AP Human Geography Unit1 - RG

Flashcards based on AP Human Geography Unit 1: Chapter 1 - This is Geography (pgs 2 – 45)

Human Geography

Spatially thinking with the basic questions of answering the Where and Why.

Scale (in Geography)

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

Large-scale Map

Shows more detail and emphasizes local issues.

Small-scale Map

Shows less detail and emphasizes global issues.

GIS (Geographic Information System)

A system that produces maps that are more accurate and attractive than those drawn by hand.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth using satellites.

Remote Sensing

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

VGI (Volunteered Geographic Information)

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

Mashup Map

Maps created through layering data to create visually stimulating images for an audience.

Projections (Map)

Representations of Earth's surface on a flat plane, each with its own form of distortion.

Isoline Map

A type of map used to distribute data.

Dot Distribution Map

A type of map used to distribute data.

Choropleth Map

A type of map used to distribute data.

Cartogram

A type of map used to distribute data.

Place

A specific point that has its own special, unique characteristic(s) that make it stand out from other points.

Toponyms

Place names based on history, religion, as well as geographical figures that are contained inside the place.

Site

The physical characteristics of a place.

Situation

The relative location of a place.

Cultural Landscape

Combination of various features that play into a region, language, religion, economic, and physical features.

Formal Region

A region where everyone shares one or more features in common.

Functional Region

A region focused on one thing as their “main idea” for the region.

Vernacular Region

A region that people believe to use as part of their own cultural identity.

Spatial Association

Relationship between distribution of one feature to another feature.

Globalization

The interconnectedness of the world, affecting aspects from economy to culture.

Density

Frequency which something occurs in space.

Concentration

The extent of a feature’s spread over space.

Pattern

The geometric arrangement of objects in space.

Space

The area and distance in between where objects are.

Behavioral Geography

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

Cultural Identity

A unique description of an area is made up of many factors, such as sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, class, gender, and age.

Diffusion

The process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to another over time.

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of a feature from nodes of authority or power to less important places or people.

Contagious Diffusion

Diffusion on a rapid scale, spreading to anyone and anywhere.

Stimulus Diffusion

The adaptation of diffusion from the hearth, the underlying principle remains mostly the same but it has been changed to suit perforations from other places.

Space-Time Compression

The reduction of the time it takes for something to diffuse to a distant place.

Sustainability

When a region/country is able to sustain their resources.

Environmental Determinism

Relationships between the physical environment and human actions.

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.

Human Geography

The study of the interrelationships between people and their environment.

Geographic Scale

The level of detail at which a phenomenon is studied.

Geospatial Technologies

Tools used to visualize, analyze, and understand spatial data.

Map Projection

The transformation of locations on the Earth's three-dimensional surface to a two-dimensional representation.

Spatial Data

Information that has a geographical or locational component.

Location

A specific point on Earth with defined coordinates.

Geographic Site

The physical character of a place.

Geographic Situation

The location of a place relative to other places.

Cultural Region

An area with a degree of cultural homogeneity.

Spatial Analysis

The process of examining geographic patterns to identify relationships.

Economic Globalization

The increasing integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology.

Cultural Globalization

The transmission of ideas, meanings, and values around the world in such a way as to extend and intensify social relations.

Population Density

The number of people per unit of land area.

Spatial Distribution

The arrangement of phenomena across the Earth's surface.

Human-Environment Interaction

The dynamic relationship between human beings and the environment.

Cultural Trait

A characteristic of human action that’s commonly shared by a culture.

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another.

Uneven Development

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

Natural Resources

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

Climate Change

A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.

Human Impact

The effects of human activities on the environment.

Map Scale

The ratio between the size of an area on a map and the actual size of that same area on the earth’s surface.

Geographic Coordinate System

A spherical coordinate system of measuring locations on the Earth, with latitude and longitude as the coordinates.

Remote Sensing Technology

Technologies that can be used to collect data from a distance, most commonly from satellites or aircraft.

Participatory GIS (PGIS)

The use of GIS to engage community members in the mapping and analysis of their local environment and resources.

Map Distortion

The misrepresentation of shape, area, distance, or direction of or between geographic features when projecting from a curved surface to a flat plane.

Geographic Grid

A network of lines of latitude and longitude used to measure locations on the Earth.

Formal Region Characteristics

Uniformity, administrative, or political.

Functional Region Characteristics

Nodes, core and periphery.

Geographic Boundary

The line that marks the limit of an area, region, or territory.

Regional Analysis

The process of examining the unique characteristics of a particular region.

Global Interdependence

The mutual reliance of countries on each other to fulfill their needs.

Population Distribution

The pattern of where people live on the Earth.

Spatial Clustering

The concentration of something in a particular area.

Culture Hearth

The place of origin of a major culture.

Cultural Adaptation

The process by which people adjust to their environment.

Geographic Isolation

The separation of a place from others, often due to physical barriers.

Development Disparities

The differences in levels of economic and social development between countries or regions.

Resource Depletion

The use of natural resources at a rate faster than they can be replenished.

Ecosystems

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Pollution

The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.

Sustainability Indicators

Measurable data that can be used to assess the sustainability of a system.

Geographic Data Analysis

The process of examining geographic data to identify patterns and relationships.

Geographic Prediction

The act of estimating a future geography based on known data.

Longitude

The angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England.

Latitude

The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator, or of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes.

International Date Line

An imaginary line on the surface of the Earth that defines the boundary between calendar dates.

Thematic Map

A type of map specifically designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area.

Human-induced environmental change

Alterations to the environment caused by humans.

Spatial interaction

The interdependence between different geographic locations, and a key concept in geography.

Density gradient

A spatial concept, related to urban and population geography, referring to the change in density over distance.

Topographic map

A type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines, but historically using a variety of techniques.

Isopleth Map

A thematic map with lines that connect points of equal value.

Cultural ecology

The study of human adaptations to social and physical environments.

Time-distance decay

The declining degree of acceptance of an idea or innovation with increasing time and distance from its origin.

Mental map

A person's point-of-view perception of their area of interaction.

Geodemographics

The analysis of people according to where they live.

Gravity model

A model used to predict the interaction between two places based on their size and distance.

Critical distance

The distance beyond which cost, effort, and/or means strongly influence our willingness to travel.

Transnational Corporation (TNC)

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

Neo-colonialism

Continuing economic dependency after decolonization.

Environmental justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.