transfers earth's sphere on a flat surface

distortion

misrepresentation of the area, shape or size of a feature

landscape analysis

task of describing and defining landscapes

field observation

act of visiting a location in person and recording firsthand information there

aerial photography

professional images captured from planes

media reports

articles published by newspapers or magazines

travel narratives

records of the places, people, and occurrences of a particular region that a traveler visits.

policy documents

formal documents such as treaties, articles and videos from news media outlets or photos of an area

photographic interpretation

skill of analyzing and identifying geographical features in a photograph

GIS (geographic information systems)

computer system that stores, organizes, retrieves, analyzes, and displays information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets

GPS (global positioning systems)

networks of satellites and receiving devices used to determine the location of something on earth

remote sensing

use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites which orbit the earth above the atmosphere to collect digital images of the earth's surface

census data

counts the population of a nation, state, or geographic location and it records info about the population's characteristics

space

the area between two phenomena or things

place

the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

site

characteristics at an immediate location (ex: soil type)

situation

location of a place relative to its surroundings

sense of place

emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences

toponym

name of place, or place-name

time-space compression

decrease in the amount of time it takes to go from one location to another because of improved methods of transportation and communication

flow

patterns and movement of people, ideas, products, and other phenomena

pattern

general arrangement of something in an area

human-environment interaction

the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

natural resources

items that are found in the natural environment

sustainability

act of using natural resources responsibly so that they can support present and future generations

land use

the study of how land is utilized, modified, and organized by people

environmental determinism

belief that the physical environment affects social and cultural development

possibilism

the theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.

scale of analysis

used by geographers to analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns

global

shows the entire world

regional

shows a specific area or portion of land

national

shows a country

local

shows a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood.

aggregation

when geographers organize data into different scales

formal region

also known as uniform regions, or homogeneous regions, they are united by one or more traits, physical, political, cultural, or economic.

functional region

social or economic function that occurs between a node or focal point

perceptual region

also known as a vernacular region; area defined by people's feelings or attitudes

subregion

subdivision of a region that shares some characteristics with the rest of the region but is different in some ways

Demography

The study of population characteristics.

Ecumene

The portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement.

Arable Land

land suitable for growing crops

Arithmetic Density

The total number of people divided by the total land area.

Physiological Density

The number of people per unit area of arable land

Agricultural Density

The number of farmers per unit area of farmland

Social Stratification

Categorizing people based on socioeconomic factors such as wealth, income, and race.

Overpopulation

The lack of necessary resources to meet the needs of the population in an area

Carrying Capacity

The ability of the land to sustain a certain number of people

Redistricting

Adjusting boundary lines in response to population changes

Population Pyramid

Also known as age-sex composition graph; it shows the age and sex demographics of an area

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a year per 1000 people in a defined area.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births per year for each 1,000 people

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

Difference between the number of live births and the number of deaths occuring in a year, divided by the mid-year population of that year, multiplied by 1,000

Doubling Time

Amount of time it takes for the population of a region to double

Mortality

Study of death rates/actual ability of an individual to die

Total Feritility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years (15-49) in a defined area

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of children who die before the age of 1

Life Expectancy

Average number years someone is expected to live

Emigration

Process of leaving one country to move to another

Immigration

Process of moving to a new country with the intention of staying and living there

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

Categorizes countries' population growth rates and economic structures

Epidemiological Transition Model

a model developed by Abdel Omran which focuses on the distinctive causes of death in each stage of the DTM.

Pandemic

Disease that has only spread regionally

Zero Population Growth

When the birth rate equals the death and the natural increase rate approaches zero.

Neo-Malthusians

People who believed in Malthusian Theory and in the idea that population was not only affecting food production but also other resources

Malthus Critics

People who don't believe in Malthusian Theory because food production isn't limited as it can grow.

Boserup Theory

Belief that the more people there are, the more hands there are to work, rather than just more mouths to feed.

Antinatalist policy

discourages people from having children in order to lower fertility rates

Pronatalist policy

encourages people to have more children in order to increase fertility rates

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

theory highlighting the inverse relationship between the distance and volume of migration between a source and destination