aphg unit 2 vocab

spatial approach

considers the arrangement of the phenomena being studied across the surface of the earth.

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 __.

sense of place

factors that contribute to the uniqueness of a location

cultural landscape/built envieonment

physical artifacts that humans created which make up the landscape. human produced.

placelessness

a location without a sense of place. no distinct attribute

clustering

close together

density

the number of something in a defined area

distribution

the way something is spread out over an area

patterns & spatial associations

indication that two (or more) phenomena may be related, associated, or correlated with one another. relationships.

regionalization

the process geographers use to divide and categorize space into smaller areas of analysis

spatial interaction

connections, contacts, movement, and flow of things between places

distance decay

the interaction between two places declines as the distance between the two places increases

time space compression

the increasing sense of accessibility and connectivity which seems to bring humans in distanced places closer together

diffusion

the process by which a characteristic spreads across space from on place to another

cultural ecology

the study of how humans interact with the environment

environmental determinism

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

possibilism

acknowledges the limitations imposed by the natural environment, but focuses on the role of human culture to modify and respond to the environment to better fit human needs.

regions

an area with one or more characteristics (human or physical) or patterns of activity

formal region

united by one of more specific traits (social, economic, political, environmental)

functional region

organized around a central node (focal point) and the relationship is typically based around economics, travel, or communication

perspective region

based on a person’s perspective or perception of a certain location

place

refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

region

a group of places in the sane area that share a characteristic form a __

site

the characteristics at the immediate location (ie soil type, climate, labor force)

situation

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

sense of place

related to the concept of a place

toponyms

place names that usually provide insight to the culture, history, or physical geography of a location

time space compression

the shrinking “time distance “, or relative distance, between two locations because if improved methods of transportation and communication

land use

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

geographic scale

the area of the world being studied

aggregation

when geographers organize data into different scales

false conclusions

inaccurate generalizations that are nit supported by data or reasoning

regions

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

subregions

divided regions into smaller areas

cultural ecology

the study of how humans adapt to the environment

human environmental interaction

the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

friction of distance

when things are further apart, they tend to be less connecte

site

the characteristics at the immediate location

sustainability

an overarching theme of human geography and relates to trying to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment