APHUG Unit 1 Key Terms

space

The physical gap or interval between two objects

Spatial Interactions

The movement and flows involving human activity within or between different locations

central place theory

A model explaining the size and distribution of cities and services based on consumer behavior and accessibility

activity space

The area within which people move or travel during their daily activities

core and periphery

A structural relationship where one central area dominates the surrounding secondary areas economically or politically

place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character

toponym

The specific name given to a portion of Earth's surface

cluster

A group of objects or phenomena that are concentrated in a specific area

growth pole

An innovative center that attracts economic development and growth to its surrounding area

regions

Areas of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

sequent occupancy

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place over time

scale

The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole

agglomeration

A process involving the clustering or concentrating of people or activities of a similar nature

random pattern

A spatial arrangement where objects are distributed irregularly without a discernible order

scattered pattern

A distribution of items spread widely and thinly over an area

map scale

The ratio between the distance on a map and the actual distance on Earth's surface

linear pattern

The distribution of features along a straight line such as a road or river

relative scale

The level of analysis used for a study ranging from local to global

sinuous pattern

A distribution that follows a wavy or curving path

level of aggregation

The size of the unit under investigation which can affect the perception of data

land survey patterns

Systems used to divide and describe parcels of land

metes and bounds

A system of land surveying that uses natural features and distances to define boundaries

township and range

A rectangular land division scheme designed by Thomas Jefferson to disperse settlers evenly across farmlands

long-lot patterns

Linear land divisions where lots stretch back from a river or road to provide access to water or transportation

formal region

An area in which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics

functional region

An area organized around a node or focal point

vernacular region

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity

homogeneous characteristic

A uniform quality that defines the similarity of a specific region

linguistic region

An area where people share a common language or dialect

culture region

A portion of the Earth's surface that has common cultural elements

political region

An area organized under a specific government or administrative body

environmental region

A territory defined by its physical or ecological characteristics

bioregion

A large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities and species

ecotone

A transition zone between two different biological communities

central place

A market center for the exchange of services by people attracted from the surrounding area

market area

The area surrounding a service from which customers are attracted

area of influence

The geographical zone over which a city or service exerts its economic or social power

absolute location

The exact position of a place on the earth's surface often described by coordinates

relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place

latitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe

longitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe

equator

An imaginary line around the Earth equidistant from the poles

North Pole

The northernmost point on the Earth's axis

South Pole

The southernmost point on the Earth's axis

Prime Meridian

The meridian designated as zero degrees longitude that passes through Greenwich England

International Date Line

An arc that for the most part follows 180 degrees longitude and marks where the calendar day changes

site

The physical character of a place

situation

The location of a place relative to other places

absolute distance

The measurement of the physical space between two places

distance decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin

relative distance

A measure of distance that includes the costs of overcoming the space between locations

Tobler's law

The geographic principle that everything is related to everything else but near things are more related than distant things

arithmetic density

The total number of objects in an area

agricultural density

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

physiologic density

The number of people per unit of area of arable land

diffuse

The process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

hearth

The region from which innovative ideas originate

diffusion patterns

The different ways in which cultural traits or innovations spread through space

expansion diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in an additive process

hierarchical diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority to other persons or places

contagious diffusion

The rapid widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population

stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle even though a specific characteristic is rejected

relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend through physical movement of people from one place to another

Geographic Tools

The instruments and methods used by geographers to collect and analyze spatial data

topographic maps

Maps that use contour lines to represent the three-dimensional shape of the land

thematic maps

Maps designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area

contour lines

Lines on a map joining points of equal elevation or temperature

choropleth maps

Maps where areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed

isoline maps

Maps that use lines to connect points of equal value

dot density maps

Maps that use dots to show the precise location of a specific phenomenon

flow-line maps

Maps that use lines of varying thickness to show the movement of goods or people

cartograms

Maps in which the size of a specific area is distorted to show a particular variable

mental map

A personal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on what an individual knows about a place

projections

Systems used to transfer locations from Earth's surface to a flat map

equal-area projections

Map designs that maintain the relative size of landmasses while distorting their shape

conformal projections

Map designs that maintain the correct shape of small areas but distort their size

friction of distance

A measure of how much distance inhibits movement between two places

space-time compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications

model

A simplified abstraction of reality used to explain or predict geographic patterns

spatial model

A representation of reality focused on the arrangement and interaction of objects in space

urban model

A representation of the internal structure and organization of cities

non-spatial model

A representation of data or processes that does not explicitly account for geographic location

gravity model

A model which holds that the potential use of a service at a particular location is directly related to the number of people in a location

Geographic Information Systems

A computer system that stores organizes analyzes and displays geographic data

data layers

Individual datasets representing different geographical features that are combined in a GIS

Global Positioning System

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through satellites

aerial photography

The taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position

satellite-based remote sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the plane