general vocab

AP HG

place

a specific point on Earth that is defined by geographic coordinates or other features.

scale

ration between a place on a map and its actual size in the real world.

space

physical gap/interval between objects or locations in the universe.

connection

relationships among people and objects across the barrier of a space.

cartography

the science and practice of drawing maps.

density

mass/volume

concentration

culstered/dispersed distribution of a substance in a given area.

pattern

arrangement of physical features on Earth.

ratio

numerical relationship between distance on the map and Earth’s surface in reality.

written

numerical relationship between distance on the map and Earth’s surface in written words.

graphic

usually consists of a bar line to show distance on Earth’s surface.

projection

scientific method of transferring something 3d onto something 2d.

meridian

an imaginary arc connecting the north and south poles.

parallel

an imaginary circle around the globe that is parallel to the equator + at 90 degree angles with meridians.

spatial thinking

understanding the world in terms of location, distance, and spatial relationships.

Absolute location

The exact position of a place on Earth’s surface, often given in latitude and longitude.

Distance decay

The idea that interaction between two places decreases as the distance between them increases.

Distributed

The arrangement of a feature across Earth’s surface.

Ecological perspective

A geographic viewpoint that examines how humans interact with the environment and ecosystems.

Environmental determinism

The theory that human behavior is shaped strongly or entirely by the physical environment.

Equator

The imaginary line at 0° latitude dividing Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Human geography

The study of how humans interact with, shape, and are influenced by Earth’s surface.

Human-environment interaction

The relationship between humans and the natural world, including adaptation and modification.

Latitude

Imaginary horizontal lines that measure north or south of the Equator.

Location

The position of something on Earth’s surface, which can be absolute or relative.

Longitude

Imaginary vertical lines measuring east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Mental maps

A person’s internal representation of the layout of places based on knowledge and experience.

Flow

The movement of people, goods, or information between places.

Physical geography

The study of natural features and processes of Earth’s surface.

Possibilism

The theory that while the environment sets limits, humans have the ability to adapt and modify it.

Prime Meridian

The line at 0° longitude running through Greenwich, England, dividing Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

cultural landscape

combination of cultural features + economic + physical features

formal regions/uniform region

an area within which everyone shares in connection one or more distinctive characteristics

functional region/nodal region

area organised around a node/function/focal point

vernacular region/perceptual region

an area ppl believe exists as part of their cultural identity

culture

the body of customary beliefs material traits, social forms.

spatial association

if the distribution of one feature is related to the distribution of another feature

transnational corporation

conducts research, operates factories, sells products in many countries

distribution

the arrangement of a feature in space

concentration

the extent of a features spread over space

humanistic geography

the different ways that individuals form ideas about place + give those places symbolic meaning

behavioral geography

the importance of understanding the psychological basis for individual human actions in space

poststructuralist geography

examines how the powerful in a society dominate/seek to control less powerful groups

uneven development

gap between economic conditions as a result from globilsation of the economy

sex

from birth

gender

the social attributes +associated with being male/female + relationships

diffusion

the process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to an other over time

hearth

a place where an innovation orignates a feature originates at a heath + diffues

relocation diffusion

the spread of an idea through physical movement of people

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature through an additive process

contagious diffusion

widespread diffusion of a charactersitcs throughout the population

stimulus diffusion

the spread of an underlying principle even though a characteristic itslef apparently fails to diffuse

network

a chain of communicatino that connects space

assimilation

the process by which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group

aculturation

the process of changes in a culture that result from the meeting of two groups

syncretism

the combining of two groups into a new cultural feature

resource

a substance in the environment that is useful to people

sustainability

the use of earth’s resources in ways that ensure their avaliabilty in the future

conservation

the sustianable use of earth’s natural resources to meet huamn needs such as food and recreation

preservation

the maintenance of resources in their present condition with as little human impact as possible

the koppen system

a) tropical climates

b) dry climates

c) warm mid-latitude climates

d) cold mid-latitudes climates

e) polar climates

cultural ecology

the geographic study of human-environment relationship

environmental determinism

physical environment causes social development

possiblism

the physical environment may limit human actions/ but ppl the ability to adjust to their environment

polder

a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area

coordinated universal time (UTC)

reference time for all points on earth. at 0 degrees latitude

international date line

arc that for the most part follows 180 degrees latitude (24 hours behind or ahead)

ecumene

the habitable areas of the world

arithmetic density

population/ landarea

physiological density

population/arable land

agricultural density

farmers/arable land

carrying capacity

the max population size that can be supported by the arable resources without damaging the environment or using natural resources unsustainably.

high LDCs

less developed countries
-low level of technology

-farming by hand=more farmers

low MDCs

more developed countries
-high levels of mechanization

-less farmers but more output

overpopulation

when the number of people outnumber the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living

natural increase rate (NIR)

the percentage by which a population grows in a year

doubling time

the number of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant rate of natural increase

crude birth rate CBR

the total number of live births in a year for every 1000 people alive in the society

total fertility rate TFR

the number of live births in a society/the average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years

infant mortality rate IMR

the annual number of deaths of infants under one year, compounded with total live biths

crude death rate CDR

total number of deaths in a year for every 1000 people

the demographic transition

the process of change in a society’s population from high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase and higher total population

stage 1: low growth

• very high CBR

• very high CDR

• very low NIR

stage 2: high growth

• still high CBR

• rapidly declining CDR

• very low NIR

stage 3: moderate growth

• rapidly declining CBR

• moderately declining CDR

• moderate NIR

stage 4: low growth

• very low CBR

• low or slightly increasing CDR

• 0 or negative NIR