AP Human Geography Unit Notes

5 Themes of Geography

Location
- Relative Location: Position of a place relative to others.
- Absolute Location: Exact position measured using latitude and longitude.
Place
- Characteristics that make a location unique (both human and physical).
Human-Environment Interaction
- Study of how humans adapt to and modify their environment.
Movement
- Relates to the mobility of people, goods, and ideas, which affect spatial interactions and accessibility.
Regions
- Areas defined by specific criteria or characteristics that distinguish them from other areas.

Topography: Study of Earth's surface and relief features.
Climate: Analysis of average weather conditions (Koppen classification system).
Flora and Fauna: Study of plant and animal life.
Soil: Examination of terrestrial soils and their types.

Culture: Dynamics of human cultures and their development.
Population: Demographic studies encompassing statistics about populations.
Economic Geography: Interaction between location and economic activities.
Political Geography: Study of political processes relative to geographic space.
Urban Geography: Examination of cities and urban areas.

Isoline Maps: Use lines to represent constant data values (e.g., elevation).
Choropleth Maps: Use varying shades of color to represent data distributions.
Graduated Symbol Maps: Symbols vary in size to represent quantitative data.
Dot Maps: Each dot represents a frequency of data.
Cartograms: Data represented in proportion to a variable, distorting geography.

Latitude: Climatic variation with distance from the equator.
Air Masses: Influence of cold and warm air flows.
Continentality: Effect of land versus water on temperatures.
Elevation: Impact of height above sea level on climate (temperature decreases by ~3.5°F per 1000 ft increase).
Mountain Barriers: Effects of mountains on weather patterns (windward/leeward).
Ocean Currents: Influence of cold or warm ocean currents on climate.
Pressure Cells: High (cold) and low (warm) pressure systems affecting wind patterns.

Stats: Women migrate within countries; men migrate between countries.
Main Sources of Migration: Economic factors are primary; rural to urban movement predominates.

Primary Economies: Resource extraction (agriculture, mining).
Secondary Economies: Manufacturing and processing.
Tertiary Economies: Services provision (healthcare, education).
Quaternary Economies: Information and management services.
MDC (More Developed Countries): High industrialization and wealth. (e.g., USA, Canada)
NIC (Newly Industrialized Countries): Transitioning economies. (e.g., China, India)
LDC (Less Developed Countries): Low income and industrial base. (e.g., Angola, Benin)

Definition: The science of map-making.
Map Scale Types:
- Large Scale (1:25,000): More detail, smaller area.
- Small Scale (1:1,000,000): Less detail, larger area.
Map Analysis Scale:
- Global vs. National scales based on level of detail and data grouping.

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration: Patterns and reasons reflected in migration statistics.
Wallerstein’s Core-Periphery Model: Economic relationships between developed and developing nations.

Demographic Transition Model: Stages of population change over time.
- Stage 1: High birth & death rates.
- Stage 2: Decline in death rates, high birth rates.
- Stage 3: Declining birth rates, lower death rates.
- Stage 4: Low birth & death rates, possible population decrease.

Epidemiological Transition Model: Changes in disease patterns as populations grow.
Cultural Landscape: Reflection of human imprint on land.
Diffusion Types: Relocation, expansion, hierarchical, etc.