AP HuG - Unit 01 Thinking Geographically

Spatial Patterns

How phenomena are arranged

Geospatial Data

Info tied to a geographic coordinate

Reference Map

Refer to them for general info (4 kinds)

Political Ref. Map

Human-made boundaries

Physical Ref. Map

Natural features

Road Ref. Map

Roads

Plat Ref. Map

Property lines/land ownership

Thematic Map

Specific info about spacial aspects of places

Choropleth Them. Map

Colors, shades, & patterns

Dot Density Them. Map

Dots/shapes represent numbers

Graduated Symbol/Proportional Them. Map

Symbols of various sizes represent numbers

Isoline/Isometric Them. Map

Close/farness of lines represents frequency of data change

Cartogram Them. Map

Sizes of places warped to match data numbers

Absolute Location

Precise spot of something (coordinates)

Relative Location

Where something is in relation to other things

Longitude/Latitude

Imaginary grid on Earth's surface used for absolute location

Latitude

Distance North/South of Equator (horizontal lines)

Longitude

Distance East/West of Prime Meridian (vertical lines)

Absolute Distance

Measurement of close/farness via quantitative units

Relative Distance

Measurement of close/farness via travel

Absolute Direction

Direction based on 1 concrete system

Relative Direction

Direction based on which way you/object is facing

Elevation

Distance above sea level

Distribution

The way phenomena are spread out

Dispersed Dist.

Spread far apart

Clustered Dist.

Grouped close together

Linear Dist.

Spread in a line

Circular Dist.

Spread in a circle/around center point

Geometric Dist.

Spread in some kind of shape

Random Dist.

Phenomena not spread in a pattern

Density

Amount of something in a given area

Projection

Showing Earth's curved surface as a flat map

Scale of Analysis

How zoomed in a map's DATA is

Global SoA

Whole world

World Regional SoA

Multiple Countries

National SoA

1 country

Local SoA

Province, City, State, etc.

Aggregation

Organizing map data according to SoA

False Conclusion

Wrong generalization not supported by data/logic

Map Scale

DIFFERENT from SoA, scale of MAP itself, not data

Landcape Analysis

Defining/describing landcapes

Field Observation/Fieldwork

Visiting location and recording info 1sthand

Spatial Data

DIFFERENT from Geospatial Data, info about any location (doesn't have to be geographical)

Quantitative Data

Numerical data

Qualitative Data

Observational/non-numerical data

Geovisualization

2D/3D interactive maps

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Uses satellites to determine coordinates

Remote Sensing

Satellite Imagery (cameras on aircraft)

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Computer storing/analyzing geospatial data

Spatial Approach

Studying spacial patterns/phenomena

Space vs. Place

Space = Area between 2 phenomena

Place = Specific charactersitics of location

Location

Where things are

Region

Group of places with similar characteristics

Site

Characteristics of a location

Situation

Location of a place relative to its surroundings

Sense of Place

How a place is perceived based on people's beliefs

Placelessness

Place has no uniqueness/emotional ties

Toponyms

Names given to places

Time-Space Compression

Time-based/relative distance shrinks due to improved transportation

Spatial Interaction

Phenomena movement between locations

Flow

Patterns of movement of phenomena

Friction of Distance

Obstacles created by increased distance cause places to become less connected (cause)

Distance Decay

Places get less connected when they're further apart (effect)

Spatial Association

Similar patterns of distribution (could mean that phenomena are connected)

Time-Distance Decay

Decrease in human-specific interaction as distance increases

Formal Regions

United by political, physical, cultural, and economic similarities

Functional/Nodal Regions

United by a central point based on activity

Perceptual/Vernacular Regions

United by individuals' feelings about a place

Human-Environmental Interaction

How humans and the environment effect one another

Natural Resources

Things made by nature that people can use

Renewable Resources

Infinite resources, hard to depleat

Nonrenewable Resources

Limited resources, can be exhausted

Sustainability

Using resources in ways that minimize environmental impact

Land Use

How land is utilized, modified, and organized by humans

Built Environment

Physical things made by people that form a part of the landscape

Cultural Landscape

People from different cultures constructing their own distinct built environments

Cultural Ecology

Study of how people adapt to their environment

Environmental Determinism

An incorrect theory stating that the environment is the MAIN influence on humans and society

Possibilism

Theory stating that the environment does impact society, but is not the MAIN influence (other humans are)

Globalization

The expansion of political, economic, and cultural changes influencing the whole world

Diffusion

How phenomena spread from one place to another

Photographic Interpretation

Examining images to understand spacial patterns and other info