30 Required Models & Theories for AP Human Geography (copy)

Latitude

A geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the Earth's surface, based on the equator.

Longitude

A geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface, based on the prime meridian.

GIS

Geographic Information Systems; a technology used to layer different maps to show patterns in data.

Thematic Maps

Types of maps that show data with a theme, such as isoline, dot, and choropleth maps.

Population Pyramids

Graphs used to show demographic patterns in a population using sex and age data.

DTM

Demographic Transition Model; a model that describes the stages all countries experience regarding birth and death rates and population growth.

Epidemiological Transition Theory

A theory that connects a country's development stage to the types of diseases it faces.

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

Common patterns among migrants, including that most move short distances, migration occurs in steps, and rural residents are more likely to migrate.

Zelinsky Model of Migration Transition

A model discussing the types of migration likely to occur depending on a country's demographic stage.

Malthusian Theory of Population Growth

An 18th-century theory stating that population grows exponentially while food production grows linearly, leading to potential famine and war.

S-Curve

A graphical representation showing the adoption rate of ideas, starting slow, becoming popular, then leveling off.

Language Tree

A model illustrating the relationships between languages and their families, such as the Indo-European language family.

Organic Theory

A geopolitical theory comparing countries to living organisms, requiring expansion to survive.

Mackinder's Heartland Theory

A geopolitical theory suggesting that control over Eastern Europe and Russia is key to global power.

Spykman's Rimland Theory

A theory emphasizing the importance of controlling the coastal fringes of Eurasia for global power.

Domino Theory

The Cold War theory that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

Core-Periphery Model

A model describing the dependency relationship where core countries rely on peripheral countries for labor.

Von Thunen Model

A model explaining land use around a city in concentric rings based on agricultural types.

Ester Boserup's Theory

The theory that agricultural production will rise in response to population growth.

Rostow's Stages

A model outlining five stages of economic growth in industrial development.

Wallerstein's World System

A framework analyzing the economic relationships between core, semi-periphery, and periphery countries.

Dependency Theory

The explanation that the economic dependency of periphery countries on core countries was a result of colonialism.

Weber's Least Cost Theory

A theory determining industrial location based on minimizing transportation costs of raw materials and finished products.

Christaller's Central Place Theory

A geographic theory explaining the size and distribution of human settlements based on consumer behavior.

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

A model characterized by city layout with circular zones representing different social groups.

Gravity Model

A model predicting the degree of interaction between two places based on their size and distance.

Hoyt Sector Model

A city model that describes social areas of different classes in relation to transportation routes.

Harris-Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model

A city layout model suggesting that cities have multiple centers of activity.

Borchert's Evolution of the American Urban System

A theory explaining historical urbanization patterns in the U.S. based on transportation developments.

Zipf's Rank Size Rule

A principle stating that the population of a city is inversely related to its rank in the hierarchy of cities.

Bid-Rent Curve

A model illustrating how land prices vary with distance from the central city.