HGAP MEGA Vocabulary - Flashcards

absolute direction

exact direction using bearing or NSEW directions

absolute distance

exact distance from one point to another using units of measurement

absolute location

exact coordinate of a place using latitude and longitude

activity spaces

the extent of which people move in their everyday lives

area distortion

the misrepresentation of shape, space, distance, direction, or location between geographic features when compared to their true measurements on the earth’s surface

dispersal

action of process of distributing things or people over a wide area

distance decay

the interaction between two areas declines as the distance between them increases

distance distortion

present on most maps, distance is distorted because the map is not following the spherical curvature of the earth, therefore the true distance between geographic locations is distorted

environmental determinism

the theory that the environment cannot be shaped or fixed and that all of humanity and the organisms within must heel to the environment’s change

field observation

physically visiting a place, location, or region and recording the information observed in that area

formal region

a region defined by one predominant or universal characteristic throughout its entire area

friction of distance

distance requires effort, energy, or money to overcome, therefore causing the friction, the lowered desire to travel distances. the friction of distance increases the further away two objects are from each other

functional region

sometimes called a nodal region, a functional region is fixed around a specific node or focal point and has at least one system connecting the area (communications, sewage, transportation, trade, etc.)

geographic informaiton system (gis)

uses computer-based tools to store, visualize, analyse, and interpret geographic data

geographical data

data on the geography of an area

geospatial data

identifies the distance and space between two geographic features

global scale

viewed from a global perspective (e.g. GDP for all countries in the world)

land use

how an area or piece of land is being used

landscape analysis

analyzation of the cultural or geographic landscape of an area, observing details and traits of the region

local scale

specific area with unique physical features (climate, topography, vegetation, etc.); the region varies in size

map projection

includes robinson, mercator, goode-homolosine, polar, mollweide, azimuthal, gall-peters, etc.

map distortion

all maps must be distorted in some shape or form as each one cannot correctly follow the 3D curvature of the earth

migration flow

the direction or flow of people migrating from one place to another

national scale

seen on a scale encompassing only the entirety of a nation

natural resources

resources already existing and present in an area that are usually used for human benefits

pattern

observable pieces of information when compared to other sets of data; trends seen between data

perceptual/vernacular region

the idea of an area that people believe in (e.g. the U.S.A.’s South)

personal interview

face-to-face conversation with interviewer and respondent

place

one of the five main themes of geography, describes the physical and human characteristics of any location on earth

policy documents

documents outlining the policies/rules of something

possibilism

the theory that humans have the ability to adapt and alter their surroundings to their own benefit

reference maps

maps used for reference; mostly geographically accurate and outlines points of interest (robinson, goode-homolosine, gall-peters, mercator)

regional analysis

analysis of a specific region, takes into account the characteristics or traits found in that region

regional scale

viewing data on a scale of a certain area (region)

relative direction

approximate direction, not completely accurate, holds much ambiguity in the statement (e.g “over there”, “under the building”, “across the field”)

relative distance

approximate distance, not completely accurate, holds much ambiguity in the statement (e.g. “it’s a short walk away”, “about as far as a football field”)

relative location

approximate location, not completely accurate, holds much ambiguity in the statement (e.g. “it’s next to Costco”, “somewhere in the mall”, “around the tennis fields”)

remote sensing

the process of taking pictures of the earth’s surface from satellites, airplanes, drones, or any other aerial device to provide a greater understanding of the earth’s geography over large distances

satellite imagery

images of the earth taken specifically by satellites orbiting the planet. used for gis and remote sensing

satellite navigation system (GPS)

network of satellites and receiving devices used to determine the location of something on earth

shape distortion

distortion of something (e.g. longitude or latitude shrinkage, greenland is massive, the countries in the poles are extremely exaggerated, africa is super thin)

site

exact location of something, used with latitude/longitude coordintes

situation

location of a place in relativity to other places

space

one of the five themes of geography, it is the distance between two areas

sustainability

how capable a region is at providing for itself (e.g. cleaning up the environment, making sure that the area does not run out of food, using renewable energy sources)

thematic maps

maps that show patterns or trends in data

time-space compression/convergence

the set of processes that cause the relative distance between places to contract, making places seem closer (result of globalization and urbanization)

toponym

alternate name for a place, named after something, usually a defining feature of the place but not necessarily (e.g. Georgia was named after King George, Louisiana was named after King Louis, Saskatchewan was named for “swift flowing river”

travel narratives

account for a physical journey, detailing the ethnographic, biogeographic, or physical characteristics of an area

aging population

a population in which the percentage that is age 65 and older is increasing relative to other age groups

Agricultural Population Density

Ratio of the total number of farmers to the amount of land suitable for agriculture

Anti-Natalist Population Policies

Government policies concerned with limiting population growth.

arable land

land suitable for growing crops

Arithmetic Population Density

the population of a country divided by its total land area

asylum seeker

Type of refugee who is attempting to gain legal status, protection, and entry into a new country.

Boserup Theory

Population growth stimulates intensification in agricultural development- opposite of Malthus theory.

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that an environment can support

Cartogram

a map on which statistical information is shown in diagrammatic form - distorts shape/size to show compare data

Census

the official count of a population

Chain Migration

pattern of migration that develops when migrants move along and through kinship links

Contraception

Intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring

Counterurbanization

Net migration from urban to rural areas in more developed countries.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Cyclic Movement

Movement - for example, nomadic migration, migrant farmers - that has closed route and is repeated annually or seasonally

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

A sequence of demographic changes in which a country moves from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates through time.

Demography

The scientific study of population characteristics and changes.

dependency ratio

The number of people under age 15 and over age 65 compared to the number of people active in the labor force

doubling time

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.

Ehrlich theory

explosive population growth

Emigration

migration of individuals out of an area

Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM)

A model highlighting the distinctive causes of death in each stage of the demographic transition

eugenic population policies

Government policies designed to favor one racial sector over others

expansive population policies

Government policies that encourage large families and raise the rate of population growth

family planning

Providing information and services to help people choose the number and spacing of children they want to have.

Forced Migration

Human migration flows in which the movers have no choice but to relocate, often compelled by cultural factors

GDP

Gross Domestic Product- the total market value of all final goods and services produced annually in an economy

Guest Workers

Workers who legally migrate to the more developed countries in search of higher-paying jobs.

Immigration

Movement of individuals into a population

Immigration Policies

government laws that decides who can enter a country

infant mortality rate (IMR)

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

infrastructure

the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, power supplies, communication networks) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Internal Migration

permanent movement within the same country

Internally Displaced Person (IDP)

someone who is forced to flee their home but who remains within their country's borders

International Migration

Permanent movement from one country to another.

Interregional Migration

Permanent movement from one region to another

intervening obstacle

An environmental or cultural feature of the landscape that hinders migration (e.g. Mediterranean Sea, Walls, mountain range).

intervening opportunity

An environmental or cultural feature of the landscape that helps migration (e.g. NGO help with refugees).

Intraregional Migration

Permanent movement within one region.

Less Developed Country (LDC)

A country that is at a relatively early stage in the process of economic development. Also referred as Low-income

life expectancy

The average number of years an individual can be expected to live, given current social, economic, and medical conditions.

Literacy Rate

The percentage of a country's people who can read and write.

Malthusian Theory

The theory that population grows faster than food supply and other resources

Medical Revolution

Improved medical practices have eliminated many of the traditional causes of death in poorer countries and enabled more people to live longer and healthier lives.

Migration

movement of people from one place to another

More Developed Country (MDC)

A country that has progressed relatively far along a continuum of development. High-income

Neo-Mathusians

people who believe in a set of doctrines derived from Thomas Malthus's theory that limited resources keep populations in check and reduce economic growth

newly developing country (ndc)

a nation whose GDP per capita and other measures of well-being fall well below the world average but that is beginning to be engaged in industrial and other developments

Nomadism

A way of life, forced by a scarcity of resources, in which groups of people continually migrate to find resources.