AP Human Geography- Unit 1

physical geography

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

human geography

the study of the spatial characteristics of humans/human activities

Four-Level Analysis

guide your thinking, provide an approach to spatial thinking, think like a geographer

analyze

to break down into parts and study each part carefully

theory

a system of ideas and concepts that attempt to explain and prove why/how interactions have occurred in the past or in the future

concepts

key vocabulary, ideas, and building blocks that geographers use to describe our world

processes

series of steps or actions that explain why/how geographic patterns occur

models

representations of reality or theories about reality, to help geographers see general spatial patterns, focus on the influence of specific factors, and understand variations place to place

spatial models

look like stylized maps, they illustrate theories about spatial distributions

nonspatial models

illustrate theories and concepts using words, graphs, or tables

time-distance decay

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

spatial patterns

general arrangement of things being studied

networks

set of interconnected entities, called nodes

quantitative data

any information that can be measured and recorded using numbers

geospatial data

is quantitative and spatial- has geographic location and used with geographic information systems because it lends itself to analysis using formulas

qualitative sources

not usually represented by numbers (interviews, photos, cartoons)

scales of analysis

looking at topics at the local, regional, country, or global scale

reference maps

designed for people to refer to for general information about places

political maps

shown human-created boundaries and designations (countries, states, cities)

physical maps

show natural features (mountains, rivers, deserts)

road maps

show highways, streets, and alleys

plat maps

show property lines and details of land ownership

thetmatic maps

show spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon

choropleth maps

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

dot distribution maps

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

graduated symbol maps

use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something

isoline maps

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

topographic maps

isoline map and popular among hikers

cartogram

the sizes of 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

cartographic scale

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

small-scale maps

show a larger amount of area with less detail

large-scale maps

show a smaller amount of area with a greater amount of detail

absolute location

the precise spot where something is according to a system

latitude

the distance north or south of the equator

equator

an imaginary line that circles the globe exactly halfway between the North and South poles

longitude

the distance East and West of the prime meridian

prime meridian

an imaginary line that runs from pole to prole through Greenwich, England

International Date Line

180 degrees longitude, follows this line (but deviations to accommodate international boundaries)

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

patterns

general arrangement of things

absolute distance

measured in terms of feet, miles, meters, or kilometers

relative distance

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

elevation

the distance of features above seal level, measured in feet or meters

distribution

the way a phenomenon is spread out over an area

clustered distribution

arranged in a group or concentrated area

linear distribution

arranged in a straight line

dispered distribution

are spread out over a large area

circular distribution

equally spaced from a central point, forming a circle

geometric distribution

regular arrangement

random distribution

no order to their position

landscape analysis

the task of defining and describing landscapes

field observations

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

spatial data

all of the information that can be tied to specific locations

remote sensing

gathers information from satellites that orbit the earth or other craft above the atmosphere

aerial photography

professional images captured from planes within the atmosphere

fieldwork

observing and recording information on location

geovisualizations

2D or 3D interactive maps that allow people to zoom in and out to see data that was previously considered impossible

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

GPS receives on the earth’s surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location

Remote sensing

the use of cameras or other sensors mounted on aircraft or satellites to collect digital images or video of the earth’s surface

Geographic Information System (GIS)

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

community-based solutions

power of the governmental and non-governmental organizations to help the people improve their standard of living

spatial approach

considers the arrangement of the phenomena being studied across the surface of the earth

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

region

a group of places in the same area that share a characteristic

site

the characteristics at the immediate location- soil type, climate, labor, etc

situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity

sense of place

related to the concept of place

toponyms

place names

time-space compression

the shrinking “time-distance” between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication

spatial interaction

the increasing connection between places

flow

the patterns and movements of ideas, people, products, and other phenomena

friction of distance

when things are farther apart, they tend to be less connected

distance decay

inverse relationship between distance and connection

patterns

the general arrangement of things being studied

distribution

the way a phenomenon is spread out or arranged over an area to describe patterns

spatial association

matching patterns of distribution that indicates that two (or more) phenomena may be related or associated with one another

human-environmental interaction

the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

natural resources

items that occur in the natural environment that people can use

renewable natural resources

theoretically are unlimited and will not be depleted based on use by people

non-renewable natural resources

limited and can be exhausted by human uses

sustainability

relates to 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 landscape

anything built by humans, is the realm of land use

cultural ecology

the study of how humans adapt to the environment

environmental determinism

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior, ignores cultural influence

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

global scale

the entire world

world regional scale

multiple countries of the world

national scale

one country

national regional scale

a portion of a country or regions within a country

local scale

a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood

aggregation

geographers organize data into different scales such as by census tract, city, county, or country