Unit 1 - Thinking Geographically

Human Geography: The branch of geography that studies how human activity affects or is influenced by Earth’s surface.

Map: A two-dimensional representation of a geographic area.
- Cartographer: A person who creates maps.
- Data aggregation: The process of collecting and organizing large amounts of information.
Spatial patterns: The arrangement of objects on Earth’s surface, including the spaces between them.
Time–distance decay: Also known as the "first law of geography", which states that nearer objects are more related than distant objects, and interactions decrease with distance.
Time-space compression: The decreasing distance between places as measured by travel time or cost, suggesting a "shrinking" world.
Interdependence: The ties between regions that create a global economic system not based on equality.
Globalization: The process through which businesses and organizations gain international influence or operate on a global scale.
- Global citizen: An individual aware of and understands the wider world and their place within it.

Region: Area with distinctive characteristics.
Scale: The relative size of a geographic feature compared to the Earth.
Connection: The relationships between people or things across distances.
Infrastructure: Basic structures necessary for society operation, e.g., buildings, roads, utilities.

Projection: The method of transforming Earth’s sphere into a flat map.
Map scale: The ratio between map units and real land units.
Elevation: Distance above sea level.
Isoline: A line on a map connecting points of equal value (e.g., elevation).
Topographic map: A representation of Earth's three-dimensional surface.
Dot density map: Uses dots to represent counts or objects (one-to-one or one-to-many).
Reference map: Displays geographical locations like cities or oceans.
Thematic map: Emphasizes spatial patterns of specific data.
- Choropleth map: A thematic map using colors to represent aggregated data values.
- Cartogram: Distorts geographic shapes to reflect size of a variable; larger areas indicate larger values.
- Proportional map: Symbols of varying sizes represent numerical values.

Latitude and Longitude: Coordinate system for identifying every point on Earth.
- Latitude: Horizontal lines (0° at the equator).
- Longitude: Vertical lines marking the connection between the poles.
Absolute Direction: Fixed compass directions.
Absolute Distance: Measurable distance in standard units.
Absolute Location: Specific point on Earth’s surface.
Relative Distance: Measurement of social or economic similarity between places regardless of physical distance.
Relative Location: Position of one place concerning another.
GPS: Satellite-enabled technology for precise location measurement.
GIS: Geographic Information Systems for storing and analyzing geographic data.
VGI: Volunteered Geographic Information from the public.
Remote Sensing: Acquiring information about Earth using satellites or aircraft.
Aerial Photography: High-resolution images of Earth for detailed study.
Satellite Imagery: Images taken from orbit providing visible and non-visible data.

Place: Modification of space by human occupation.
Space: Areas occupied by individuals; value derived from human interaction.
Site: Physical character of a place.
Situation: Location relative to other places.
Cultural Landscape: Human-modified landscapes representing cultural values and meanings.
Diffusion: How phenomena spread over time and space.
- Independent invention: Similar innovations developed independently in different places.
- Relocation diffusion: Movement of people bringing ideas/practices to new locations.
- Expansion diffusion: Snowballing spread of ideas/practices across areas.
- Hierarchical diffusion: Ideas spread from one important person or city to another, bypassing others.
- Reverse hierarchical diffusion: Spread from lower levels to higher levels in a hierarchy.
- Contagious diffusion: Rapid spread of ideas like a contagion, without hierarchy.
- Stimulus diffusion: Acceptance of an underlying idea while rejecting specific traits.
- Friction of distance: Reduction in interaction intensity due to distance; time-space compression reduces this effect.

Ecology: Study of interactions among organisms and their environments.
Cultural Ecology: Study of society-environment interactions.
Ecosystem: Interacting system of humans and the environment.
Environmental perception: Human mental images of the environment, which can be accurate or not.
Natural Resources: Substances found in nature used for economic gain.
- Nonrenewable Resources: Limited resources that will run out.
- Renewable Resources: Resources that can be replenished.
Environmental Determinism: Belief that the physical environment shapes cultures.
Possibilism: Belief that physical environments offer various development possibilities, and humans can adapt.

Density: Number of features per area.
Concentration: Can be clustered or dispersed.
Pattern: The arrangement of features (e.g., grid, linear).
Global Scale Analysis: Examines phenomena worldwide.
National Scale Analysis: Focuses on phenomena within a specific country.
Regional Scale Analysis: Studies phenomena within specific regions.
Local Scale Analysis: Analyzes phenomena within smaller areas (states, cities, neighborhoods).

Region: Geographical units based on shared characteristics.
- Formal Region: Areas with common traits.
- Border Zone: Overlapping regions with blended cultures.
- Metropolitan Area: Highly populated urban area and its surroundings.
- Functional Region: Organized areas functioning as a unit; identified by a central node.
Sense of Place: Emotional connection to a location.
Regional Identity: Consciousness of belonging to a specific group within a region.

Illustrative data include beer consumption statistics around the world, showcasing habits across various countries.
The Czech Republic leads with 468 beers per capita, while Haiti shows the lowest at 4 beers per capita.

Understanding geographic concepts and spatial interactions is crucial in analyzing human activity's impact on the environment and vice versa.