APHG Vocab
Vocab Words Chapter 1
Location- Absolute and relative location
Place- The distinctive physical and human characteristics of a place
Human-Environment Interaction- How people interact with/ shape the surrounding environment.
Movement- The mobility of people, goods, and ideas, the patterns and changes in human spatial interactions, and the accessibility and connectivity of places
Regions- An area that displays selected criteria (one or more distinctive characteristics)
Geography- The study of where they are found on Earth’s surface and the reasons for their locations
Map- A two-dimensional model of Earth’s surface, or a portion of it
Cartography- The science and practice of mapmaking
Scale- The relationship of a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on Earth
Small Scale Maps- Show a large area on the Earth
Large-Scale Maps- Show a small area on the Earth
Projection- The scientific method of depicting Earth’s round surface on a flat map
Geographic Grid- A system of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on Earth’s surface
Absolute Location- An exact location on Earth’s surface, told using coordinates.
Relative Location- In relation to other nearby features
Isoline Maps- Use lines of equal value to represent data
Choropleth Maps- Maps in which a specific variable is depicted with shading, patterns, or colors
Proportional Symbol Maps- Maps in which the size of the symbol varies in proportion to the intensity of the mapped variable
Dot Map- A thematic map in which a dot represents some frequency/ occurrence of the mapped variable
Cartogram Maps- Maps using the relative size of political units to convey a value
GIScience- The collection of data acquired by satellites and other technologies; remote sensing
GPS- Uses satellites to determine the absolute location of any object on Earth’s surface
Toponym- The name given to a place on Earth
Site- The physical character of a specific place
Cultural Landscape- A combination of cultural, religious, economic, and physical features
Formal Region- An area in which (nearly) everyone shares one or more distinctive characteristics
Functional Region- An area organized around a node or central focal point
Vernacular Region- An area people believe exists as part of their cultural identity
Distance Decay- The further you are from something, the less likely it is that it impacts you
Space-time compression- The reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place, whether it is a person or an idea
Density- Frequency with which something occurs in a specified area
US Land Ordinance of 1785- Divided land in Western states into 1x1 mile squares
The Homestead Act of 1863- Encouraged settlement of the West by giving each settler 160 acres of land
Diffusion- Process by which something spreads across space from one place to another
Relocation Diffusion- Spread through the movement of people from one place to another
Hierarchical Diffusion- Spread from persons/nodes of authority down the ‘chain of power’
Contagious Diffusion- Rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic
Stimulus Diffusion- The spread of a strong underlying principle, though not all might diffuse
Renewable Resources- A resource produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans
Nonrenewable Resources- Resources depleted by man faster than they can be replenished by nature
Environment Pillar- Conservation must be embraced in general, preservation where possible
Economy Pillar- Prices of resources should reflect true environmental costs
Society Pillar- Modifying the wants of society to reward sustainable production
Conservation- Limiting human use of resources so that they can be used for a long period of time
Preservation- Leaving nature as it is found in its natural condition
Environmental Determinism- The belief that the physical environment causes or guides social development
Possibilism- People can react to and master their surroundings, no matter the challenges
Vocab Words Chapter 2
Demography- The study of statistics, location, and structure of human populations
4 Major World Population Clusters- east Asia, south Asia, Europe, and southeast Asia
Ecumene Zone- Regions hosting permanent human settlements
Arithmetic Density- Density of people in a given area
Physiological Density- Number of people supported by a unit of arable land
Agricultural Density- The ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land
Crude Birth Rate- Total number of live births expected for every 1,000 people
Crude Death Rate- Total number of expected deaths for every 1,000 people
Natural Increase Rate- Percentage by which a population grows in a year
Total Fertility Rate- The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years (15-49)
Infant Death Rate- Total deaths (before first year) per 1,000 live births
Doubling Time- The time it would take for a population to double at current natural growth rates
United States Census Bureau- The federal body responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
Dependency Ratio- The number of people that are too young/old to work, compared to the number of people in their productive years (0-14 and 65+)
Sex Ratio- The number of males per 100 females in the population
The Demographic Transition Model (DTM)- A model with four stages that help to explain the rise and fall of growth rates over time
DTM Stage 1- Marked by very high CBR and CDR rates, producing a flat NIR
DTM Stage 2- Marked by a rapidly declining CDR and continuing high CBR, produced very high NIR
DTM Stage 3- Marked by a rapidly declining CBR, continuing low CDR, and slowing NIR
DTM Stage 4- Marked by low CBD and CDR, low or no NIR
Zero Population Growth- When birth rates are equal to death rates
Neo-Malthusians- People who worried that the growing population would increase faster than the rate of food production
Cornucopian Theory- People who believe that the environment can support an even larger human population
Pro-Natalist Policies- Countries with low birth rates that try to encourage their people to procreate by using policies
Anti-natalist policies- Countries with high birth rates that try to curb the number of children being born by instituting policies
One Child Policy- couples apply to have a child, which would lead to increased social benefits
Epidemiological Transition Model (ETM)- identifies distinct health threats in each stage of the DTM
ETM Stage 1- Most deaths occur due to pandemics or from environmental factors
EMT Stage 2- Improved sanitation, nutrition, and medicine lead to a reduction in epidemics; overall death rates plummet
ETM Stage 3- People are living longer than ever before, and chronic diseases associated with age have become society’s greatest health challenge
ETM Stage 4- Deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other progressive diseases delayed by modern medical technology and treatments
ETM Stage 5- Infectious disease microbes evolve and develop resistance to drugs and other treatments, and diseases spread fast because of increased travel
Pandemic- a disease or other ailment that spreads across a wide area of the Earth’s surface, deeply impacting multiple countries or even continents
Epidemic- an ailment that deeply impacts a community or region
Vocab Words Chapter 3
Mobility- A general term that refers to all types of movements
Circulation- Repetitive acts of mobility
Migration- A permanent move to a new location
Emigration- Migration from a location
Immigration- Migration to a location
Net migration- Difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants
International Migration- Permanent move from one country to another
Internal Migration- Permanent move within the same country
Intraregional Migration- Migration from rural to urban areas
Counterurbanization- people leave populated areas, seeking life in less developed areas
Vocab Words Chapter 4
Culture- The body of material traits, customary beliefs, and social norms that defines the distinct tradition of a people
Habit- A repetitive act performed by an individual
Custom- A repetitive act performed by a group
Folk Culture- Practiced in more isolated places and by relatively homogeneous groups
Popular Culture- Dynamic and is found in larger, more heterogeneous places
Static- Relatively unchanging over time
Dynamic- Changing and shifting rapidly along with cultural preferences
Electronic Media- Responsible for the diffusion of popular culture throughout the world
Placelessness- How popular culture landscapes erase local identity, promoting the uniform over the unique
Vocab Words Chapter 5
Language- A system of communication through speech or a collection of sounds that a group of people understand to have the same meaning
Literary Tradition- A system of written communication
Language Families- A Collection of languages related through a common ancestral language
Language Branches- Collections of languages within a family
Language Groups- Collections of languages within a branch, displaying similar grammar and vocabulary
Dialect- A regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation
Isogloss- The geographic boundary of a certain linguistic feature
Standard Languages- Languages with multiple dialects that recognize one as the standard language that is widely recognized, used for government, business, education, and mass communication
Isolated Language- A language that is unrelated to any other language or family
Extinct Language- A language that is no longer spoken or used in daily activities by anyone in the world.
Lingua Franca- A language that is widely used in international communication
Vocab Words Chapter 7
Ethnicity- Identity with a group of people who share the cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth
Race- Identity with a group of people who share a biological ancestor
White Flight- When whites moved out of towns that blacks began moving in nearby
Nationality- Identity with a group of people who share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a particular country
Nationalism- Loyalty and devotion to a particular nation
Centripetal Force- An attitude/ condition that unifies a group of people and enhances support for a state.
Centrifugal Force- An attitude/ condition that divides people and weakens support for a state
Ethnic Cleansing- A process where a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful group to create a culturally homogenous state
Genocide- The mass killing of a group of people in an attempt to eliminate the entire group from existence
Balkanized- A multiethnic country where longstanding ethnic divisions and conflicts make the formation of a cohesive state impossible
Balkanization- The breakdown of a formerly stable state along ethnic lines
Vocab Words Chapter 8
State- An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs
Sovereignty- Independence from control of its internal affairs
Microstates- States with 1,000 or less square miles
City-States- States organized around a central city, including little more than the surrounding agricultural area
Self-Determination- The idea that different ethnicities have the right to control their affairs within their own states
Nation- A group of people with shared cultural and political values and a common history
Nation-State- A country that corresponds to the territory of a nation and is influenced by its unique culture and politics
Multithic State- A state that contains several ethnicities
Multinational State- sovereign entity that comprises two or more nations or states.
Colony- A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely separate
Boundary- An invisible line that marks the extent of the territory of a state
Frontier- Zones where no state exercises complete political control- separated states rather than one large state
Deliniation- The process of drawing a boundary, and involves complex political maneuvering between involved parties
Demarcation- The process of physically establishing a boundary.
3 Types of Physical Boundaries- Desert, Mountain, and Water
2 Types of Cultural Boundaries- Geometric and Ethnic
Geometric Boundaries- Relatively straight lines drawn on a map. Do not coincide with physical or cultural features
Ethnic Boundaries- Coincide with differences in ethnicity, especially language and religion
Territorial Waters- 12 miles from land
Contiguous Zone- 12 miles from Territorial Waters
Exclusive Economic Zone- 200 miles from baseline
International Waters- >200 miles from baseline
Compact State- Distance from center of state to any boundary does not vary significantly. Capital is typically placed at center
Elongated State- Long and narrow state; may suffer from poor internal communications
Prorupted State- Otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension created to: 1. provide a state with access to a resource or 2. separate two states that would otherwise share a boundary
Perforated State- A state that completely surrounds another one
Fragmented States- Includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
Democracy- A country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office
Autocracy- A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
Anocracy- A country that is not fully democratic or fully anocratic, but a mix of the two
Gerrymandering- When the party in charge of redistricting uses the power to give them an electoral advantage
Wasted Vote- Spreads opposition votes across many districts
Excess Vote- Concentrates opposition supported into a few districts
Stacked Vote- Links distant areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped districts
Enclave- A part of the country that is enclosed by the territory of another country
Exclave- A part of a country physically disconnected by the territory of another state(s)
Unipolar- One superpower
Bipolar- Two superpowers
Multipolar- Several superpowers
Mutual Defense Pacts- An attack on one member would be considered an attack on all
Iron Curtain- The line between the Warsaw Pact and NATO
Terrorism- The systematic use of violence to intimidate a population to achieve political goals
Publicity- A central goal of a terrorist attack, to lead to intimidation and coercion
State Sponsors of Terror- Countries that aid terrorist groups and give them assistance when needed
Vocab Words Chapter 9
Agriculture- Deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to abstain sustenence or economic gain
Agricultural Revolution- When humans first domesticated plants and animals, removing reliance on hunting and gathering
Subsistence Agriculture- The production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer’s kin (not for sale)
Commercial Agriculture- The large-scale production of food for sale off the farm
Dietary Energy Concumption- The amount of food an individual consumes; this is measured in calories
Food Security- Access to safe and nutritious food required for an active and healthy life
Undernourishment- Dietary energy consumption that is continuously below the minimum requirement for maintaining a healthy life
Agricultural Regions in the Developing World- Subsistence, Pastoral Nomadism, Shifting Cultivation, Intensive Subsistence, and Plantation Agriculture
Pastoral Nomadism- Subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals
Shifting Cultivation- Subsistence agriculture featuring slash and burn techniques and regular rotation of sites
Intensive Subsistence- Agriculture involving the regular application of intense physical labor in order to keep a unit of land in production
Plantation Agriculture- The only type of commercial agriculture prevalent in the developing world where cash crops are grown on large estates for sale on the global market
Agricultural Regions in the Developed World- Agribusiness, Mixed Crop and Livestock, Dairy Farming, Grain Farming, Mediterranean Agriculture, Ranching, and Commercial Gardening
Agribusiness- The family farm is not an isolated activity; it is integrated into a larger food production industry
Mixed Crop and Livestock- Commercial farming involving the integration of both crops and livestock, typically the crops grown are fed to the animals.
Feedlots- Where huge amounts of animals are sent to be fattened up for slaughter
Dairy Farming- Raising milk-producing animals in order to sell dairy goods on the market, from fresh milk to products like cheese
Grain Farming- The growing of grain crops for sale on the market or to be refined into products
Mediterranean Agriculture- Growing of certain crops in climate/geographic regions resembling the Meditteranean coast
Horticulture- The growing of fruits, veggies, or flowers for sale or consumption
Commercial Gardening- The growing of highly profitable, in-demand, and perishable crops for sale on the wider market
Ranching- The commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area
Three Ways Farmers Innovate- 1. They increase land under production 2. New farming technologies/methods adopted 3. Land left fallow for shorter periods of time
Irrigation- The practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns
Drug Crops- Illicit production and export of crops used for narcotics
Overproduction- Commercial farmers produce far more than is actually needed, leading to low prices
Agricultural Subsity- Money paid by the government to farmers to not grow a crop that is overproduced or grow a crop even when prices are low
Von Thunen’s Model- Important model to express how proximity to market impacts what commodities are produced
Center ring of Von Thunen’s model- urban area (market)
1st ring- dairy and market-oriented gardens (perishables)
2nd ring- forest
3rd ring- crops/pasturing
4th ring- grazing
Physical features like rivers that impact transportation can affect the shape of the model
Strategies to increase world food supply- 1. Increase exports from surplus countries 2. Increase land under production 3. Expand fishing 4. Increase productivity
Irrigation- water use
Aquaculture- the cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions
Overfishing- depletes stocks of many important species (like cod)
Green revolution- an era of innovation that used technological advances like the combine and combined them with scientific advances like GMOs
Problems with the green revolution- health issues, export laws, dependence on US
Worst impact of green revolution- water depletion
Sustainable agriculture- practices that preserve and enhance environmental and social quality
Organic farming- does not use pesticides or fertilizers
Three primary ways sustainable agriculture is achieved- 1. sensitive land management 2. limited/no use of chemicals 3. Integrating crop and livestock
Vocab Words Chapter 12
Basic Business- A business that sells its products or services primarily to consumers outside the settlement
Business Service- A service that primarily meets the needs of other businesses, including professional, financial, and transportation services
Central Place- A market center for the exchange of services by people attracted from the surrounding area
Central Place Theory- Settlements serve as centers of market areas for services; larger settlements are fewer and farther apart than smaller settlements and provide services for a larger number of people who are willing to travel further
Clustered Rural Settlement- A rural settlement in which the houses and farm buildings are situated close to each other, with fields surrounding the settlement
Vocab Words Chapter 13
Annexation- Legally adding land area to a city in the United States
Census Tract- An area delineated by the U.S. Census Bureau of the Census for which statistics are published; in urban areas, the census tracts correspond roughly to neighborhoods
Concentric Zone Model- A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are spatially arranged in a series of rings
Council of Government- A cooperative agency consisting of representatives of local governments in a metropolitan area in the United States
Density Gradient- The change in density in an urban area from the center to the periphery
Edge City- A large node of office and retail activities on the edge of an urban area
Filtering- The process of change in the use of a house, from single-family owner to abandonment
Gentrification- A process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low-income renter-occupied area to a predominantly middle class-owner-occupied area
Greenbelt- A ring of land maintained as parks, agriculture, or other types of open space to limit the sprawl of an urban area
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)- A central city of at least 50,000 population, the country within which the city is located, and adjacent countries meeting one of several tests indicating a functional connection to the central city
Micropolitan Statistical Area- An urbanized area of between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, the country in which it is found, and adjacent counties tied to the city
Multiple Nuclei Model- A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged around a collection of nodes of activities
Peripheral Model- A model of North America's urban areas consisting of an inner city surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas tied together by a beltway or ring road
Public Housing- Housing owned by the government; in the United States, it is rented to low-income residents, and the rents are set at 30 percent of the families’ incomes
Redlining- A process by which banks draw lines on a map and refuse to lend money to purchase or improve property within the boundaries
Rush Hour- The four consecutive 15-minute periods in the morning and evening with the heaviest volumes of traffic
Sector Model- A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged around a series of sectors, or wedges, radiating out from the central business district
Smart Growth- Legislation and regulations to limit suburban sprawl and preserve farmland
Sprawl- The development of new housing sites at relatively low density and at locations that are not contiguous to the existing build-up area
Squatter Settlement- An area within a city in a less developed country in which people illegally establish residences on land they do not own or rent and erect homemade structures
Underclass- A group in society prevented from participating in the material benefits of a more developed society because of a variety of social and economic characteristics
Urbanization- An increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements
Urban Renewal- Program in which cities identify blighted inner-city neighborhoods, acquire the properties from private owners, relocate the residents and businesses, clear the site, build new roads and utilities, and turn the land over to private developers
Zoning Ordinance- A law that limits the permitted uses of land and maximum density of development in a community
Vocab Words Chapter 14
Resource- A substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use
Fossil Fuel- A nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; examples include oil, coal, and natural gas
Potentail Reserve- The amount of energy in deposits not yet identified but thought to exist
Ferrous- Metals, including iron ore, that are utilized in the production of iron and steel
Greenhouse Effect- Warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere
Passive Solar Energy Systems- Solar energy that collects energy without the use of mechanical devices
Geothermal Energy- Energy derived from the heat in the interior of the Earth
Preservation- Maintenance of a resource in its present condition, with as little human impact as possible
Animate Power- power supplied by people or animals
Renewable Energy- Any source of energy that can be continually produced and is inexhaustible, given current conditions
Fission- A nuclear reaction in which a missive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy
Nonferrous- Do not contain iron and do not rust; aluminum, tin, copper, and lead
Ozone- A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of two that protects us from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun
Photochemical Smog- A brown haze that develops in cities because of the action of sunlight on pollutants such as hydrocarbons and nitrogen
Active Solar Energy Systems- Solar energy system that collects energy through the use of mechanical devices like photovoltaic cells or flat plate collectors
Fusion- A nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy
Sustainable Development- Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Inaminate Power- Power supplied by machines
Nonrenewable Energy- A source of energy that is a finite supply capable of being exhausted
Radioactive Waste- A byproduct of nuclear energy that is highly volatile and dangerous to the population
knPollution- Undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities