Geography Vocabulary

Choropleth Map

Map using colors to represent statistical data

Isoline Map

Map displaying lines of equal value

Geospatial Technology

Tools for gathering, managing, and analyzing geographic data

Projection

Method of representing a 3D surface on a 2D plane

Formal Region

Area with a shared trait or characteristic

Functional/Nodal Region

Region organized around a focal point

Vernacular Region

Perceived region with no formal boundaries

Hearth

Origin point of a cultural trait

Diffusion

Spread of ideas, culture, or disease

Density

Number of items or people in a given area

Urban

Related to cities and densely populated areas

Rural

Related to countryside and sparsely populated areas

Globalization

Increasing worldwide interconnectedness

Outsourcing

Shifting jobs or services to other countries

Supply Chain

Network moving resources to consumers

Opportunity Cost

Value of the next best alternative foregone

Absolute Advantage

Ability to produce a good more efficiently

Comparative Advantage

Ability to produce at a lower opportunity cost

Sovereign Debt

Money borrowed by a country's government

Bonds

National government IOUs with specified payments

Default

Failure to repay borrowed money

Microloans

Small loans to low-income individuals for business

Sustainability

Meeting present needs without compromising future generations

United Nations

International organization for global peace and cooperation

Ecotourism

Tourism emphasizing natural environment protection

Demographics

Population groups based on race, age, gender, or religion

Sex Ratio

Ratio of males to females in a population

Dependency Ratio

Ratio of working age adults to non-working individuals

Baby Boom

Sudden increase in birth rate across a society

Youth Bulge

Significantly larger youngest age groups in a population

Anti-natalist policy

Policy aiming to reduce birth rate

Contraception

Birth control methods like pills or condoms

One child policy

China's policy limiting most families to one child

Pro-natalist policy

Policy aiming to increase birth rate

Total Fertility rate

Average children per woman in reproductive years

Crude Birth Rate

Number of births per 1,000 people

Crude Death Rate

Number of deaths per 1,000 people

Natural increase rate

Births minus deaths, indicating population growth

Doubling time

Years for a population to double in size

Carrying Capacity

Maximum sustainable population on a unit of land

Arithmetic Density

People per unit of land

Physiological Density

People per unit of arable land

Agricultural Density

Farmers per unit of arable land

Arable

Land suitable for farming

Yield

Amount of crops harvested from land

Land Degradation

Farmland deterioration due to human activities

Malthus

18th-century philosopher predicting food scarcity due to population growth

Neomalthusians

Believers in Malthus' predictions of food shortage

Demographic Transition model

Graph showing birth, death rates, and population change

Epidemiological Transition model

Chart showing life expectancy and causes of death change

Population Pyramid

Graph dividing population by age and gender

Internally Displaced Person

Person fleeing within own country due to safety concerns

Chain Migration

Migration facilitated by a friend or family member

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock by nomads or shepherds

Physical-Political Boundary

Border based on natural features like mountains

Relic Boundary

Boundary no longer official but impacts culture

Irredentism

Desire to reclaim lost territory by a country

Territoriality

Belief a land belongs to a specific country or group

Ethnic Separatism

Desire of an ethnic group to leave their state

Shatterbelts

Strategic lands between conflicting forces at risk

Imperialism

Direct political control over a country

Tax Haven

Country with low taxes and banking privacy

Redistricting

Creating new electoral districts based on census

Gerrymandering

Drawing districts to favor a specific group or party

Federal State

Power shared between national and local governments

Unitary State

Country with centralized power in national government

Agribusiness

Large corporation managing extensive farms

Aquaculture

Large scale farming of fish and seafood

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of food, animals, and diseases between continents

Commercial Agriculture

Farming for profit

Commodity Chain

Process from crop gathering to final product sale

Crop Rotation

Changing crops to maintain soil fertility

Economy of Scale

Cost decrease with increased production volume

Crop Yields

Amount of crop harvested from a piece of land

Extensive Agriculture

Farming on a large scale with minimal inputs

Fair Trade

System guaranteeing minimum prices to farmers

First Agricultural Revolution

Transition from hunting to farming for food

Food Desert

Area with limited access to affordable, quality food

Food Insecurity

Uncertainty over access to affordable, nutritious food

Industrial Agriculture

Farming involving the use of machines

Global Supply Chain

Worldwide network of farmers and food manufacturers

GMO

Genetically modified organism for improved traits

Greenhouse Gases

Pollution from burning fossil fuels

Green Revolution

Improved crop yields from advanced farming techniques

Intensive Agriculture

Farming with heavy use of inputs for high yields

Irrigation

Using technology to provide water to crops

Local Food Distribution Network

Buying food from nearby sources like farmers' markets

Mediterranean Farming

Cultivating crops suited for Mediterranean climates

Microcredit

Small, low-interest loans for small businesses

Mixed Crop & Livestock Farming

Production of both livestock and food crops on a farm

Monoculture

Farming only one crop

National Food Distribution Network

Shipping food to distant locations within a country

Relocation Diffusion

Spread of crops or farming practices through travel or trade

Rural to Urban Migration

Movement from countryside to city, influenced by tech

Runoff

Water carrying residues from fields into rivers

Salinization

Increase in soil salt levels, harmful to plants

Second Agricultural Revolution

Improved farming practices with crop rotation and machinery

Selective Breeding

Joining plants for desirable traits, common in Green Revolution

Shifting Cultivation

Subsistence farming practice in less developed countries

Soil Degradation

Decrease in soil quality and productivity from pollution