Geography, Population, and Urbanization Concepts

Reference Maps

Designed for people to refer to for general information about places.

Political Map

A type of reference map that shows governmental boundaries and locations of political units.

Physical Map

A type of reference map that illustrates the physical features of an area.

Thematic Maps

Used as a communications tool to show how human activities are distributed.

Cartogram

A map in which some thematic mapping variable is substituted for land area or distance.

Choropleth Map

A map that uses differences in shading or coloring to indicate the average values of a property in predefined areas.

Dot Density Map

A map that uses dots to represent the frequency of a variable in a given area.

Isoline Map

A map that uses lines to connect points of equal value.

Proportional Symbol Map

A map that uses symbols of different sizes to represent data associated with different areas.

Absolute Distance

The exact measurement of the physical space between two places.

Relative Distance

The distance of one location to another as a function of the cost of overcoming that distance.

Clustering

When items are grouped or bunched together in a specific area.

Dispersal

When items appear to be distributed over a wide area.

Elevation

The height of a location above a reference point, usually above sea level.

Map Projections

Methods of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map, which can distort shape, size, distance, and direction.

Mercator Map

A map projection that maintains accurate shape and directions but distorts size, especially near the poles.

Robinson Map

A map projection that distorts everything in small amounts to create a more visually appealing representation.

Goode Map

A map projection that accurately portrays continent sizes but distorts directions and distances.

Gall Peters Map

A map projection that distorts the shape of countries, especially near the equator.

Geospatial Data

All information including physical features and human activities related to specific locations on Earth.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface.

GPS

Geographic Positioning System, which uses satellite data to pinpoint locations on Earth.

Remote Sensing

The process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from satellites or airplanes to understand geography over large distances.

Census Data

An official count of individuals in a population, occurring every 10 years in the USA.

Absolute Location

The precise spot where something is located, defined by coordinates.

Relative Location

The position of something in relation to other things.

Sustainability

The goal of reaching equilibrium with the environment, meeting present needs while preserving resources for future generations.

Natural Resources

Physical materials from Earth that people need and value.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the physical environment determines social development.

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people can adjust to their environment.

Scale

The relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map.

Scale of Analysis

How zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data.

Region

a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped together because of a measurable or perceived common feature

Formal Region

a region that is based on quantitative data (that can be documented or measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government (Example: Wisconsin)

Functional Region

a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this (example: Radio station broadcast area, DC metro)

Vernacular (Perceptual) Region

an area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region (example: midwest)

Ecumene

a term used by geographers to mean where people are settled on the earth (along rivers, fertile land, coast, etc)

Physical Factors

People avoid areas too dry, too wet, too cold, too high

Cultural Factors

Populations will be concentrated in areas that have access to Education, health care, and entertainment opportunities

Historical Factors

certain areas where life could be sustained and lived (Areas where humans flourished and survived)

Arithmetic Density

total number of objects in an area

Physiological Density

Number of people supported by a unit area of arable land (Land suited for agriculture)

Agricultural Density

Ratio of the number of farmers to amount of arable land

Carrying Capacity

the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain

Overpopulation

when there are not enough resources in an area to support a population

Age/Sex Ratio

comparison of the numbers of males and females of different ages

Population Structure

is unique to each area due to their own unique history and current condition

Population Pyramid

a graph of the population of an area by age and sex - when a population is growing it takes a pyramid shape

Population Distribution

the arrangement of a population across a given area

Population Density

the number of people living per unit of area

Consequences of Population Distribution

how population distribution and density affect society and the environment

Political Power

greater control over laws and larger influence due to larger populations

Economic Power

concentration of jobs and areas that make more revenue due to larger populations

Social Power

greater access to health care, better educational opportunities, greater cultural diversity due to larger populations

Population Dynamics

factors that account for contemporary and historical trends in population growth and decline.

Demography

the study of population

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

the number of live births per one thousand people in the population

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

the number of deaths per one thousand people in the population

Doubling time

the time period it takes for a population to double in size

Fertility

the number of live births occurring in a population

Infant mortality rate (IMR)

the number of children who don't survive their first year of life per 1000 live births in a country

Mortality

the number of deaths occurring in a population

Infant Mortality Rate

number of babies that die during the first year per 1,000 live births

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI)

(birth rate - death rate)/10 - a positive NIR means a population is growing and a negative NIR means a population is shrinking

Total fertility rate (TFR)

the average number of children a woman is predicted to have in her child bearing (fecund) years

Demographic Transition Model

Explains theories of population growth and decline.

Epidemiological Model

Explains how society has developed and the change in how/why people are dying as we have progressed

Stage 1: Pestilence and Famine

High CDR; Infectious diseases are a principal cause of human deaths

Stage 2: Receding Pandemics

A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population - whole country or worldwide; improved sanitation, medicine and better nutrition

Stage 3: Degenerative and Human-created diseases

Characterized by a decrease in infectious diseases (polio, measles) but increase in chronic disorders associated with aging. Two especially important chronic disorders are heart disease and cancer

Stage 4: Delayed Degenerative

The major degenerative causes of death - cardiovascular diseases and cancers, but with extended life expectancy. Medicine helps make cancer spread more slowly or stop

Malthusian Theory

While population increases geometrically, food supply increases arithmetically (population will increase more quickly than food supply)

Neo-Malthusian theory

earth's resources can only support a finite population --Pressure on scarce natural resources leads to famine and war --- Advocate for contraceptive and family planning in order to keep population low and protect resources and prevent famine and war.

Antinatalist policies

when a country provides incentives for people to have fewer children (sometimes including punishments)

Pronatalist policies

when a country provides incentives for people to have more children

Immigration policies

States can set up policies that make it easier or harder for people to immigrate to their territory (quotas and accepting or refusing refugees into the country)

Women and Demographic Change

Explain how the changing role of females has demographic consequences in different parts of the world.

Contraception

methods of preventing pregnancy

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

A set of principles that describe patterns and trends in migration.

Step Migration

Migration proceeds step by step.

Economic Centers

Migrants going long distances generally go to large economic centers.

Compensating Counter-stream

Each migration stream produces a compensating counter-stream.

Urban vs Rural Migration

Natives of towns are less migratory than those of rural areas.

Gender Migration Patterns

Females are more migratory within their area of birth, but males migrate more frequently internationally.

Age of Migrants

Most migrants are young adults; families rarely migrate out of their country.

Urban Growth

Large towns grow more as a result of migration than natural increases.

Infrastructure and Migration

As infrastructure improves, migration increases with it.

Rural to Urban Migration

The major directions of migration is from the rural to urban centers.

Economic Causes of Migration

The major causes of migration are economic, seeking jobs and opportunity.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of the number of people not in the workforce (dependents) to those who are in the workforce (producers).

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person born in a country might expect to live.

Push Factors

Forces that drive people away from a place.

Pull Factors

Forces that draw people to immigrate to a place.

Intervening Opportunity

The presence of a nearer opportunity that diminishes the attractiveness of sites farther away.

Intervening Obstacle

A force or factor that may limit human migration.

Asylum Seeker

A person seeking residence in a country outside of their own because they are fleeing persecution.

Chain Migration

A series of migrations within a group that begins with one person.

Forced Migration

When people migrate not because they want to but because they have no other choice.

Guest Worker

A legal immigrant allowed into the country to work for a short time period.

Internally Displaced Persons

A person forced to flee their home who remains in their home country.