AP Human Geography Vocab

Space

The geometric surface of the Earth.

Activity Space

The area where daily activities occur.

Place

A bounded area of human importance.

Toponym

A place-name assigned to a location.

Scale

Relationship of an object or place to the Earth.

Sequent Occupancy

Succession of cultural influences in a place.

Formal Regions

Areas with homogeneous characteristics.

Functional Regions

Areas with a central point serving a purpose.

Vernacular Regions

Regions based on residents' perception.

Absolute Location

Defines a point using coordinates.

Relative Location

Location compared to a known place.

Distance Decay

Interaction decreases with distance.

Friction of Distance

Inhibits interaction between points.

Space-Time Compression

Decreased time and distance between places.

Central Place Theory

Developed by Walter Christaller.

Core and Periphery

Relationships in regional phenomena.

Diffusion Patterns

Ways in which phenomena spread.

Hearth

Point of origin or place of innovation.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Spatial analysis tool.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

Theory of population changes.

Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs)

Countries that have recently experienced rapid industrialization and economic growth, altering their development trajectory.

Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM)

A model that links population growth rates to medical advancements and predicts demographic changes over time.

S-Curve of Population

Describes the rapid growth, plateau, and decline in population due to reaching or exceeding the carrying capacity of an area.

Stage-By-Stage Development

Divides demographic transition into stages, such as pre-agricultural societies in Stage One and service-based economies in Stage Four.

Zero Population Growth (ZPG)

Occurs when birth rates equal death rates, leading to limited population growth or decline.

Malthusian Theory

Predicts that population growth will outpace food production, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences.

Population Pyramids

Graphical representations of a population's age and gender distribution, providing insights into a country's demographics.

Cultural Synthesis (Syncretism)

The blending of multiple cultural influences to create a new cultural expression or identity.

Postmodern Architecture

Architectural style that moves away from rectilinear shapes to embrace more organic, innovative designs.

Major Language Families

Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic, and Austronesian are the largest language families based on the number of speakers.

Dravidian

A language group with 230 million speakers originating from the Indian subcontinent.

Anatolian theory

A theory suggesting that European languages originated from migrants in present-day Turkey.

Folk music

Original music specific to a culture, often incorporating unique instruments and cultural stories.

Bluegrass

A popular folk music type originating in Kentucky, influencing country and rock music.

Continental cuisine

Formal food traditions from mainland Europe, embodied in haute cuisine.

Five Pillars of Islam

Core principles guiding moral behavior for Muslims, including daily prayers and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Caste System

Social hierarchy in India with five main castes, including Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Dalits.

Theocracy

Governance where religious leaders hold senior positions, as seen in Iran.

Folklore

Stories specific to a culture, reflecting societal histories and ethical foundations.

Race

Physical characteristics defining common genetic heritage, categorized into Mongoloid, Caucasoid, and Negroid groups.

Lebensraum

The living space for each distinct nation based on optimal physical geography of the culture group.

Neo-Nazism

Based on violent racism against non-whites and immigrants or violent expression of xenophobia.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group and the inferiority of others.

Cultural relativism

The idea that beliefs and activities are understood in the context of one's culture.

Internal vs External Identity

Expressing cultural heritage to those who share vs. do not share the same background.

Culture regions

Bounded spaces with homogeneous cultural characteristics.

Fuzzy borders

Cultural regions with unclear boundaries.

Cultural Hearths

Localized areas where cultures originated or have main population centers.

Acculturation

Adapting to a new culture while retaining aspects of the original.

Assimilation

Complete change in identity as a minority culture becomes part of the majority.

Cultural survival

Efforts to protect and promote indigenous cultures.

Genocide

Large-scale systematic killing of people of one ethnic group.

Country

Identifiable land area.

Nation

Population with a single culture.

State

Population under a single government with sovereign territory.

Nation-state

Single culture under a single government.

Sovereignty

State's independence, territorial control, and international recognition.

Federal states & confederations

Provide military protection, administer foreign diplomacy, and regulate trade.

Unitary system

Single centralized government.

Supranationalism

Sovereign states aligned for a common purpose.

Boundary Process

The process of claiming, negotiating, or capturing borders.

Delimitation Process

Placing borders on the map.

Demarcation Process

Placing markers on the ground to show where borders lie.

Physical Border

Natural boundaries like rivers, mountains, or deserts.

Cultural Border

Estimated boundaries between nations, ethnic groups, or tribes.

Geometric Border

Boundaries surveyed along lines of latitude and longitude.

Definitional Dispute

Interpretation differences of border treaties by states.

Locational Dispute

Border movement due to natural changes like rivers shifting.

Operational Dispute

Issues with passage across agreed borders.

Allocational Dispute

Disputes over resources lying on both sides of a border.

Frontier

Open and undefined territory.

Tyranny of the Map

Imposed boundaries not matching cultural boundaries.

State Morphology

Impact of a country's shape on society and external relations.

Compact State

Shape without irregularity like Nigeria.

Fragmented State

Broken into pieces like the Philippines.

Elongated State

Stretched-out shape like Chile.

Prorupt State

Has a panhandle or peninsula like Italy.

Perforated State

Contains holes like South Africa.

Landlocked State

Lacks sea or ocean borders like Switzerland.

Territorial Change

Alteration of state territory through annexation or decolonization.

Capitals

Seat of government in a state.

Suffrage

Voting rights based on age, race, and gender.

Gerrymandering

Irregularly shaped districts for political advantage.

Feudalism

Political economy with aristocracy controlling land and wealth.

Absolute Monarchy

Supreme aristocrat as head of state and government.

Constitutional Monarchy

Supreme aristocrat as head of state, with elected parliament leader as head of government.

Commonwealth of Nations

Former British Empire parts with the British monarch as head of state.

Free-Market Democracies

Countries with elected-representative parliamentary systems.

Separation of Powers

Division of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Marxist-Socialism

Political-economic theories aiming to address feudalism and capitalism inequalities.

Geopolitics

Global-scale relationships between sovereign states.

Centripetal Forces

Factors holding together the state.

Centrifugal Forces

Factors tearing apart the state.

Balkanization

Political landscape transition from a larger state to smaller states.

Neocolonialism

Contemporary colonialism based on economic pressure.

Heartland-Rimland model

Defines global geopolitical landscape and potential conflict areas

Primary commodity of conflict

The resource countries are willing to fight over

Shatterbelt theory

Proposed by Saul Cohen in 1950

Pivot Area

Modified concept from Mackinder's Heartland by Saul Cohen

Buffer states

Lands protecting hostile countries by creating a buffer of sympathetic nations