AP Human Geography Unit 1

Physical Geography

the study of the spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment.

Human Geography

the study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities. (population, culture, politics, urban areas, economics)

Four-Level Analysis

the spatial framework that will guide your thinking, provide an approach to spatial thinking, and help you think like a geographer

Analyze

to break down into parts and study each part carefully

Theory

a system of ideas and concepts that attempt to explain and prove why or how interactions have occurred in the past or will occur in the future.

Concepts

key vocabulary, ideas, and building blocks that geographers use to describe our world.

Processes

involve a series of steps or actions that explain why or how geographic patterns occur

Models

representations of reality or theories about reality, to help geographers see general spatial patterns, focus on the influence of specific factors, and understand variations from place to place.

Spatial Models

stylized maps that illustrate theories about spatial distributions

Nonspatial Models

illustrate theories and concepts using words, graphs, or tables.

Time-Distance Decay

things/places that are closer are more connected or related than things that are far apart

Spatial Patterns

the general arrangement of things being studied

Networks

a set of interconnected entities, sometimes called nodes

Quantitative Data

any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

Geospatial Data

quantitative and spatial. It has a geographical component and is used with geographic information systems (GIS) because it lends itself to analysis using formulas and is mappable

Qualitative Sources

not represented by numbers. This data is collected as interviews, photographs, etc.

Scales of Analysis

looking at topics at the local, regional, country, or global scale (zooming in and out)

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

show spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon

Choropleth Maps

use various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data

Dot Distribution Maps

are used to show the specific location and distribution of something across a map. Each dot represents a specified amount

Graduated Symbol Maps

use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something

Isoline Maps

use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space (closer depicts rapid change, farther depicts little change)

Topographic Maps

points of equal elevation are connected on these maps, creating contours that depict surface features

Cartogram

the sizes of countries (or states, counties, or another areal unit) are shown according to some specific statistic

Cartographic Scale

refers to the way the map communicates the ratio of its size to the size of what it represents

Scale

the ratio between the size of things in the real world and the size of those same things on a map

Small-Scale Maps

show a larger amount of area with less detail

Large-Scale Maps

show a smaller amount of area with a greater amount of detail

Absolute Location

the precise spot where something is according to some system

Latitude

the distance measure north or south of the equator

Equator

an imaginary line that circles the globe exactly halfway between the north and south poles (0 degrees)

Longitude

the distance east or west of the prime meridian

Prime Meridian

an imaginary line that runs from pole to pole through Greenwich, England (0 degrees)

International Date Line

An arc that for the most part follows 180° longitude, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross the International Date Line heading east (toward America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. When you go west (toward Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day

Relative Location

a description of where something is in relation to other things

Connectivity

how well two locations are tied together by roads or other links

Accessibility

how quickly and easily people in one location can interact with people in another location

Direction

used in order to describe where things are in relation to each other. (North, South, East, West)

Absolute Distance

usually measured in terms of feet, miles, meters, or kilometers

Relative Distance

indicates the degree of nearness based on time or money and is often dependent on the mode of travel

Elevation

the distance of features above sea level (impacts climate, weather, agriculture)

Distribution

the way a phenomenon is spread out over an area

Pattern

the general arrangement of things

Clustered/Agglomerated Distribution

arranged in a group or concentrated area

Linear Distribution

arranged in a straight line

Dispersed Distribution

spread out over a large area

Circular Distribution

equally spaced from a central point (a circle)

Geometric Distribution

a regular arrangement (a square)

Random Distribution

appear to have no order to their position

Landscape Analysis

the task of defining and describing landscapes

Field Observation

the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, firsthand, information there

Spatial Data

All of the information that can be tied to specific locations

Aerial Photography

professional images captured from planes within the atmosphere

Fieldwork

observing and recording information on location, or in the field

Geovisualization

allows people to zoom in or out to see data in ways that were previously impossible.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS receivers on the earth's surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver's exact location

Remote Sensing

The use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites to collect digital images of the earth's surface.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets

Community-based Solution

increase the likelihood of success because they create buy-in from local residents and are more likely to be culturally accepted

Spatial Approach

considers the arrangement of the phenomena being studied across the surface of the earth (location, distance, direction, orientation, flow, pattern, interconnection)

Space

the area between two or more phenomena or things

Location

identifies where specific phenomena are located either on a grid system or relative to another location

Place

refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

Site

described as the characteristics at the immediate location

Situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

Sense of Place

The feeling that an area has a distinct and meaningful character

Toponym

the name given to a place

Time-space Compression

The shrinking "time-distance," or relative distance, between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication

Spatial Interaction

refers to the contact, movement, and flow of things between locations

Flow

refers to the patterns and movement of ideas, people, products, and other phenomena

Friction of Distance

indicates that when things are farther apart, they tend to be less well connected

Distance Decay

the inverse relationship between distance and connection

Spatial Association

indicates that two (or more) phenomena may be related or associated with one another

Human-Environmental Interaction

the dual relationship between humans and the natural world. the connection and exchange between them

Natural Resource

includes items that occur in the natural environment that people can use (renewable and non-renewable)

Sustainability

trying to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment

Land Use

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

Built Environment

the physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape

Cultural Landscape

anything built by humans

Cultural Ecology

the study of how humans adapt to the environment

Environmental Determinism

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development

Possibilism

a view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

Geographic/Relative Scale

refers to the area of the world being studied

Global Scale

the entire world

World Regional Scale

multiple countries of the world

National Scale

one country

National Regional Scale

a portion of a country or a region(s) within a country

Local Scale

a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood

Aggregation

when geographers organize data into different scales such as by census tract, city, county, or country

False Conclusions/Inaccurate Generalizations

not supported by the data or logical reasoning

Regions

have boundaries, unifying characteristics, cover space, and are created by people

Formal/Uniform Regions

united by one or more traits (political, physical, cultural, economic)

Functional/Nodal Regions

organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity that occurs across the region (united by communication, transportation, or other interactions)

Perceptual/Vernacular Regions

defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them

Subregions

divide regions into smaller areas