AP Human Geo Vocab (Final Exams unit 1-3)

Acculturation

When one culture adopts traits from another.

Assimilation

When a culture is fully absorbed into another culture.

Cartography

The science of making maps.

Climate

Long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation.

Concentration

How spread out or clustered things are in an area.

Conservation

Protecting natural resources so they last longer.

Contagious Diffusion

Rapid, widespread diffusion from person to person.

Culture

A group's beliefs, customs, and ways of life.

Cultural Ecology

How humans interact with the environment.

Cultural Landscape

The visible imprint of humans on Earth.

Density

Number of things in a certain area.

Diffusion

The spread of ideas, people, or things.

Distance Decay

The further away something is, the less interaction happens.

Distortion

Changes to shape, size, distance, or direction on a map.

Distribution

How things are arranged across space.

Environmental Determinism

The environment controls human behavior.

Expansion Diffusion

A trait spreads outward but remains strong at the origin.

Field Experience

Learning by directly observing an area.

Formal Region

An area with official boundaries or characteristics.

Functional Region

An area organized around a central point.

Geography

Study of Earth and human-environment relationships.

GIS

A system that stores and analyzes geographic data.

Geospatial

Data related to location.

Global Grid

Latitude and longitude lines forming a coordinate system.

Globalization

The world becoming more connected.

GPS

Satellite system used to find exact location.

Hearth

The starting point of an idea or innovation.

Hierarchical Diffusion

Spread from powerful or influential places.

Human Geography

Study of humans and cultures across space.

Latitude / Longitude

Coordinates that measure north/south and east/west.

Location (Absolute, Relative)

Exact position or position compared to other places.

Map Projection (Mercator)

Map that keeps direction but distorts size.

Map Scale

Shows distance on a map vs the real world.

Mashup

Combining different map layers.

Network

Connections between places.

Physical Geography

The study of natural features of Earth.

Place

A location with meaning or characteristics.

Possibilism

Humans can adjust to their environment.

Preservation

Protecting natural areas from human use.

Reference Map

A map showing general information.

Region

An area grouped by shared characteristics.

Relocation Diffusion

Spread of ideas through movement of people.

Remote Sensing

Collecting data from satellites.

Satellite Navigation Systems

Tools that use satellites for directions.

Scale

Level of detail: global, regional, national, local.

Sense of Place

Feelings tied to a place.

Site

Physical characteristics of a location.

Situation

A location's connections to other places.

Space

The physical gap between objects.

Spatial Association

When two things are related in the same space.

Spatial Interaction

Flow of people, ideas, or goods between places.

Spatial Patterns

How things are arranged.

Spatial Perspective

Looking at issues through spatial patterns.

Stimulus Diffusion

Spread of an idea but changed to fit culture.

Sustainability

Using resources responsibly.

Syncretism

Blending of different cultures or religions.

Thematic Maps

Maps showing certain data.

Time Space Compression

Technology reduces travel/communication time.

Time Zones

Regions with different times.

Toponym

A place name.

Transnational Corporation

A company operating in multiple countries.

Types of Maps

Physical, political, and thematic map types.

Vernacular Region

An area people believe exists.

Visualization

Using images/maps to understand data.Asylum Seekers

Brain Drain

Emigration of skilled workers to other countries.

Chain Migration

Migration of people to a place where family or friends have already settled.

Circular Migration

Temporary movement of people for work or seasonal reasons.

Circulation

Short-term, repetitive movements within a region.

Counter-urbanization

Movement from cities to rural areas.

Emigration

Leaving one country to live in another.

Environmental Degradation

Decline in environmental quality that can push people to migrate.

Forced Migration

Movement of people against their will.

Guest Worker

Temporary labor migrants, usually for low-skilled jobs.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

People forced to move within their own country due to conflict or disaster.

Internal Migration

Movement within a country.

International Migration

Movement from one country to another.

Interregional Migration

Movement between regions within a country.

Intervening Obstacle

A barrier that makes migration more difficult (e.g., mountains, laws, visas).

Intervening Opportunity

A closer opportunity that reduces the likelihood of migrating farther.

Intraregional Migration

Movement within a region, such as city to suburb.

Migration Transition

Changes in migration patterns caused by demographic transitions.

Mobility

The ability to move from one place to another.

Net Migration

The difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants.

Pull Factor

Positive reason attracting people to a new location.

Push Factor

Negative reason causing people to leave a location.

Quota

A limit on the number of immigrants allowed into a country.

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

Patterns predicting migration, such as most migrants move short distances.

Refugee

Person fleeing persecution, war, or danger.

Remittance

Money sent by migrants back to their home country.

Step Migration

Migration in stages, e.g., village → town → city.

Transhumance

Seasonal movement of livestock herders and their animals.

Transnational Migration

Migrating between countries while maintaining ties to the origin.

Unauthorized Immigrant

A person living in a country without legal permission.

Undocumented Immigrant

Same as unauthorized immigrant; living in a country without official permission.

Voluntary Migration

Migration by choice for personal reasons.

mobility

going from one place to another

Diffusion

the way things spread from one place to another

EX: Pizza in Italy that spread to other places

interregional

moving between different regions of a country