AP Human Geography Vocabulary and Concepts

AP Human Geography Vocabulary

Projection

  • A method of taking a 3D object and putting it on a 2D plane.

Reference Map

  • Maps that emphasize the location of places (without data attached).

Relative Distance

  • Describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (e.g., "one hour north of").

Spatial Distribution

  • Arrangement of a phenomenon across the Earth's surface (distribution of things in a certain space).

Spatial Interaction

  • The flow of goods, people, or information among places (how much things are interacting in a certain space).

Thematic Maps

  • A map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location.
  • These maps visualize some kind of data.

Case Study

  • Detailed observations that provide insight into a group of people in a specific area.

Census

  • An official count of individuals in a population.
  • In the USA, it happens every 10 years.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

  • Software that captures, manages, analyzes, and displays data that is collected geographically.
  • Often uses digital layers of information.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

  • A system that measures distance from a series of satellites to determine location on the planet.

Qualitative Data

  • Subjective information that is opinion based, is usually descriptive, and often expressed as text.

Quantitative Data

  • Objective data that is fact based, usually measurable and usually expressed in numbers.

Remote Sensing

  • The science of making measurements of the earth using sensors on airplanes or satellites.

Geospatial

  • Relating to data that is specific to one location.

Absolute Location

  • Describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system.

Distance Decay

  • The idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases.

Friction of Distance

  • A metaphor that explains that effort must be used to overcome distance.

Relative Location

  • Describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark.

Time-Space Compression

  • The idea that the 'world feels smaller' than it used to because of increased technology in transportation and communication.

Environmental Determinism

  • The belief that a physical environment is THE reason that some societies are strong while others are weaker.

Environmental Possibilism

  • The belief that a physical environment plays a role in the development of a society, but is NOT the ONLY factor at work.

Natural Resource

  • A physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value.

Sustainability

  • The goal of the human race reaching equilibrium with the environment; meeting the needs of the present without also leaving resources for future generations.

Scale

  • The relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map.
  • Also a concept describing how 'zoomed in' you are while studying a geographic trait.

Scale of Analysis

  • How 'zoomed in' DATA appears on a map.
  • Example: a country scale US map showing the election results of each state would be “state” scale of analysis and country scale.

Formal Region

  • A region with boundaries based on quantitative data (they can be documented or measured) and share a common political, economic, cultural or environmental characteristic.