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Study Practice for Unit 1 of AP Human Geography.
Types of Maps
Reference and Thematic
Types of Spatial Patterns
Absolute and relative distance
Map Projections
Distortion (Shape, area, distance, and direction)
Scale of Analysis
Different levels at which geographic data can be analyzed.
Site vs. Situation
Site refers to the physical characteristics of a place, while situation refers to its location relative to other places.
Spatial concepts
Absolute and relative locations, space, place, distance decay, time-space compression, and pattern
Regions
Formal, Functional, and Vernacular
Cultural Ecology
The study of how human society interacts with the environment.
Possibilism
The theory that the environment sets certain constraints or limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social conditions.
Environmental Determinism
The belief that the physical environment, particularly the climate and terrain, actively shapes cultures.
Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Density
Arithmetic, physiological, and agricultural
Diffusion
Relocation and Expansion
Toponym
A place name that can portray cultural information of an area.
Formal/Uniform Region
An area where everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
Functional/Nodal Region
An area organized around a node or focal point.
Vernacular/Perceptual Region
An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
Globalization
The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.
Distance Decay
The diminishing importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.
Space-Time Compression
The reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place.
Sustainability Pillars
Environment Pillar, Social Pillar, Economic Pillar
Environmental Pillar
Focuses on the conservation of natural resources and the environment.
Social Pillar
Focuses on social equity and community development.
Economic Pillar
Focuses on economic growth and development while maintaining environmental integrity.
Maps
The most important tools of a geographer to help to communicate complex information.
Reference maps
Designed for people to refer to for factual information about places.
Political maps
Show and label human-created boundaries such as countries, states, cities, and capitals.
Physical maps
Show and label natural features.
Road maps
Show and label highways, streets, and alleys.
Plat maps
Show and label property lines and details of land ownership.
Thematic Maps
Show specific aspects of information.
Choropleth maps
Use various colors, shades of colors, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data.
Dot distribution maps
Show the spatial location and distribution of something across an area.
Graduated symbol maps
Use symbols of different sizes to indicate different quantities of something.
Isoline maps
Use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space.
Cartograms
Show the size of countries according to some specific statistic.
Scale
The relationship between the size of things in the real world and the size of those same things on the map.
Absolute Location
The exact position where something is according to a coordinate system.
Relative Location
A description of where something is in relation to other things.
Absolute distance
The exact distance between two points.
Relative Distance
The distance between two points as measured in terms of time or cost.
Elevation
The height above a given level, usually measured in feet or meters.
Pattern Distribution
The arrangement of phenomena across a space.
Small Scale vs. Large Scale
Small scale shows a larger area with less detail, while large scale shows a smaller area with more detail.
Spatial patterns
The general arrangement of phenomena on a map.
Distance
The amount of space between two points.
Clustered
A distribution pattern where items are grouped closely together.
Linear
A distribution pattern where items are arranged in a line.
Dispersed
A distribution pattern where items are spread out over a large area.
Circular
A distribution pattern where items are arranged in a circular formation.
Geometric
A distribution pattern that follows a geometric shape or arrangement.
Random
A distribution pattern where items are placed without any specific arrangement.
Projection
The process of showing a curved surface on a flat surface.
Mercator Projection
A cylindrical map projection that distorts size and distance but preserves direction.
Peters Projection
A cylindrical map projection that preserves area but distorts shape.
Conic Projection
A map projection that is created by projecting the earth's surface onto a cone.
Robinson Projection
A map projection that attempts to minimize distortion of size, shape, distance, and direction.
Geospatial Data
Data that is associated with a specific location on the earth's surface.
Remote Sensing
The acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact.
Aerial Photography
The taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position.
Geovisualizations
Visual representations of data that help people understand complex geographic information.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information anywhere on Earth.
Geographic Information System (GIS)
A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.
Friction of Distance
The concept that distance creates a barrier to interaction between places.
Time-Space Compression
The phenomenon where the time required to travel between places decreases due to improvements in transportation.
Spatial Interaction
The movement of people, goods, and information between different locations.
Toponym
A place name that can provide information about the location's history or characteristics.
Time-space compression
The phenomenon where improvements in transportation reduce the time it takes to travel between places.
Spatial association
The relationship between the distribution of two or more phenomena across space, often indicating a correlation.
Human-environmental interaction
The connection and exchange between humans and the natural world.
Geographic concepts
Frameworks such as sustainability and human-environmental interaction that help understand spatial relationships.
Sustainability
The ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Renewable resources
Natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time.
Nonrenewable resources
Natural resources that are finite and cannot be replenished within a human timescale.
Land use
The management and modification of natural environment into built environment for various purposes.
Cultural ecology
The study of how human culture interacts with the environment.
Environmental determinism
The theory that the physical environment predisposes human social development.
Scales of analysis
Different levels of geographic analysis that reveal various patterns and relationships.
Data aggregation
The process of compiling data from various sources to provide a comprehensive overview.
Life expectancy
The average period that a person may expect to live, often used in demographic studies.
Formal regions
Areas defined by official boundaries and uniform characteristics.
Functional regions
Areas defined by a function or a node, often linked by transportation or communication.
Perceptual regions
Regions defined by people's perceptions and feelings rather than formal boundaries.
Subregion
A smaller division of a larger region, determined by specific characteristics.
Regional analysis
The study of regions to understand their characteristics and relationships.
Grouping data
The process of categorizing data to analyze patterns and relationships.
Closeness or relative distance
The perception of distance that can change based on the scale of analysis.
Problems with regions
Issues that arise when defining regions, such as overlapping characteristics and subjective interpretations.
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