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