Unit 1 Human Geo Notes

Geography

The study of Earth's physical and human features.

Spatial perspective

A way of identifying, explaining, and predicting the human and physical patterns and the interconnectedness of various spaces.

Environmental determinism

The belief that the physical environment determines societal development.

Cartography

The science of creating maps.

Scale

The ratio between the distance on map vs the actual distance on Earth.

Toponyms

Names given to places on Earth.

Cognitive map

Mental associations unique to a person's perception of space.

Small-scale maps

Maps that use a small ratio to show larger areas, such as countries.

Large-scale maps

Maps that use a large ratio to show smaller areas, such as neighborhoods.

Functional region

Regions linked by a particular activity or function.

Perceptual region

Regions determined by people's mental images or perceptions.

Desertification

The process by which land becomes a desert.

Distance decay

The concept that the farther away different places are from an original site, the less likely interaction occurs.

Time-space compression

The idea that with increased technology, the actual distance between two places shrinks.

Subsistence farming

Farming that provides only enough food for the personal consumption of the farmer and their family.

Cultural landscape

The tangible products resulting from the complex interaction between people and their environments.

Environmental perspective

A perspective focused on the interaction between physical and human systems.

Possibilism

The belief that humans have a range of possible choices in adapting to their physical environment.