Unit 1 - Key Concepts APHG

Key concepts

Space

Geometric surface of the Earththat is used to locate places and understand their relationships.

Activity Space

The area in which daily activities occur, encompassing the places individuals regularly visit for work, leisure, and social interactions.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by particular characteristics or meanings, often shaped by human activity and culture.

Toponym

A name given to a place, which can reflect its geography, history, or cultural significance.

Regions

Areas that are defined by common characteristics, such as culture, language, or physical geography, and are often used to organize and categorize space on the Earth's surface.

Sequent Occupancy

Considered over a long term: in other words, the succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a place’s history.

Scale

The relationship of an object or place to the Earth as a whole.

Map Scale

The ratio between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground, expressed as a fraction or ratio.

Relative Scale or Scale of Analysis

Refers to the level of aggregation, or in other words, the level at which you group things together for examination.

Three Categories of Regions

Formal, Functional, or Vernacular.

Formal regions

Areas of bounded space that possess some homogeneous characteristic or uniformity.

Homogenous

A common trait; such as a common language.

Culture Regions

Cultural boundaries; have fuzzy borders, (not quite defined)

Political Regions

Well defined

Environmental Region

Transitional and measurable boundaries

Functional/nodal regions

Areas that have a central place, or node, that is a focus or point of origin that expresses some practical purpose. Ex. Market Areas

intervening opportunity

An attraction at a shorter distance that takes precedence over an attraction that is farther away. (so attraction at shorter dis. comes first)

Vernacular Regions

Based on the perception or collective mental map of the residents.

Absolute Location

Uses coordinates; longititude or latitude.

Prime Meridian

0 degree LONGITUDE line that runs through Great Britain, developed by British RN.

Equator

0 degree LATITUDE line. North and South poles are 90 degree latitude.

Time zones

Divided up into 15 degree wide longtitudal zones with some exceptions. Since 360 degrees divided by 24 hrs of day = 15.

Relative Location

Location of a place in reference to a known place or geographical feature. Ex. “The bake shop is by the Eiffel Tower”.

Site

Physical characteristics of a place.

Situation

The location of a place relative to other places.D

Distance Decay

Means that the farther away different places are from a place of origin, the less likely interaction will be with the original place.

Tobler’s Law

States that all places are interrelated, but closer places are more related than farther ones.

Space-Time Compression

Decreased time and relative distance between places. Technology and Transporation can reduce relative distance.