AP Human Geo unit 1

Geography

Spatial science (study of relationships on earth’s surface)

Geo

earth

Graphia

writing

historians

look at how world changes over time

geographers

look at how woel changes over space

what are geography’s 3 critical questions?

where is it happening?

why there? (and not somewhere else)

Impact? (on that place , surrounding areas, the world etc)

How do maps cause distortion?

-Shape

-Distance

-relative size (area) appears larger or smaller than it is

-direction

Cartography

science of mapmaking

what two purposes do maps serve as?

1. a reference tool to identify an object’s absolute and relative location

2. a communication tool to convey the distribution of human activities or physical features

mercator

preserves direction but distorts area (higher altitudes distorted - Greenland appears huge)

fuller

maintains accurate size and shape; completely rearranges directions

robinson

distorts all 4 but minimizes error in each (most balanced)

azimuthal

puts north or south pole at center of map (view of looking up or down at earth)

what is a map

a two dimensional or flat scale model of Earth's surface or a portion of it

whats a projection

earths 3d surface onto a 2d flat surface

what are the types of projections

mercator, fuller, Robinson, azimuthal

what are the types of maps?

thematic, reference, cognitive/mental, preference

thematic map

display one or more variables ( population, religion, language)

reference map

for navigation (I.e road maps)

cognitive/mental maps

individuals internal understanding of a place

preference map

peoples ideas of quality of life (CA, FL, CO rate highest,, city over rural, sunny over cold)

what are the map symbols?

isoline, proportional, dot map, choropleth, cartogram

isoline

line represents constant quantity (ex. elevation)

proportional symbol

size of symbol represents relative magnitude of value

dot map

dots show specific location of occurrences

choropleth

uses color to represent data

cartogram

transform country size relative to data

stressed use of…

empirical evidence, more scientific, quantitative, and objective