Unit 1

Maps in AP Human Geography 🗺

Map Projections

Map projections are used to display a 3D globe on a 2D surface, resulting in distortions. There are hundreds of map projections, but for AP Human Geography, you only need to be familiar with a few.

Types of Map Projections

Types of Maps

Reference Maps

Reference maps are informational maps that show boundaries, toponym, and geographic features of a place.

Topographic Maps

Topographic maps use contour lines to display terrain and elevation changes in an area.

"The closer the lines are together, the steeper the terrain is."

Thematic Maps

Thematic maps display spatial patterns of places and use quantitative data to display specific topics.

Types of Thematic Maps

• Chloropluff maps: display data using different colors or shades of color

• Dot density maps: show data by placing points on a map where the data is occurring

• Graduated symbol maps: use shapes or symbols to show location and amount of data

• Isoline maps: use lines to connect areas with similar or equal amounts of data

• Cartogram maps: show data in a dynamic way, with the greatest value represented by the largest area

• Flowline maps: show movement of goods, people, animals, services, or ideas between different places

Geographic Data

Collecting Geographic Data

Geographers collect data through:

• Remote sensing: collecting information about the world from satellites

• Field observations: visiting a place and recording first-hand observations

• Personal interviews: learning about a place and collecting individuals' unique perspectives

• Media reports: understanding what people in an area are experiencing

• Government documents: understanding cultural values and priorities

• Travel narratives: gaining insight into individuals' experiences and observations

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GIS is a computer system that collects, analyzes, and displays geographic data, creating layered maps that give geographers insight into spatial associations and patterns of a place.## Data Acquisition 📊

Geographers acquire data through various methods, including:

• Landscape analysis: studying images captured by geospatial technology to understand changes in an area and the impact of human activities on the environment.

• Photo analysis: examining photographs or video recordings to observe wildlife, vegetation, geography, and other physical elements of a place.

• Places while visiting or living in an area.

Types of Data 📈

There are two main categories of data:

Qualitative Data

Information that is often in word form, subjective, and open to interpretation.

• Collecting data through observations and interviews.

• Example: approval rating of a school's lunch food.

Quantitative Data

Information that is often in number form, objective, and not open to interpretation.

• Collecting data through a country's census, which includes demographic data such as age, education level, housing status, sex, and more.

• Example: demographic breakdown of India, including population pyramids.

Using Geographic Data 📍

Scale and Insight

• When we change our scale, we gain different insights into geographic data.

• Local scale: understanding exact locations and details of an area.

• National scale: seeing different spatial relationships within a country's boundary.

• Global scale: observing patterns and relying on generalization.

Governments and Geographic Data

Businesses and Geographic Data

Individuals and Geographic Data

Spatial Concepts 📍

Absolute and Relative Location

• Absolute location: an exact location on the Earth's surface, using longitude and latitude.

• Relative location: the relation a place has to the surrounding area, using descriptions of buildings, geographic features, and other landmarks.

Place and Sense of Place

• Place: a location with physical and human characteristics, such as rivers, mountains, vegetation, climate, languages, religions, and culture.

• Sense of place: an emotional response to a place, influenced by its unique features and personal memories.

• Placelessness: when a location lacks identity and unique features, leading to a lack of emotional response.## Spatial Analysis 🗺

Concept of Spatial Distribution

• Density: the amount of objects or people in an area

• Concentration: how things are spread out in an area (e.g. clustered together or dispersed)

• Pattern: the arrangement of things in an area (e.g. grid formation or linear pattern)

Understanding a Place

"We can gain a better understanding of the flow, use, purpose, and culture of that place by observing different spatial distributions of a place."

Time-Space Compression

• The concept that the world today is more connected than ever before due to advancements in technology, apology, and communication.

• This phenomenon has decreased the impact of distance decay, a geographic concept that looks at how likely a person or place is to interact with another person or place based on distance.

Human-Environment Interaction 🌎

Environmental Determinism vs. Environmental Possibilism

Land Use

• Agricultural land use: land used for production of different agricultural products

• Industrial land use: land used for factories and manufacturing facilities

• Commercial land use: land used for businesses and stores

• Residential land use: land used for people to live on and build homes

• Recreational land use: land set aside for people to relax and unwind

• Transportational land use: land used for roads, railroads, airports, and public transportation

Scale and Scale of Analysis 🗺

Scales of Analysis

Important Note

• Small scale maps are zoomed out and use more generalizations

• Large scale maps are zoomed in and use less generalizations

Regional Analysis 🗺

Types of Regions

• Formal regions (uniform regions): geographic areas with common attributes, defined by economic, political, social, or environmental characteristics

• Functional regions (nodal regions): geographic areas organized around a node or Center Point, often based on economic activity, travel, or communication

• Perceptual regions (vernacular regions): geographic areas linked together due to people's opinions, attitudes, feelings, or perceptions