ap hug unit 1 - basic terms

ap hut common L

Reference Map

A map type that shows reference information for a particular place, making it useful for finding landmarks and for navigating.

Thematic Map

A type of map that displays one or more variables-such as population, or income level-within a specific area.

Absolute Distance

The distance that can be measured with a standard unit length, such as a mile or kilometer.

Absolute Direction

Based on the cardinal points of north, south, east, and west

Relative Distance

Distance measured in terms such as cost or time which are more meaningful for the space relationship in question

Relative Direction

Directions such as left, right, forward, backward, up, and down based on people's perception of places

Clustering

When objects in an area are close together.

Dispersal

When objects in an area are relatively far apart.

Elevation

The height of land above sea level.

Map Projection

the scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map.

Absolute Location

The exact position of an object or place, measured within the spatial coordinates of a grid system.

Relative Location

The position of a place in relation to another place.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A collection of computer hardware and software that permits spatial data to be collected, recorded, stored, retrieved, manipulated, analyzed, and displayed to the user.

Satellite Navigation System

a device used to plot the user's position on a map, using GPS technology to obtain the location.

Remote Sensing

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

Field Observations

A method of studying what people are doing and observing how their actions and reactions vary.

Media Reports

Articles published by newspapers and magazines and television news programs.

Travel Narratives

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

Landscape Analysis

Using field observation, spatial data, and aerial photography to gather data to define and describe landscapes.

Photographic Interpretation

The identification, description and measurement of objects in images, especially in aerial photographs, for geologic, cartographic or military purposes.

Census Data

Systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population.

Satellite Imagery

Images of the earth taken from orbiting satellites. Images can be taken in a variety of forms so as to detect specific information about the earth, vegetation and other types of land cover.

Space

The physical gap or interval between two objects

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character.

Flows

the movement of objects, people and ideas between places.

Distance Decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

Time-space compression/convergence

The increasing sense of connectedness between a space due to technology

Pattern

the geometric arrangement of objects in space

Human Environment Interaction

The geographic theme that explores how people use, adapt to, and modify the environment

Sustainability

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Natural Resources

Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain.

Land Use

Various ways humans use the land such as agricultural, industrial, residential, or recreational

Environmental Determinism

the view that the natural environment has a controlling influence over various aspects of human life including 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.

Scales of Analysis

the study of a phenomena globally, regionally, or locally

Global Scale

the level of geography that encompasses the entire world as a single unified area

Regional Scale

Interactions occurring within a region, in a regional setting.

National Scale

Interactions occurring within a country.

Local Scale

the level of geography that describes the space where an individual lives or works; a city, town, or rural area

Regional Analysis

The study of the cultural, economic, political, physical, or other factors that contribute to the distinctiveness of geographical areas.

Formal Region

An area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.

Functional (Nodal) Region

An area organized around a node or focal point

Perceptual (Vernacular) Region

A region that only exists as a conceptualization or an idea and not as a physically demarcated entity.

Geographic Data

information that identifies the geographic location of features and boundaries on earth (natural and constructed).

Mercator Projection

a projection of a map of the world onto a cylinder in such a way that all the parallels of latitude have the same length as the equator, used especially for marine charts and certain climatological maps.

Robinson Projection

A projection that maintains overall shapes and relative positions without extreme distortion. Most classrooms use this projection.

Isoline Map

Map displaying lines that connect points of equal value; for example, a map showing elevation levels

Dot Map

Maps where one dot represents a certain number of a phenomenon, such as a population.

Cartogram Map

A map in which the shape or size is distorted in order to demonstrate a variable such as travel, population, or economic production.

Travel Documents

All the necessary documents you would need to take with you on a trip i.e passport or ID card, visa, etc.

policy documents

Documents created by the government or other organizations

personal interview

A face-to-face conversation in which a researcher surveys an individual to obtain research data