AP Human Geography Unit Review

5 Themes of Geography

• Location

  • Absolute Location: Specific coordinates (latitude and longitude).
  • Relative Location: Position of a place in relation to another place.

• Place

  • Distinctive physical and human characteristics of an area (e.g., culture, climate, terrain).

• Human-Environment Interaction

  • Ways humans adapt to and modify the environment (e.g., agriculture, urbanization).

• Movement

  • Mobility of people, goods, and ideas.
  • Patterns of spatial interaction and connectivity of places.

• Regions

  • Areas defined by specific criteria or characteristics (e.g., cultural, political, physical).

Physical and Human Geography

• Physical Geography:

  • Topography: Physical landscape features.
  • Climate: Patterns of weather, classified via the Koppen system.
  • Flora and Fauna: Plant and animal life.
  • Soil Types: Different soil characteristics and qualities.

• Human Geography:

  • Culture: Beliefs, practices, social norms of people.
  • Population: Patterns, distributions, and demographic characteristics.
  • Economic Systems: Structures and activities related to economies.
  • Political Systems: Governance and political organization.
  • Urban Areas: Characteristics of cities and metropolitan areas.

Map Projections and Distortions

• Types of Map Projections:

  • Goode’s Homolosine: Interrupts land masses to minimize distortion.
  • Conic Projection: Accurate in distance and direction over small areas.
  • Planar Projection: Accurate at one central point, distorts edges.
  • Mercator Projection: Maintains direction but distorts size, especially near poles.
  • Robinson Projection: Balances size and shape distortions, good for representing global data.
  • Gall-Peters Projection: Accurate size relationships but distorts shapes.
  • Winkel Tripel Projection: Minimizes distortion for shape and area, particularly at the poles.

• Four Forms of Distortion in Maps:

  • Shape of area may be altered.
  • Direction between points can be distorted.
  • Distance between points may be exaggerated or minimized.
  • Relative size of places may be distorted.

Thematic Maps

• Isoline Maps:

  • Use lines to show equal values of a variable (e.g., temperature, elevation).

• Choropleth Maps:

  • Use color or shading to represent data.

• Graduated Symbol Maps:

  • Symbol size indicates data magnitude.

• Dot Maps:

  • Each dot represents frequency of a variable.

• Cartograms:

  • Size of political units represents a data value, altering traditional shape.

Climate Factors (LACEMOPS)

• Latitude:

  • Distance from the equator affects temperature.

• Air Masses:

  • Cold air from the north, warm from the tropics.

• Continentality:

  • Water bodies moderate climate, inland areas experience more extremes.

• Elevation:

  • Temperature drops 3.5°F per 1,000-foot increase in elevation.

• Mountain Barriers:

  • Affect precipitation patterns; windward sides wet, leeward sides dry.

• Ocean Currents:

  • Cold currents bring cool air; warm currents bring moisture.

• Pressure Cells:

  • High pressure (cold air) and low pressure (warm air) influence weather patterns.

Migration Trends and Patterns

• Migration Statistics:
  • Women tend to migrate internally.
  • Men often migrate internationally.
  • Most migrants are adults, families are less likely to migrate.
  • Major migration trend: rural to urban areas.
  • Economic factors are primary drivers for migration.

Economic Classifications of Countries

• Primary: Resource extraction (e.g., agriculture, mining).

• Secondary: Manufacturing (e.g., factories producing goods).

• Tertiary: Service sector (e.g., healthcare, education).

• Quaternary: Knowledge-based services (e.g., IT, research).

• Categories:

  • MDC: Most Developed Countries (e.g., USA, Canada, Japan).
  • NIC: Newly Industrialized (e.g., Brazil, China).
  • LDC: Least Developed Countries (e.g., Afghanistan, Haiti).

Population and Demographics

• Demographic Transition Model: Stages of population growth.

  • Stage 1: High birth/death rates, stable population.
  • Stage 2: Declining death rates, high birth rates, rapid growth.
  • Stage 3: Declining birth rates, stable population growth.
  • Stage 4: Low birth/death rates, population possibly shrinking.
  • Stage 5: Decline - very low birth rates, high death rates; aging population issues.

• Epidemiologic Transition Model:

  • Stage 1: Pestilence and famine.
  • Stage 2: Receding pandemics.
  • Stage 3: Degenerative diseases.
  • Stage 4: Delayed degenerative diseases.
  • Possible Stage 5: Evolution of diseases, resistance issues.

Cultural Geography

• Language Families: Groups of languages that share a common ancestor.

• Universalizing vs. Ethnic Religions:

  • Universalizing (e.g., Christianity, Islam) seeks global followers;
  • Ethnic (e.g., Hinduism, Judaism) associated with specific cultural groups.

• Cultural Diffusion Types:

  • Relocation Diffusion: Spread through migration.
  • Expansion Diffusion: Continuous spread from a node (contagious, hierarchical, stimulus).

Political Geography

• Types of States:

  • Unitary: Concentrated power, typically in smaller, homogeneous states.
  • Federal: Shared power between levels of government, suitable for diverse nations.
  • Confederal: Loose alliance of independent states.

• Devolution: Transfer of power from central to regional governments.

• Gerrymandering: Manipulating electoral district boundaries for political advantage.

• International Organizations:

  • UN, NATO, EU, OPEC: Various roles in facilitating cooperation, security, and economic collaboration.