Unit 1 AP HUG

Science of Geography 

Geography: study of where things are found on the Earth’s surface and the reasons for their location(where and why)

Map: flat-scale 3-D model that shows the surface of Earth’s surface

  • Used as Reference: find your way

  • Communication: show where things are 

Cartography: science of mapmaking 


Tools of Cartography Today

Geographic Information Science(GIScience): analysis of data about Earth thought satellite and other electronic information technologies→collects data to produce maps

VGI(Volunteered Geographic Information): created by everyday people 

Geotagging: identification and storage of info based on precise location using latitude and longitude coordinates 

Equator: line diving globe into Northern and Southern Hemisphere

Prime Meridian: Line diving globe into Eastern and Western Hemisphere 

Longitude: Angular distance East or West of the Equator

Latitude: Angular distance North or South of the Equator 

Legend: A key that identifies symbols on a map

Scale:  measurements used for telling distance 


Map Projections

Projection: scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map

  • Issues with map projections:

    • Shape

    • Distance 

    • Relative Size

    • Direction 

  • The data shown on a map will typically influence the projection chosen to better the display the data

    • Thematic Mapping 

Projections 

Mercator Projection

  • Pros:

    • Shape and direction are consistency and the map in rectangular

  • Cons

    • Distortion towards the poles causes exaggerated sizes of land masses near them

Winkle Projection

  • Pros

    • Size of landmasses are fairly accurate and dissertation occurs in less populated areas

  • Cons

    • More ocean space; continents and land are smaller than or other maps

Good Homolosine 

  • Pros:

    • Less space to oceans means land masses more prominent

  • Cons:

    • Interruption in map makes travel use/navigation more difficult and angles of latitude/longitudes odd

Galls-Peters Projection 

  • Pros

    • Relative size is most accurate among other maps

  • Cons

    • shape of land masses is very distorted 

Thematic Maps

Isoline Maps: connects with lines all the places with particular values 

Dot Distribution Map: data depicted as points that represented predetermined number both clusters and spread out over an area

Choropleth Map: recognized areas are shaded or pattern in proportion to measurement of the variable 

Graduated Symbol Map: Symbols that change size according to the value of the variable 

Cartogram Map: size of a country or territory is proportional to the value of a a particular rather than to the actual land area 

Scale vs Scale of Analysis

Map Scale: relationship between features size on a map to its actual size on Earth

  • Shown in: Ratio, Written, or Graphic

Large Scale: less area would be shown in greater detail(zoomed in)-->smaller ratio

Small Scale: more area would be shown in less detail(zoomed out)-->bigger ratio

Scale of Analysis: the level at which data is displayed on a map. Identified in 4 ways:

  • Global

    • Showed the world as one level of data

    • Usually not useful and almost impossible to use

    • If used then it is Climate change for ie.

    • no boundary lines depicted in map-->to identity global scale

  • Regional

    • Shows data by continents of world regions

    • Considers major world regions like: Southeast Asia, Sub-Subharan Africa, Oceania, and etc

    • There are regional boundary lines but not national political boundaries

  • National

    • Showing data of one or more countries 

    • Ie. comparing the GDP per capital between DRC and United States

    • political boundaries are always depicted with different levels of data

  • Local

    • Shows data at a subnational level

    • Ie: counties, zip codes, and etc

    • subnational boundary lines within the united states in the map map of the US(zoomed in)

They identify how the data is grouped and presented on the map

Humans and the Environment 

Long terms average weather condition of a location is climate which is broken into 5 large groups:

  • Tropical

  • Dry

  • Warm Mid-Latitude

  • Cold Mid-Latitude

  • Polar

Sustainability: important to understand; especially with climate change 

Conservation vs. Preservation 

Evolution of culture ecology:

Environmental Determinism: used to show how geography shapes human development

Possibilism: Discuss that geography can limit humans; but have means to alter that relationship

Space Distribution 

Density, Concentration, Pattern

Regions

Formal/Uniform: clearly defined and common characteristics 

Function/Nodal: area organized around a coal or central point

Vernacular/Perceptual: area where people hold a shared cultural identity

Cultural Geography

Cultural Landscape examines the combo of cultural, economic, and physical features of the land

Spatial Association: relationship between two features within a cultural landscape

  • Strong: similar distribution

  • Weak: different distribution