APHG U1

Physical Geography

The study of spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment

Human Geography

The study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities.

Spatial Model

A geographic model that looks like a stylized map, they illustrate theories about spatial distributions

Nonspatial model

A geographic model that illustrates theories and concepts using words, graphs, or tables.

Time-Distance Decay

The idea that things near each other are more closely connected or related than things that are far apart.

Spatial patterns

Refers to the general arrangement of things being studied.

Networks

A set of interconnected entities, sometimes called nodes

Quantitative Data

Any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

Geospatial Data

Data that is quantitative and spatial

Qualitative Data

Collected as interviews, photographs, remote satellite images, descriptions, or cartoons

Reference Maps

Maps designed for people to refer to for general information about places.

Political Map

shows and label human-created boundaries and designations (countries, states, cities, capitals)

Physical Maps

Shows natural features (mountains, rivers, deserts)

Road maps

Shows and label highways, streets, and alleys

Plat maps

Shows and label property lines and details of land ownership

Thematic maps

A map that shows spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon

Choropleth map

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

Dot distribution maps

Uses symbols to show the specific location and distribution of something across a map

Graduated symbol map

Uses symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something. Larger = more | Smaller = Less

Isoline Maps

Use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space

Topographic Maps

Uses lines to show different points of elevation and creates contours that depict surface features

Cartogram

The sizes of states/countries are shown according to some specific statistic.

Scale

The ratio between the size of things in the real world and the size of those same things on the map.

3 Types of Scale

Cartographic scale, geographic scale, and the scale of data represented on the map

Cartographic scale

Refers to the way the map communicates the ratio of its size to the size of what it represents

Small scale map

Larger amount of area, less detail

Large scale map

Smaller amount of area with a greater amount of detail

Absolute location

The precise spot where something is according to a system (latitude and longitude

Latitude

Distance north or south of the equator

Longtitude

Distance east or west of the prime Meridian

Relative location

A description of where something is in relation to other things

Connectivity

How well two locations are tied together by roads or other links

Accessibility

How quickly and easily people in one location can interact with people in another location

Direction

Used in order to describe where things are in relation to each other

Prime Meridian

An imaginary line that runs from pole to pole through Greenwich, England

Equator

An imaginary line that circles the globe exactly halfway between the North and South Poles

International Date Line

Another imaginary line that roughly follows the Prime Meridian

Distance

A measurement of how far or how near things are to one another.

Absolute Distance

Distance using terms of feet, miles, meters, or kilometers

Relative Distance

Indicates the degree of nearness based on time or money and is often dependent on the mode of travel

Elevation

The distance of features above sea level (measured in feet/meters)

Distribution

The way a phenomenon is spread out over an area

Clustered/Agglomerated (Pattern)

Phenomena that are arranged in a group or concentrated area

Linear (Pattern)

Phenomena are arranged in a straight line

Dispersed (Pattern)

Phenomena are spread out over a large area

Circular (Pattern)

Phenomena are equally spaced from a central point forming a circle

Geometric (Pattern)

Phenomena are in a regular arrangement (Such as squares or blocks formed by roads)

Random (Pattern)

Phenomena appear to have no order to their position

Because the Earth is a sphere and all maps are flat

All maps distort some aspect of reality

Landscape analysis

The task of defining and describing landscapes

Field observation

The act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording firsthand information there

Spatial Data

All of the information that can be tied to specific locations

Remote Sensing

Collecting information from satellites or other craft above the atmosphere

Aerial Photography

Professional images captured from planes within the atmosphere

Fieldwork

Observing and recording information on a location, or in the field

Geovisualizations

2D or 3D interactive maps

NGO

Non governmental organizations

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets

GPS

(Global Positioning System) GPS receivers on the earth’s surface use the location of multiple satellites to determine and record the receivers exact location

Spatial Approach

Focuses on things such as location, distance, direction, orientation, flow, pattern, and interconnection.

Space

The area between two or more phenomena or things.

Location

Identifies where specific phenomena are located either on a grid system or relative to another location

Place

Refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location. 2 ways to refer to it: Site and situation

Site

The characteristics at the immediate location. (Soil type, climate, labor force, human structures)

Situation

The location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places.

Sense of place

The perceived characteristics of places in different ways based on a persons personal beliefs

Toponyms

Place names (Fernandina Beach, Pensacola Beach)

Time-space compression

The shrinking relative distance between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication.

Spatial Interaction

Refers to the contact, movement, and flow of things between locations.

Flow

Refers to the patterns and movement of ideas, people, products, and other phenomena

Friction of distance

When things are father apart, they tend to be less connected (or distance decay)

Distance decay

Same thing as friction of distance

Spatial association

Matching patterns of distribution. It indicates that two or more phenomena may be related or associated with each other.

Human-Environmental Interaction

The connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

Natural Resource

Items that occur in the natural environment that people can use (air water, oil, fish, soil, minerals)

Renewable natural resource

Natural resources that are theoretically are unlimited and will not be depleted based on use by people.

Non-renewable natural resources

Limited natural resources that can be exhausted by human uses

Sustainability

Trying to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment

Land use

The study of how land is utilized, modified, and organized by people

Built environment

The physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape

Cultural Ecology

The study how humans adapt to the environment

Environmental Determinism

The belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture

Possibilism

A view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays.

Geographic Scale/Relative Scale

Refers to the area of the world being studied

Aggregation

When data is organized into different scales, allowing it to be more easily mapped or organized

Geographical Extent

The area shown in an image or map

Global Scale

The entire world is shown

World Regional Scale

multiple Countries of the world or continents are shown

National Scale

One country is shown

National Regional

A portion of a country or regions within a country is shown

Local Scale

A province, state, city, county, or neighborhood is shown

False conclusions

Inaccurate generalizations that are not supported by data or logical reasoning

Regions

A category of space that has boundaries, unifying characteristics, cover space, and are created by people (often dynamic)

Formal/Uniform/Homogeneous regions

Regions that are united by one or more traits: political, physical, cultural, or economic

Functional/Nodal Regions

Regions that are organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity (usually political, social, or economic) that occurs across the region (Must have the flowof some phenomenon)