AP Human Geography - Final Study Guide

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from AP Human Geography, providing definitions and explanations for important terms related to tools, maps, population, culture, and political geography.

Mercator Projection

Accurate direction but distorts size, especially near poles.

Robinson Projection

A compromise map that slightly distorts everything.

Goode Homolosine Projection

Equal-area projection that accurately represents size but distorts shape.

Gall-Peters Projection

Accurate area projection that distorts shape.

Azimuthal Projection

Accurate direction from the center of the map.

Remote Sensing

Satellite data collection for geographic analysis.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Layered data analysis method for working with geographical information.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Technology used for determining exact locations on Earth.

Absolute Location

Exact coordinates of a place.

Relative Location

Location compared to other places.

Absolute Distance

Distance measured in miles or kilometers.

Relative Distance

Distance measured in time or cost.

Distribution

The spread of something across a given area.

Density

The amount of something per unit area.

Pattern

The arrangement of phenomena in space.

Formal Region

A region defined by shared traits.

Functional Region

A region organized around a node or focal point.

Vernacular Region

A region defined by perception and mental maps.

Environmental Determinism

The theory that the environment controls human behavior.

Possibilism

The theory that humans can adapt to their environment.

Cultural Landscape

A term popularized by Carl Sauer to describe the visible imprint of human activity.

Contagious Diffusion

Spread of a feature or trend through direct contact.

Hierarchical Diffusion

Spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node to another.

Relocation Diffusion

Spread of a feature or trend through the physical movement of people.

Stimulus Diffusion

Spread of an idea or innovation that changes as it spreads.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

Number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

Number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year.

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

Rate of population growth calculated as CBR - CDR.

Doubling Time

The time it takes for a population to double in size.

Life Expectancy

Average expected lifespan of a person in a specific area.

Arithmetic Density

Total population divided by total land area.

Physiological Density

Population divided by arable land area.

Agricultural Density

Number of farmers divided by amount of arable land.

Thomas Malthus

An economist who argued that population growth would outpace food production.

Ester Boserup

Scholar who proposed that population growth stimulates agricultural innovation.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage 1

High birth and death rates.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage 2

Death rates decline while birth rates remain high.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage 3

Decline in birth rates.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage 4

Low birth and low death rates.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM) Stage 5

Population decline.

Internal Migration

Movement within a country.

International Migration

Movement from one country to another.

Forced Migration

Involuntary movement due to external pressures.

Voluntary Migration

Movement by choice, often for economic opportunities.

Push Factors

Forces that drive people away from a location.

Pull Factors

Attractions that draw people to a new location.

Acculturation

Process of adopting certain cultural traits from another culture.

Assimilation

Complete adoption of a new culture, resulting in a loss of original culture.

Cultural Relativism

Judging cultures based on their own standards, not your own.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures based on the standards of your own culture.

Language Family

A group of related languages that share a common ancestral language.

Language Branch

A sub-group within a language family.

Language Group

A more specific group of related languages.

Indo-European

The largest language family in the world.

Mandarin

The most spoken language globally.

Universalizing Religions

Religions that seek to convert individuals to their faith.

Ethnic Religions

Religions closely associated with a particular ethnic group.

Expansion Diffusion

Spread of features from one place to another in a snowballing process.

Globalization

The process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide.

Physical Boundaries

Boundaries defined by natural landscape features.

Geometric Boundaries

Boundaries defined by straight lines.

Cultural Boundaries

Boundaries based on the cultural traits of a population.

Relict Boundary

A boundary that no longer functions but remains in the cultural landscape.

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged.

Subsequent Boundary

A boundary that has developed with the cultural landscape.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary imposed on the cultural landscape.

Nation-state

A state characterized by a congruence of nation and state.

Stateless Nation

A national group that does not have an independent state.

Multinational State

A state with multiple national groups.

Multistate Nation

A nation that spans across multiple states.

Landlocked State

A state that does not have any coastline.

Unitary System

A political system where power is held centrally.

Federal System

A political system where power is divided between a central authority and constituent units.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that unite a state.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that divide a state.

Supranational Organization

An organization composed of multiple states for shared interests.

Sovereignty

The ultimate authority over a territory.

Self-Determination

The right of a group to determine its own governance.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries for political advantage.

Colonialism

Control of a territory by a foreign power.

Devolution

The transfer of authority from a central government to regional governments.

Shatterbelt

A region of persistent conflict.

Choke Point

A narrow passage that can be easily controlled or blocked.

Irredentism

The political policy of reclaiming lost territories.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a region into smaller, often hostile units.