Meteorology, History of Cartography, Europe Notes 1/4

Koppen-Geiger System

A climate classification system that categorizes climates into 5 main groups: A (Tropical), B (Dry), C (Temperate), D (Continental), and E (Polar).

Cumulus Clouds

Low altitude clouds that are most common, with bases around 6,500 feet.

Cumulonimbus Clouds

Massive clouds that can reach high elevations, associated with strong storms and weather extremes.

Stratus Clouds

Low altitude clouds usually associated with warm fronts.

Cirrus Clouds

High altitude clouds that appear feathery and wispy, generally found around 20,000 feet.

Eratosthenes

Greek mathematician and geographer known for calculating the Earth's circumference using measurements between Alexandria and Syene.

Longitude

Vertical bands on a globe that pass through both poles.

Latitude

Horizontal bands on a globe used to determine location in relation to the equator.

John Harrison

Inventor of the marine chronometer for calculating longitude by comparing local times.

The Groma

Roman surveying instrument that improved geographic accuracy, used for establishing straight lines and angles.

Ptolemy's Geography

A significant ancient text that provided instructions on map making and influenced explorers.

Cartogram

A type of map that distorts shapes to convey a geographical message.

Primate City

A city that dominates in economic, political, and social factors within a country.

Mercantilism

An economic policy aimed at increasing national wealth by maximizing exports and minimizing imports.

Alfred Weber

Developer of the Least Cost Theory, which predicts industrial locational decisions.

Coriolis Effect

A force resulting from Earth's rotation that affects pressure system rotations.

Irredentism

A policy of extending cultural and political control by a state over a neighboring community of its nationals.

Fjord

A long, narrow inlet of the sea with steep sides, commonly found in Norway.

Supranationalism

Collaborative relationships formed by three or more states for mutual benefit.

T-O Map

Medieval map that reflects church power, depicting continents with East at the top.

Cartography

The art and science of map making.

Break-of-bulk

A transport location where goods are transferred from one carrier to another.

Shatter Belt

An unstable area between regions with opposing political and cultural values.

Core-Periphery Model

Concept describing the spatial dynamics between developed (core) and less developed (periphery) regions.

Karst Topography

A landscape characterized by limestone features such as caverns and sinkholes.

Polders

Areas in the Netherlands drained of sea water & now used for farmland.

Primate city

A country's largest city (usually but not always the capital).

Ancona Line

An invisible line dividing Northern and Southern Italy, extending from Rome to the Adriatic coast at Ancona; core is industrial (includes Milan, skilled labor), periphery is the stagnant south with intensive agriculture.

Länder

The states in Germany.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; includes the US, England, France, Canada, and Western European countries.

Benelux

A political and economic union of Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Balkans

Region comprising the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea, northwest corner of the Black Sea (Odesa), and the southern tip of the Greek mainland, forming a triangle.

Nation-State

A country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and union; a political unit.

Agglomeration

Industry locates to take advantage of an established market, not necessarily near rich natural resources.

Deglomeration

Industry locates away from established markets, near rich natural resources.