APHG Unit 1

Vocabulary flashcards for geography terms.

Absolute Distance

The distance between two points, communicated using precise quantitative units of measurement. Ex. New York City is 2789 miles from Los Angeles by car.

Absolute Location

The precise place where something can be found; often described using latitude and longitude coordinates. Ex. Monterrey, Mexico is located at 25.6866° N, 100.3161° W.

Cartogram

Maps where the sizes of places are distorted in order to represent some specific statistic.

Cartography

The art and science of mapmaking - representing a geographic area on a flat surface.

Choropleth Map

Maps that use various colors, shades, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data.

Clustered

A descriptor for when there is a high level of density and a low level of distribution of data. The opposite of dispersed.

Conic Projection

A map projection used primarily for regional mapping, as size and shape are preserved but direction is very distorted due to latitude lines converging at only one pole.

Density

How often or how much something occurs within a space. Often described as high or low.

Dispersed

A descriptor for when there is a low level of density due to a high level of distribution. “Clustered” means the opposite.

Distance Decay

The theory that the interaction between two places decreases as the distance between them increases.

Distribution

Where something occurs within a space. Can be described as clustered or dispersed.

Dot Distribution Maps

Maps that show the location and distribution of something using dots. Each dot represents a specific quantity.

Environmental Determinism

A philosophy that states that human behaviors and culture are a direct result of the surrounding environment.

Formal Region

An area defined by official boundaries, that is created on the basis of one or more shared characteristics (language, religion, nationality, culture, geographic features, economic activities, etc.)

Functional Region

An area organized around a node or focal point and defined by an activity that occurs across the region

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that captures, stores, analyzes, and displays geographic data.

Globalization

The spread of businesses, products, people and ideas around the world. Quickened by advanced communication and transportation technologies.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

The system that determines the precise location of something on Earth using satellites and receivers.

Graduated Symbol Maps

Maps that use symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something. Larger symbols indicate more of something and smaller symbols indicate less.

Isoline Maps

Maps that use lines that connect points of equal distance to depict variations in data. The distance between the lines indicates a change. Often used to depict topography and weather phenomena.

Latitude

The distance of a place north or south of the Equator (the imaginary line that circles the globe halfway between the north and south poles and marks 0 degrees)

Locator Map

Illustrations used in books and advertising to show specific locations mentioned in the text.

Longitude

The distance of a place east or west of the Prime Meridian (the imaginary line that runs from pole to pole through Greenwich, England, which marks 0 degrees).

Map Projection

The process of showing a curved surface on a flat surface. Cartographers decide whether they want to preserve size, shape, distance, or direction on their map, knowing that the other aspects will be distorted.

Map Scale

The ratio between the size of things in the real world and the size of things on a map. Large-scale maps show small areas with lots of detail and small-scale maps show large areas with a small amount of detail.

Mercator Projection

A map projection used primarily for navigation that accurately depicts direction and the shape of land masses near the equator. The size of land masses is distorted.

Peters Projection

A map projection that depicts the size of land masses accurately and is used for illustrating spatial distribution. The shape of land masses is distorted, especially near the poles.

Physical Map

Maps that show natural features, such as mountains, rivers, and deserts.

Plat Map

Maps that show property lines and details of land ownership. Often used in real estate or to depict individual cemetery plots.

Political Map

Maps that show human-created boundaries and designations like countries, states, cities, and capitals.

Possibilism

The theory that the environmental conditions of a place can limit its culture but that culture is primarily determined by social conditions.

Qualitative Data

Humanistic data that is not represented as statistics and is collected through means such as interviews, surveys, or observation.

Quantitative Data

Data associated with mathematical models and statistical techniques that can be quantified in numbers.

Reference Maps

Maps designed for people to refer to for general information about places. Subtypes include political, physical, road, plat, and locator maps.

Region

An area defined by one or more traits, characteristics, or features that make it different from surrounding areas. Any place larger than a point and smaller than the whole planet can be a region and places can be included in more than one region.

Relative Distance

Distance measured using metrics like time, effort, or cost.

Relative Location

The description of where something is in relation to something else.

Remote Sensing

The process of capturing images of Earth's surface from the air, using things like satellites or planes.

Road Map

Maps that show highways, streets, and alleys.

Robinson Projection

A map projection most commonly used for education or display purposes that has no glaring distortion, but area, shape, size, and direction are all slightly distorted.

Scale of Analysis

The level at which data in a map is displayed. Can be global, regional, national, or local.

Site

The physical character of a place (combination of physical features like climate, water sources, vegetation, and elevation that help give a place a distinct character)

Situation

Where something is located relative to its surrounding features.

Sustainability

Use of the Earth's resources in ways that ensure their availability for future generations to use.

Thematic Maps

Maps that show spatial aspects of information or a type of phenomenon. Subtypes include choropleth, dot, graduated symbol, isoline, and cartograms.

Time-Space Compression

The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place, as the result of improved communication and transportation technologies.

Toponym

The name given to a place on Earth.

Vernacular Region

An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity. Boundaries vary widely because people have a different sense of what defines and unites this type of region.