AP HUG 2026

Map

A 2-dimensional model of the earths model

Cartography

the science of mapmaking

Reference maps

A map that shows where things are, general information, how to get there

Political map

Shows human created boundaries, cities, capitals, etc

Physical map

maps that show natural features of places. Deserts, forests, etc

Road map

Shows roads

Plat map

Shows property lines and shows ownership

Locator map

Illustrations used in books and advertisement to show locations, games

Thematic maps

A map that shows human activities or specific topic, shows spatial aspect, interactions

Chloropleth map

uses colors and shades or patterns to show distribution of data

Dot distribution map

Uses dots that distribution of things, language, ice cream flavor, etc

Graduated symbols map

Bigger the symbol the bigger the number, opposite the same

Isoline map

Shows the elevation of things, lines to show increase in elevation, increase is always the same.

Cartogram map

Shows size according to some type of statistic

Relative location

a point or place relative to something.

Absolute location

An exact position using coordinates measured by latitude and longitude.

Local location

street address

Global location

Coordinates of the place

Relative distance

distance between two points, time, effort, cost

Absolute distance

the exact physical space between two places, measured using standard units of length such as miles or kilometers

Relative direction

direction based on a person's surroundings

Absolute direction

compass, north, west, south, east

Latitude and Longitude

are imaginary lines we draw on the globe

Density(In HUG terms)

how often or how much is within one space

Distribution

is it spread out? The space of the data.

Distance decay

When the distance between two places increases the impact also decreases. Further you are the less interaction you have.

Toponym

the name given to a place on the earth.

Geographic data

How do we collect this data; how do we use this data.

Remote sensing

capturing pictures of earth's surface, birds-eye view. Used to study patterns, how the land is used.

GPS

the system that accurately determines the precise position of something. Used for navigation such as Didi.

GIS

a system where they capture, stores, and analyze. Used for decision making.

Layers

types of information

Mashups

combining different layers of data

Qualitative data

surveys, more descriptive data, not statistics.

Quantitative data

Statistics, numbers of something, in numerical values.

Geovisualizations

2D or 3D interactive maps that allow people to zoom-in

Spatial approach

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

Site

described as the characteristics at the immediate location

Situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places.

Time-space compression

The shrinking "time-distance," or relative distance, between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication.

The Impact of Distance

the increasing connection between places is reflected in the growth of spatial interaction.

Spatial interaction

the contact, movement, and flow of things between locations.

Flow

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

Friction of distance

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

Spatial distribution

how data is spread across a space

Space

the area between two or more phenomena or things

Spatial association

Matching patterns of association, indicates that 2 or more phenomena are connected

Natural resource

items that occur in the natural environment that people can use, air, soil, etc.

Renewable natural resources

Unlimited resources

Non-renewable natural resources

Will run out due to human uses

Sustainability

An overarching theme of human geography and 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 modified, managed, and organized by people

Built environment

anything physical that humans have made to form part of the landscape.

Cultural landscape

Anything built by humans

Cultural ecology

The study of how humans adapt to the environment

Environmental determinism

The belief that landforms shape human nature

Possibilism

A view that acknowledges the effects of natural environment while focusing more on human culture plays.

Relative scale

Refers to the area of the world getting studied

Global

The entire world, looks at data across the entire world

World regional

Multiple countries in the world, looks at data across specific regions.

National

One country, looks at data across multiple countries.

National regiona

A portion of a country

Local

State, city, town, neighborhood, looks at data at city/town level.

Aggregation

When geographers organize data into different scales

False conclusions

Generalizations that are not backed by data or logical reasoning

Regions

Have boundaries, created by humans, cover space, and share characteristics

Formal regions/homogeneous regions

Regions that are united by one or more traits

Functional regions/nodal regions

Regions that are united by networks of communication, transportation and other interactions

Perceptual regions/vernacular regions

the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them

Subregions

shares some characteristics with the rest of the larger region but is distinctive in some ways

Transitional

Boundaries blend naturally

Contested

People or countries disagree on where the region belongs to.

Overlapping

A place that belongs to multiple regions at once.

Geographic scale

The scale at which the map is shown