APHG Semester 1

density

# of any variable per unit area (# of people per square mile)

Robinson Projection

a map projection that attempts to minimize several typical projection error such as shape, size, direction, or distance. used by NatGeo until 1998

Winkel Tripel Projection

a map projection that minimizes distortion in size, direction, and distance, but the lines of latitude are slightly curved, a nonparallel line

Mercator Projection

great spatial device for sea navigation that accurately shows shape and direction, but distorts distance and size of places especially near poles

Peter's Projection

a map projection that focuses on finding the true area/size of land masses, but distorts shape

Goodes Interrupted Projection

a map projection, the shapes and sizes of landmasses accurately by cutting through the oceans

cartogram

a map that distorts the shapes and sizes of countries or other political regions to represent the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena in that area

centrality

a place where the location is between major points of influence

concentration

spread of something of a given area: clustered or dispersed

changing scale

the ability to gain new information by making observations locally, regionally, or globally

independent invention

the concept that a trait was invented in different hearths without diffusion

fieldwork

the work of a researcher collecting data and making observations in the natural environment about people, cultures, and nature

location

the position of something on the earth's surface

absolute location

exact location of a place on meridians and parallels

relative location

spots described in relation to other physical or human characteristics; implies spatial relationships and usually the relative advantages or disadvantages of a location in comparison to other locations

map scale

the relationship between the size of an object or distance between objects on a map and the size of the actual object or distance on the earth's surface

pattern

the arrangement of objects on earth's surface in relationship to one another (linear, centralized, random)

region

an area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features

landscapes

the overall appearance of an area that is shaped by both human and natural influences

Contagious diffusion

A form of expansion diffusion in which nearly all adjacent individuals and places are affected.

cultural landscape

A combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation. (defined by Carl Sauer as an area fashioned from nature by a cultural group) [Cultural Attributes]

Environmental Determinism

A doctrine that claims that cultural traits are formed and controlled by environmental conditions.

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of an innovation or an idea through a population in an area in such a way that the number of those influenced grows continuously larger, resulting in an expanding area of dissemination. Three types: contagious, hierarchical, stimulus

formal region

(or uniform or homogeneous region) an area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics

Functional/nodal region

Area organized around a node or focal point. The characteristic chosen to define a functional region dominates at a central focus or node and diminishes in importance outward. This region is tied to the central point by transportation or communication systems or by economic or functional associations.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A collection of computer hardware and software that permits spatial data to be collected, recorded, stored, retrieved, manipulated, analyzed, and displayed to the user. (remote sensing)

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

Hierarchical diffusion

A form of diffusion in which an idea or innovation spreads by passing first among the most connected places or peoples

Human Geography

How people make places, how we organize space and society, how we interact with each other in places and across space, and how we make sense of others and ourselves in our localities and other regions, and the world

Isoline

a thematic map with lines that connect points of equal value

longitude

lines running N/S that MEASURE E/W

also called meridians

latitude

lines running E/W that MEASURE N/S

also called parallels

mental map

An internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on what an individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a place and where places are located. aka cognitive map

perceptual/vernacular map

how people think about or percieve a region (ex. "the middle east")

periphery regions

regions with undeveloped or narrowly specialized economies with low levels of productivity

possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.

relocation diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another. Example: Christianity and/or English spread through missionaries

sense of place

Feelings evoked by people as a result of certain experiences and memories associated with a particular place

sequent occupance

The notion that successive societies leave their cultural imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape

site

the actual location of a settlement on the earth and is composed of the physical characteristics of the landscape specific to the area

situation

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and other places. Factors included in an area's situation include the accessibility of the location, the extent of a place's connections with another, and how close an area may be to raw materials if they are not located specifically on the site

space time compression

the reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as a result of improved communications and transportation systems

distance decay

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

spatial

How places and phenomena are laid out, organized, and arranged on Earth; how they appear on the landscape. Used by human and physical geographers

spatial interaction

the movement of people, goods and ideas within and across geographic space

spatial perspective

An intellectual framework that looks at the locations of specific phenomena, how and why that phenomena is , and, finally, how it is spatially related to phenomena in other place

stimulus diffusion

The spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected. Example: McDonalds to India but changing the hamburger to a veggie burger

thematic maps

Maps that tell stories, typically showing the degree of some attribute of the movement of a geographic phenomenon.

physical attributes

natural landscape

cultural attributes

cultural landscape

built landscape

the part of the physical landscape that represents material culture, the buildings, rods, bridges and similar structures large and small

accessibility

the opportunity for contact or interaction from a given point or location, in relation to other locations

connectivity

The directness of routes linking pairs of places; an indication of the degree of internal connection in a transport network

network

the areal pattern of sets of places and the routes (links) connecting them along which movement can take place.

friction of distance

the measure of the restricting effect of distance on spatial interaction; the greater the distance, the greater the friction and less the interaction or exchange, or the greater the cost of achieving the exchange

diffusion

the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another

hearth

the region from which innovative ideas origionate

distribution

the spatial arrangement of something across the surface of the earth/within an area

arithmetic density

the total number of people divided by the total land area

physiological density

the number of people per unit of area of arable land (land suitable for agriculture)

regionalism

a group's perceived identification with a particular region at any scale

core regions

regions that dominate trade, control the most advanced technologies and have high levels of productivity within diversified economies

map

a 2 dimensional or flat representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it

distortion

the result of adapting a representation in order to change from a 3 dimensional image to a 2 dimensional image (shape, size(area), distance, direction)

projection

the system used to transfer locations into 2 dimensions

equator

an imaginary east west line that encircles the globe halfway between the North and South poles

meridian

line of longitude

Prime Meridian

an imaginary line passing through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich England, serving by agreement as the 0 degree line of longitude

International Date Line

a line of longitude that for the most part follows 180 degrees, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross it heading east, the clock moves back 24 hours and when you cross it going west, the calendar moves ahead one day.

dot map

a thematic map in which a dot represents some frequency of the mapped variable

chloropleth

a thematic map in which ranked classed of some variable are depicted with shading patterns or colors for predefined zones

proportional symbol map

a thematic map in which the size of a symbol varies in proportion to the frequency or intensity of the mapped variable.

time zone

a geographic region within which the same standard time is used.

remote sensing

the acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long distance methods

model

a simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify causal relationships, used to demonstrate theory or observation

survey pattern

pattern of original land survey in an area

5 themes of geography

location, region, place, movement, and human and environmental interaction

what's the difference in place and location?

location describes where it is while place describes what it's like

acculturation

dominant culture forces traits on subjected peoples, but takes on some traits of weaker culture

assimilation

distinct cultures become indistinct

cultural barriers

cultural traits, beliefs, attitudes, etc that pose as obstacles to cultural diffusion

fundamental elements of culture

-customary beliefs
-behavioral traits
-social customs

Human Development Index (HDI)

used to measure level of development in every country

3 factors of development

economic, social, and demographic

economic factors of development

GDP
Types of jobs
Productivity
Consumer Goods

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

encompasses only goods and services produced within a country

social factors of development

literacy rate
health and welfare
gross enrollment rate

literacy rate

the percentage of a country's people that can read and write; typically 95% in MDC, and less than 33% in LDC

demographic factors of development

life expectancy
infant mortality rate
natural increase rate
crude birth rate

life expectancy

the average number of years a newborn can expect to live at current mortality levels

infant mortality rate

The annual number of deaths or infants under one year of age, compared to the number of live births

natural increase rate

the percentage by which a population grows in a year

crude birth rate

the total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society

azimuthal map

a map projection of the surface of the earth so centered at any given point that a straight line radiating from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance and can be measured to scale

gnomic projection

planar projection that shows shortest route between any two points

Eratosthenes

first to use term "geography"

5 ways a place can receive a name

after a person
religious
ancient history
features of physical environment
origin of settlers

Carl Sauer

defined cultural landscape as an area fashioned from nature by a cultural group