AP Human Geography Flashcards

Flashcards for AP Human Geography review, focusing on models, theories, and geographers.

Environmental Determinism

The environment sets limits on human social development.

Possibilism

Humans can adapt to and change the environment to suit them.

Cultural Landscapes (Carl Sauer)

Combination of natural environment and how a particular culture changes it.

Demographic Transition Model

Four stages of Natural Increase as countries develop.

Epidemiologic Transition Model

Four stages explaining what diseases kill at each stage of the Demographic Transition.

Migration Transition Model

Explains how people migrate for each stage of DTM.

Ravenstein’s laws of migration

States most migrants short distance, it occurs in steps, rural more likely to migrate, long range migrants move to urban areas, etc.

Gravity Model

States that larger urban areas have more attraction for migrants than smaller areas.

Thomas Malthus

Predicted population growth would far surpass world food growth (was wrong).

Neo-Malthusians

Believed Malthus was right and would lack many resources (oil, clean air, clean water, etc.).

Agricultural Hearths

Carl Sauer identified various hearths of agricultural innovation.

Conquest theory

States that the Proto-Indo European language was spread by the Kurgans through war.

Agricultural Theory

States that Proto-Indo European was spread through the Anatolians and agriculture.

Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory (Core Periphery Model)

Describes the interaction of MDCs (core) and LDCs (periphery) where LDCs rely on MDCs for technology and MDCs rely on LDCs for unskilled labor.

Heartland Theory (MacKinder)

Central Europe is the pivot area that leads to dominating the world.

Rimland Theory (Spykman)

Controlling the coastal regions around Europe leads to world domination.

Domino Theory (Eisenhower)

Letting a country fall to communism will lead neighboring countries to also fall to communism.

Von Thunen’s Model

Commercial farmers consider cost of land and transportation when deciding where to locate in relation to market.

Bosrup’s Theory of Agriculture (Esther Bosrup)

Argued against Malthus. Stated that as population pressure increases, cultures farm more intensively and increase output.

Modernization Model (Rostow’s Development Model)

Five steps for LDC to become MDC, focus on one particular industry to specialize in then spread to others.

Dependency Theory of Development

Idea that resources flow from LDCs (periphery) to MDCs (core), enriching wealthy countries while keeping LDCs poor.

Self Sufficiency Approach to development

Close down trade with foreign countries to protect your own industries. India tried this and failed.

New International Division of Labor

High skill jobs stay in MDCs, low move to LDCs.

Least Cost Theory (Alfred Weber)

When considering transportation cost, place factory near most expensive transport cost.

Locational Interdependence (Hotelling)

Also known as Market Area Analysis. Company seeks to monopolize as many local customers as it can (range/threshold). Focused on revenue not cost.

Central Place Theory (Walter Cristaller)

Each settlement has a central market (CBD) that provides services to its hinterland. Central places are few and spread.

Profit Maximization (Losch)

Combines Weber and Hotelling (cost/revenue) to figure out most profitable location.

Bid-Rent Curve

Describes how land is more expensive in CBD, less expensive as you move farther away thus certain businesses locate in CBD vs. residential zones farther out.

Concentric Circle Model (Burgess)

Based on Chicago, identifies urban settlement patterns in a series of rings.

Sector Model (Hoyt)

Observed Chicago over time, claimed Burgess was wrong because cities grow out in wedges, not uniform rings.

Multiple Nuclei Model (Harris/Ullman)

After WWII , noted that cities are not in uniform circles or wedges but neighborhoods surrounding nodes of interest.

Urban Realms Model (Hartshorne/Muller)

It is shown to be a widely dispersed, multicenter metropolis consisting of increasingly independent zones or realms, each focused on its own suburban downtown.

Sail-Wagon Era

Cities grow near ports/water for transportation (1790-1830).

Iron-Horse Cities

Cities grow near rivers and canals during industrialization (1830-1870).

Steel-Rail Epoch

Cities grow considerably due to increased trade/industry (1870-1920).

Car and Air Travel

Massive expansion of suburbs and road networks (1920’s-present).

Latin American City Model (Griffin-Ford)

Similar to the sector model but includes a “spine” of wealthy neighborhoods radiating from the center outward and squatter settlements around the outside of the city.

Peripheral Model (Harris)

Urban areas consist of an inner city surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas tied together by a ring road.

Galactic City Model

Importance of suburban edge cities along the outer ring road (beltway).

Sub-Saharan African

Multiple CBDs, primary jobs, lack of wealthy/elite areas.

Islamic City Model

Centered around mosque and bazaar rather than CBD.

Asian City Models

Usually centered around port, multiple CBDs.