Vocab List 1.1

Chapter 1 Part 1

composed of nonliving or inorganic matter

abiotic

description of the position of a place in a way that never changes, such as geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude

absolute location

the process of changes in culture that results from the meeting of two groups, each of which retains distinct cultural features

acculturation

the process by which a groups culture are altered to resemble those of another group

assimilation

the thin layer of gasses surrounding earth

atmosphere

an approach to human geography that emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological basic for individual human actions in space

behavioral geography

all living organisms on earth including plants and animals, as well as microorganisms

biosphere

composed of living organisms

biotic

a map in which the projection and scale are distorted in order to convey the variable

cartogram

the science of making maps

cartography

a map in which the areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the variable

choropleth map

scientific research by amateur scientists

citizen science

the long-term average weather at a particular location

climate

the extent of a feature’s spread over a given area

concentration

the relationships of people and objects across the barrier of space

connection

the sustainable management of a natural resource to meet human needs

conservation

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population

contagious diffusion

informally Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). the time in the zone encompassing the prime meridian, or 0 degrees longitude

coordinated universal time (UCT)

a geographic approach that emphasizes human-environment relationships

cultural ecology

an approach to geography that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical phenomena in a particular study area

cultural landscape

the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together constitutes the distinct traditions of a group of people

culture

the frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area

density

the process by which a feature spreads from one place to another over time

diffusion

the diminished importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin

distance decay

the arrangement of something across the Earth’s surface

distribution

a map that depicts data that consists of discrete observations. each dot represents a predetermined number of observations, which could be one or many

dot distribution map

the scientific study of ecosystems

ecology

a group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact

ecosystem

a nineteenth and early twentieth-century approach to the study of geography which argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in physical sciences. geography was therefore the study of how the physical environment affected human activities

environmental determinism

the spread of a feature or trend among people from one place to another in an additive process

expansion diffusion

an area in which people share in one or more distinctive characteristics

formal (uniform) region

an area organized around a node or focal point

functional (nodal) region

analysis on data of Earth acquired through satellites and other electronic informational technology

geographic information science (GIScience)

a computer system that captures, stores, queries, and displays geographic data

geographic information system (GIS)

identification and storage of a piece of information by its precise latitude and longitude coordinates

geotagging

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

global positioning system (GPS)

actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope

globalization

a map that displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable

graduated symbol map

a place from which an innovation originates

hearth

the spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places

hierarchical diffusion

an approach to human geography that emphasizes the different ways that individuals form ideas about a place and gives those places symbolic meanings

humanistic geography

all the water on and near Earth’s surface

hydrosphere

an arc that for the most part follows the 180 degree longitude. when the international data line is crossed heading east (towards America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. when it is crossed heading west (towards Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day

international data line

a map that connects places of a particular value by lines

isoline map

the numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator

latitude

earth’s crust and a portion of upper mantel directly below the crust

lithosphere

the position of anything on Earth’s surface

location

the numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian

longitude