UNIT 1 KBAT

Absolute Location

Exact position of a place on Earth's surface using coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Relative Location

A place's location in relation to other places.

Aerial Photography

Photographs taken from aircraft or drones to study Earth's surface.

Built Environment

Human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity.

Cartography

The science or practice of making maps.

Cartographic Scale

The relationship between the size of objects on a map and their actual size on Earth's surface.

Concentration

The spread of a feature over space; clustered or dispersed.

Connectivity

How well places are linked together through transportation and communication.

Cultural Ecology

Study of how humans interact with and adapt to the environment.

Cultural Landscape

The visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape.

Density

The frequency with which something occurs in space.

Diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend over time and space.

Distance

The amount of space between two points.

Distance-Decay

The idea that interaction decreases with increasing distance.

Distortion

Inaccuracies on maps due to representing a 3D Earth on a 2D surface.

Distribution

The arrangement of something across Earth's surface.

Elevation

The height of a place above sea level.

Environmental Determinism

The belief that the environment shapes human culture and behaviors.

Equator

An imaginary line around the middle of Earth equally distant from the North and South Poles.

Field Observation

Observing people and places firsthand in their natural settings.

Fieldwork

Collecting data on location through direct observation.

Formal/Uniform Region

An area where everyone shares one or more distinct characteristics.

Functional/Nodal Region

An area organized around a central node or focal point.

Geographic Scale

The level of detail or amount of territory covered on a map.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Computer systems that store, analyze, and display geographic data.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A system that determines precise location using satellites.

Human Geography

The study of human activity in relation to the earth's surface.

Human-Environment Interaction

How humans adapt to, modify, and depend on the environment.

International Date Line

An imaginary line that defines the boundary between one day and the next.

Landscape Analysis

Studying the human and natural features of a landscape to understand its impact.

Latitude/Parallel

Imaginary lines running east-west measuring distance north or south of the equator.

Location

A specific place or position on Earth.

Longitude/Meridian

Imaginary lines running north-south measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Map

A visual representation of Earth's surface.

Mental Map

A person's internal, subjective representation of geographic space.

Patterns

Repeated spatial arrangements of phenomena.

Physical Geography

The study of natural features and processes of the Earth.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic.

Possibilism

The theory that humans can adapt and choose how to respond to their environment.

Prime Meridian

The meridian at 0° longitude from which east and west are measured.

Processes

Ongoing events or series of actions that result in change.

Projection

The method used to represent Earth's curved surface on a flat map.

Proximity

Nearness in space, time, or relationship.

Qualitative Data

Descriptive data (e.g., interviews, observations).

Quantitative Data

Numerical data (e.g., statistics, measurements).

Reference Maps

Maps that show general spatial properties such as cities, boundaries, and roads.

Region

An area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics.

Regionalization

The process of dividing an area into smaller segments or regions.

Remote Sensing

Collecting data from a distance, typically using satellites or aircraft.

Scale

The relationship between map distance and actual ground distance.

Scale of Analysis

The spatial extent at which phenomena are studied (local, national, global).

Sense of Place

The feelings and meaning associated with a place.

Site

The physical characteristics of a place.

Situation

A place's location relative to other places.

Spatial Approach

Understanding phenomena in terms of location, distance, direction, orientation, pattern, and interconnection.

Spatial Association

The relationship between the distribution of one feature and another.

Spatial Interaction

The movement and flows involving human activity.

Spatial Data

Information tied to a specific location on Earth.

Sustainability

Meeting current needs without compromising future generations.

Thematic Maps

Maps that display specific types of information (e.g., population, climate).

Time-Space Compression

The idea that technology reduces the time it takes for something to spread across space.

Topographic Maps

Maps that show elevation and landform features.

Toponym

The name given to a place.

Vernacular/Perceptual Region

An area defined by people's beliefs or feelings about a place.