Irondale Geography - Unit 1 Vocab

Basic vocabulary for unit 1 in human geography at rondale High School

Region

Region

an area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas.

Physical Geography

the study of physical features of the earth's surface.

Geographic Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines the exact position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

Human Geography

The study of the spatial variation in the patterns and processes related to human activity

absolute location

Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates of latitude and longitude

relative location

The location of a place in relation to another place (for example Irondale is north of the railroad tracks, but south of the movie theater)

Geographic Information System (GIS)

a computer system that can capture, store, query, analyze, and display geographic data in layers

map distortion

Happens when a round surface is made flat; distortion may be in size or shape of landforms, distance between landforms, or in direction

place

the combination of human and physical characteristics that make a place special - used by geographers to understand what it is like

remote sensing

the acquisition of Earth’s data from a satellite or from another long-distance method (i.e. aerial photos) - often used to analyze changes in places over time

map projection

the scientific method of transferring locations on Earth's surface to a flat map

political map

A map that shows man-made features such as boundaries, countries, and cities

physical map

shows the natural features of an area like mountains, rivers, and lakes

choropleth map

Use various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data.

Cartogram

A map that uses size as an indicator of the data or statistics that are being measured.

Location

describes the physical location of something or a place

Spatial Connections/Movement

describes how closely connected places are to each other (these connections include both transportation and communication)

Human-Environment Interaction

deals with the relationship humans have with the planet

Toponym

The name of a place, especially one that comes from a physical or cultural feature

formal region

An area that has measurable shared traits or characteristics like religion, language or economic activities (it is measurable)

perceptual region

An area defined based on thoughts or perceptions and not actual information (will vary person to person)

functional region

An area linked together by shared interactions. Organized around a focal point

TODALSIGS

included on maps by geographers to help communicate important information including: Title, Orientation, Date, Author, Legend, Scale, Index, Grid, Source