AP human geo all units

Absolute Distance

A distance that is measured with a standard unit of length, such as mile or kilometer (usually pertaining to coordinates)

Accessibility

The relative ease in which a destination may be reached from some other place

Concentration

Where things are gathered within a specific space; the spread of something over a given area

Connectivity

The degree of economic, social, cultural or political connection between two places

Density

How many of a certain thing are within a specific area; the frequency with which something exists within a given unit of an area

Distribution

The arrangement of something across earth's surface

Relative Distance

A measure of distance that includes the costs of overcoming the friction of absolute distance separating two places. Relative distance often describes the amount of social, cultural, or economic connectivity between two places. Distance in terms of cost and time

Dispersion

The pattern of spacing among individuals within geographic population boundaries

Field Study

Studies geographers conduct by being in the real world

Friction of Distance

The friction of distance is a measure of the difficulty associated with movement or communication between places

Functional (or Nodal) Region

An area organized around a node or focal point. The characteristic chosen to define a functional region dominates at a central focus and diminishes in importance outward.
ex: Post offices, radio stations

Location

The position of anything on earth's surface

Map

A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it

Mental Map

An internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on what individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a place and where places are located

Model

A simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify casual relationships and to help geographers explain patterms , make decisions and predict future behaviors

Networks

A real pattern of sets of places and the routes (links) connecting them along which movement can take place

Node

The center of a place; the nucleus

Nodal Region

Area organized around a node or focal point/place where there is a central focus that diminishes in importance outward. Used to display information about economic areas.

Pattern

The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area

Perception

Your view and idea of a place

Perspective

The way in which you see something (how you percieve things)

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character

Projection

The process of transferring data from a spherical reference to a flat reference. A mathematical method that involves transferring the earth's sphere onto a flat surface. This term can also be used to describe the type of map that results from the process of projecting.

Distortion in Projection

There are 4 types of distortion that can occur in projection:
1. Shape
2. Distance
3. Size
4. Direction

Formal (or uniform or homogenous) Region

An area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics (can be universal or predominant--majority)...can explain patterns
ex: language, corn farmers

Sequent Occupance

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape. This is an important concept in geography because it symbolizes how humans interact with their surroundings. [Changing attribute of a place]

Site

The physical characters of a place. Can include: soil, vegetation, latitude, elevation, etc

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places (valuable in indicating location)

Size

How big something is

Space

The physical gap or interval between two objects

Spatial

Of or pertaining to space on or near Earth's surface. Often a synonym for geographical and used as an adjective to describe specific geographic concepts or processes

System

An assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by the way of some driving force; a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in particular

Themes

A general topic that a map could be themed on (income, race, etc)

Traditions in Geography

4 Traditions in Geography:
Spatial
Manland
Earth Science
Area

Linear Distance

How far from one point to another point (similar to absolute distance, but pertaining less to coordinates)

Time Distance

How long it takes to get to a location

Time-Space Convergence

The idea that distance between some places is actually shrinking as technology enables more rapid communication and increased interaction between those places

Vernacular (or Perceptual) Region

A place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity; "view point"
ex: football fans, the south

Relocation Diffusion

The spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another.
ex: spread of HIV/AIDS, spread of Dutch Euros to England

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of a feature from one place to another in a snowballing process. Three types of expansion diffusion:
1. Hierarchical Diffusion
2. Contagious Diffusion
3. Stimulus Diffusion
ex: Fashion trends, swine flu (1 to 2 to 4 to 8 people)

Hierarchical Diffusion

A type of expansion diffusion. The spread of an idea from authority (including celebrities) to other people and places. Could also be between urban areas and rural areas.
ex: fashion trends, music

Contagious Diffusion

A type of expansion diffusion. The rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout a population. Often caused by proximity between people. Often pertains to contagious disease.
ex: plague, influenza, ideas on web

Stimulus Diffusion

A type of expansion diffusion. The spread of an underlying principle, even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse.
ex: computer, cell phones, apple created the mouse but apple failed with IBM using the mouse....the mouse diffused, but apple did not

Jared Diamond

-Author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
-Believer of Environmental Determinism
-1960's to Present, California, USA

Ellen Churchill Semple

-Claimed that geography is the study of natural influences on people
-Created Environmental Determinism
-Late 1800's to Early 1900's, Massachusetts, USA

Ellsworth Huntington

-Claimed "climate is a major determinant of civilization" (with Semple)
-Claimed development of a country depends on proximity to the equator
-Late 1800's to Early 1900's, Massachusetts, USA

Carl Sauer

-Worked on Regional Studies
-Decided that each region has a "distinctive landscape based on 'social relationships' and 'physical processes'". (Involving Environmental Determinism and Environmental Possibilism)
-Decided that environment depends on society
-Early 1900's, USA

Carl Ritter

-Worked to involve scientific methods, ways, and studies into geography
-Started to speak about connection between people and natural landscape
-Focused on how environment causes culture...Environmental Determinism
-1800's, Germany

Eratothenes

-First to use word geography
-Calculated world's circumference (accepted that world was round)
-Constructed first map
-Map had regions
-276? to 194? BC, Greece

Ptolemy

-Wrote 'Guide to Geography' showing basic principles of map making
-276?-194? BC, Greece

John Snow

-Epidemiologist
-Worked in anesthesia research
-Discovered cholera outlet
-Drew connections on maps about contagious diffusion and diseases
-1837 to 1858, United Kingdom

Alfred Wegener

-Suggested idea of plate tectonics
-Studied polar air
-Studied meteorology
-1904 to 1930, Austria, Germany, Greenland

Toponym

The name given to a place on earth, involving religion, sayings, people, etc.

Isoline Map

Connects point of equal value with line

Dot Density Map

...

Proportional Symbol Map

...

Vector Flow Map

...

Scale

-Zooming in creates larger scale (things are bigger)
-Zooming out creates smaller scale (things are smaller)

Expression of Scale

-Ratio or Fractions (ratio of map vs. earth) ex: 1/24000
-A Written Scale (describes relationship between map vs. earth) ex: 1 inch equals 1 mile
-A Graphic Scale: A bar line to show map vs. earth

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

Environmental Determinism

Society functions based on physical environment.

Belief that geography is how environment affects societies. Argues that general laws sought by human geographers could be found in physical sciences.
ex: Minnesotans vs. Floridans

Environmental Possibilism

Society functions separately, impacted by environment.

Argues that physical environment may set limits on human actions, but that people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.
ex: Singapore

WHAT IS THOUGHT BY AP.

Cultural Determinism

Argues that physical environment does not affect society. Only limits on society are limits put on by self.

GIS

Geographic Informational Systems
-Uses maps, data, satellite, etc.
-Uses multiple layers of maps to compare and contrast

GPS

Geographic Positioning Systems
"Network of satellites and receiving devices used to determine the location of something on earth."
-Uses 24 satellites, orbiting every 12 hours
-uses triangulation: measures distances to 3 satellites to find position on earth

Remote Sensing

Used to obtain "info about objects or areas from a distance, typically from the aircraft or satellite."
-detects energy reflected on earth to find location and information about objects
-two types: passive and active
passive: measures natural sun ray reflection
active: sends signals (lasers, etc) and measures
reflection time
-used to measure change and help with natural disasters, etc

Online Mapping

...

Age-sex Pyramid

A pyramid that shows population based on age and sex (a population pyramid).

Arithmetic Growth

Linear growth of a population, population growth at a constant rate.

Birth Rate

A number showing the number of babies born in a specific place or over a specific time. (per year)

Carrying Capacity

The largest number of people that the environment of a particular area can sustainably support.

Cohort

A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The number of live births per year per 1,000 people.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The number of deaths per year per 1,000 people.

Dependency Ratio

The number of people under the of 15 and over age 64 (not working), compared to the number of people active in the labor force

Demographic Transition

The process of change in a society's population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population; A change in society from high birth rates and high death rates to low birth rates and low death rates, or vice versa.

Demography

The scientific study of population characteristics.

Density

The frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area.

Arithmetic Density

The total number of people divided by the total land area.

Agricultural Density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture.

Physicological Density

The number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture.

Sex Ratio

The number of males per 100 females in the population.

Distribution

The arrangement of something across earth's surface.

Doubling Time

The time it takes for a population to double in size; The number of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant rate of natural increase.

Ecumene

The portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement. This is typically: East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and a little bit of Eastern North America. These are non-extremes.

Exponential Growth

Growth that occurs when a fixed percentage of new people is added to a population each year. Exponential growth is compound because the fixed growth rate applies to an ever increasing population; Geometric growth in a population.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years an individual can be expected to live, given current social, economic and medical conditions; The average age individuals are expected to live, which varies across space, between genders, and between race.
Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live. (diff bc of infant mortality??)

Infant Mortality Rates (IMR)

The total number of deaths in a year among infants under one year old for every 1,000 live births.

Malthusian

Of the population theory by Thomas Malthus saying population is increasing faster than food supply. Malthus also theorized that the only way to prevent overpopulation is through famine, war, disease, and poverty.

Mortality Rates

Death rates on a large scale, can include, but not limited to: maternal mortality rates, fetal mortality rates; likelihood that a person belonging to a specific group will die.

Natalism

A policy or general attitude that encourages population growth, often in the face of limited resources.

Pro-Natalism

Pro-life, anti-abortion

Anti-Natalism

Selectively breeding; sterilization and death of many women to purify the population; pro-family planning

Overpopulation

The number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living; A value judgment based on the notion that the resources of a particular area are not great enough to support that area's current population.

Rate of Natural Increase

The percentage by which a population grows each year (due to births and deaths).

Replacement Fertility

The number of people that need to be born to replace the existing population.

Population Momentum

The tendency for a population to continue beyond the time of replacement fertility.

Population Projection

An estimation of future population statistics from data analysis

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years.

Underpopulation

Circumstances of too few people to sufficiently develop the resources of a country or region to improve the level of living of its inhabitants.