APHG Unit 1: This Is Geography

abiotic

composed of nonliving or inorganic mattter

absolute location

description of the position of a place in a way that never changes, such as geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude

acculturation

the process of changes in culture that result from the meeting of two groups, each of which retains distinct cultural features

assimilation

the process by which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group (usually seen in a negative light)

atmosphere

the thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

behavioral geography

an approach to human geography that emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological basis for individual human actions in space

biosphere

all living organisms on Earth, including plants and animals, as well as microorganisms

biotic

composed of living organisms

cartogram

a map in which the projection and scale are distorted in order to convey the information of a variable

cartography

the science of making maps

choropleth map

the map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the variable

citizen science

scientific research by amateur scientists

climate

the long-term average weather condition at a particular location

concentration

the extent of a feature’s spread over a given area

connection

the relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space

conservation

the sustainable management of natural resource to meet human needs

contagious diffusion

the rapid, wide-spread diffusion of a feature or trend through out a population

coordinated universal time (UTC)

informally Greenwich mean time (GMT). the time in the zone encompassing the prime meridian, or 0 longitude.

cultural ecology

a geographic approach that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical phenomena in a particular study area

cultural landscape

an approach to geography that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical phenomena in a particular study area

culture

the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together constitutes the distinct tradition of a group of people

density

the frequency with which some thing exists within a given unit of area

diffusion

the process by which a feature spreads from one place to another over time

distance decay

the diminished importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin

distribution

the arrangement of something across Earth’s surface

dot distribution map

a map that depicts data that consists of discrete observations. each dot presents a predetermined number of observations, which could be one or many

ecology

the scientific study of ecosystems

ecosystem

a group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact

environmental determinism

a 19th century and early 20th century approach to the study of geography which argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences. geography was therefore the study of how the physical environment caused human activities.

expansion diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in an additive process

formal region (or uniform region)

an area in which most people share in one or more distinctive characteristics

functional region (nodal region)

an area organized around a node or focal point

geographic information science (GIScience)

analysis of data about Earth acquired through satellite and other electronic information technologies

geographic information system (GIS)

a computer system that captures, stores, queries, and displays geographic data

geotagging

identification and storage of apiece of information by its precise latitude and longitude coordinates

global positioning system (GPS)

a system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers

globalization

actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope

graduated symbol map

a map that displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable

hearth

a place from which an innovation orignates

hierarchical diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places

humanistic geography

an approach to human geography that emphasizes the different ways that individuals form ideas about place and give those places symbolic meanings.

hydrosphere

all of the water on and near Earth’s surface

international date line

an arc that for the most part follows 180 degree longitude. when the international date line is crossed heading east (toward America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. when it s crossed heading west (toward Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day.

isoline map

a map that connects places of a particular value by lines

latitude

the numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator (0)

lithosphere

Earth’s crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust

location

the position of anything on Earth’s surface

longitude

the numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian (0)

map

a two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth’s surface or a portion of it

map scale

the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth’s surface

mashup

a map that overlays data form one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service

meme

contagious diffusion through the Internet or social media

mental map

a representation of of Earth’s surface based on what an individual knows about a place that contains personal impressions of what is in the place and where the place is located

meridian

an arc drawn on a map between the north and south poles

network

a chain of communication that connects places

nonrenewable resource

a resource that is produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans.

parallel

a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians

participatory GIS (PGIS)

community-based mapping, representing local knowledge and information

pattern

the geometric or regular arrangement of something in a particular area

photogrammetry

the science of taking measurements of Earth’s surface from photgraphs

place

a specific point on Earth, distinguished by a particular characteristic.

polder

land that the Dutch have create by draining water form an area

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

poststructuralist geography

geographic approach that examines how the powerful in a society dominate, or seek to control, less powerful groups, how the dominated groups occupy space, and confrontations that result from the domination

preservation

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

prime meridian

the meridian, designated as 0 longitude, that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England

projection

a system used to transfer locations form Earth’s surface to a flat map

region

an area distinguished by one or more distinctive characteristics

relocation diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another

remote sensing

the acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or from other long-distance methods

renewable resource

a resource that is produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans

resource

a substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use

scale

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

site

the physical character of a place

situation (or relative location)

the location of a place relative to another place

space

the physical gap or interval between two objects

space-time compression

the reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems

spatial association

the relationship between the distribution of one feature and the distribution of another feature

stimulus diffusion

the spread on an underlying principle

sustainability

the use of Earth’s renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future

syncretisim

the combining of elements of two groups into a new cultural feature

toponym

the name given to a portion of Earth’s surface

transnational corporation

a company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where its headquarters or shareholders are located

uneven development

the increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions as a result of the globalization of the economy

vernacular region (or perceptual region)

an area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity

volunteered geographic information (VGI)

creation and dissemination of geographic data contributed voluntarily and for free by individuals