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Place
a specific point on Earth, distinguished by a particular characteristic.
Region
an area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics
scale
the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole.
space
the physical gap or interval between two objects.
connection
relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space.
map
a two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface, or a portion of it.
cartography
the science of mapmaking
Geographic Information System
A device that captures, stores, queries, and displays the geographic data
Global Positioning System
a system that determines the precise position of something on Earth.
map scale
the relationship of a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on Earth.
projection
The scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map
meridian
an arc connecting the North and South poles
longitude
The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian
parallel
a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians.
latitude
The numbering system to indicate the location of a parallel
prime meridian
The meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, is 0° longitude,
isoline map
connects with lines all the places that have particular values
dot distribution map
depicts data as points and shows how those points are clustered together or spread out over an area. Each dot represents a predetermined number of observations, which could be one or many
Choropleth Map
a map where recognizable areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the variable
Graduated symbol map
displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable. A higher value is typically represented by a larger symbol
cartogram
is a map in which the size of a country or U.S. state is proportional to the value of a particular variable,
Location
the position that something occupies on Earth’s surface.
situation
also known as relative location, is the location of a place relative to other places.
absolute location
the position of a place in a way that never changes, such as geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude.
cultural landscape
a combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation
formal region
also called a uniform region, is an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
functional region
also called a nodal region, is an area organized around a node or focal point
Vernacular/perceptual region
an area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity
culture
the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together constitutes the distinct tradition of a group of people
spatial association
the relationship between the distribution of one feature and the distribution of another feature
globalization
a force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope
distribution
he arrangement of a feature in space
density
the frequency with which something occurs in space
concentration
The extent of a feature’s spread over space
pattern
the geometric arrangement of objects in space
poststructuralist geography
examines how the powerful in a society dominate, or seek to control, less powerful groups, how the dominated groups occupy space, and confrontations that result from the domination.
humanistic geography
emphasizes the different ways that individuals form ideas about place and give those places symbolic meanings
behavioral geography
emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological basis for individual human actions in space
diffusion
The process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to another over time
hearth
place from which an innovation originates
relocation diffusion
The spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another
expansion diffusion
The spread of a feature from one place to another in an additive process
hierarchical diffusion
the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places
contagious diffusion
the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population
stimulus diffusion
the spread of an underlying principle even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse.
distance decay
The farther away someone is from another, the less likely the two are to interact. Contact diminishes with increasing distance and eventually disappears.
space-time compression
the reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place
assimilation
the process by which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group
acculturation
process of changes in culture that result from the meeting of two groups
sustainability
the use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future.
conservation
The sustainable use and management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human needs such as food, medicine, and recreation
preservation
the maintenance of resources in their present condition with as little human impact as possible.
biotic
composed of living organisms.
abiotic
composed of nonliving organisms
ecosystem
A group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact
ecology
The scientific study of ecosystems
cultural ecology
The geographic study of human–environment relationships
environmental determinism
the belief that human geographers should apply laws from the natural sciences to understanding relationships between the physical environment and human actions
possibilism
the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to their environment
polder
a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area
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