Unit 1 Gradesavers

the study of earth's characteristics such as landforms, bodies of water, climate, ecosystems, and erosion

physical geography

the study of humans and human activities such as population, culture, politics, urban areas, and economics

human geography

have data points set in defined space and examine the direct relationship between people and places in defined space.

spatial models

illustrate theories using words, graphs, or tables and show changes over time.

non-spatial models

the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions

time-distance decay

general arrangement of things being studied

spatial patterns

any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

quantitative data

information that describes objects, events, or other features with a location & it is quantitative and spatial

geospatial data

designed for people to refer to for general information about places

reference maps

show and label human-created boundaries and designations, such as countries, states, cities, and capitals

political maps

show and label natural features, such as mountains, rivers, and deserts

physical maps

show and label highways, streets, and alleys

road maps

show and label property lines and details of land ownership

plat maps

a specialized map made to visualize a particular subject about a geographic area

thematic maps

show the location and distribution of spatial data using various colors or patterns. they also show rates/other quantitative data in defined areas.

choropleth maps

show the specific location and distribution of something across a map

dot distribution

use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something

graduated symbol maps

uses lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space. used for weather and elevation.

isoline maps

a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions & elevations for natural and man-made features

topographic maps

a type of map in which the geometry of regions are distorted in order to convey the information of some statistic(s)

cartogram

show a larger amount of area with less detail

small-scale maps

show a smaller amount of area with greater detail

large-scale maps

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

scale

the exact spot of where something is

absolute location

the measurement of the distance from one point to another in terms of feet, meters, miles, or kilometers

absolute distance

description of where something is in relation to other things

relative location

the approximate measurement of how close two points are based on features such as time, cost, and transportation

relative distance

the distance of features above sea level

elevation

arranged in a group or concentrated area

clustered distribution

spread out over a large area

dispersed distribution

arranged in a straight line

linear distribution

method that transfers earth's sphere on a flat surface

map projection

misrepresentation of the area, shape or size of a feature

distortion

task of describing and defining landscapes

landscape analysis

act of visiting a location in person and recording firsthand information there

field observation

professional images captured from planes

aerial photography

articles published by newspapers or magazines

media reports

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

travel narratives

formal documents such as treaties, articles and videos from news media outlets or photos of an area

policy documents

skill of analyzing and identifying geographical features in a photograph

photographic interpretation

computer system that stores, organizes, retrieves, analyzes, and displays information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets

GIS (geographic information systems)

networks of satellites and receiving devices used to determine the location of something on earth

GPS (global positioning systems)

use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites which orbit the earth above the atmosphere to collect digital images of the earth's surface

remote sensing

counts the population of a nation, state, or geographic location and it records info about the population's characteristics

census data

the area between two phenomena or things

space

the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

place

characteristics at an immediate location (ex: soil type)

site

location of a place relative to its surroundings

situation

emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences

sense of place

name of place, or place-name

toponym

decrease in the amount of time it takes to go from one location to another because of improved methods of transportation and communication

time-space compression

patterns and movement of people, ideas, products, and other phenomena

flow

general arrangement of something in an area

pattern

the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

human-environment interaction

items that are found in the natural environment

natural resources

act of using natural resources responsibly so that they can support present and future generations

sustainability

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

land use

belief that the physical environment affects social and cultural development

environmental determinism

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.

possibilism

used by geographers to analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns

scale of analysis

shows the entire world

global

shows a specific area or portion of land

regional

shows a country

national

shows a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood.

local

when geographers organize data into different scales

aggregation

also known as uniform regions, or homogeneous regions, they are united by one or more traits, physical, political, cultural, or economic.

formal region

social or economic function that occurs between a node or focal point

functional region

also known as a vernacular region; area defined by people's feelings or attitudes

perceptual region

subdivision of a region that shares some characteristics with the rest of the region but is different in some ways

subregion