Untitled Flashcards Set

Location and Geography Basics

1. Absolute Location:

Exact position on the Earth's surface, usually given in coordinates (latitude and longitude). This precise measurement is essential for navigation and mapping, ensuring a consistent reference point.

2. Relative Location:

Describes a place’s location in relation to other locations. It's useful for understanding accessibility and spatial relationships in the context of transportation, economics, and regional politics.

3. Site and Situation:

- Site refers to the physical characteristics of a location (e.g., landforms, climate, resources), which can influence its settlement or economic potential.

- Situation is the location of a place relative to its surroundings, such as its proximity to resources, markets, or other cities, which can enhance or limit development.

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### Population and Migration

4. Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

The number of live births per 1,000 people in a given year. It’s a key indicator for understanding the natural growth or decline of a population.

5. Crude Death Rate (CDR):

The number of deaths per 1,000 people per year. When combined with the CBR, it gives insights into a country’s mortality rates and overall health conditions.

6. Rate of Natural Increase (RNI):

The difference between the crude birth rate and crude death rate, shown as a percentage. It is used to assess population growth or decline, excluding migration.

7. Population Pyramids:

A visual representation of a population’s age and sex distribution. These pyramids help to identify population trends (e.g., aging population, youth bulge) and predict future demographic challenges.

8. Demographic Transition Model (DTM):

A model that explains population changes over time through five stages:

- Stage 1: High birth and death rates (pre-industrial societies).

- Stage 2: High birth rates, declining death rates (early industrialization).

- Stage 3: Declining birth rates, low death rates (industrialized societies).

- Stage 4: Low birth and death rates (post-industrial societies).

- Stage 5: Potential decline in population (aging societies, e.g., Japan).

9. Carrying Capacity:

The maximum population that can be sustained by the available resources and environment. It’s a key factor in sustainability and resource management, affecting food security, water availability, and urban planning.

10. Dependency Ratio:

The ratio of people under 15 and over 65 (dependents) to those between 15 and 64 (working-age). A high dependency ratio places economic pressure on the workforce.

11. Elderly Support Ratio:

The ratio of working-age people to elderly individuals (65+). This ratio is increasingly important in aging societies, indicating the strain on health systems and social services.

12. Historic Population Trends:

Significant changes in population due to historical events (e.g., the Industrial Revolution) or health advancements (e.g., vaccinations). These trends help explain current population structures and economic development.

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### Migration

13. Push and Pull Factors:

- Push factors: Negative circumstances (e.g., war, famine, poor economic conditions) that drive people away from a location.

- Pull factors: Positive aspects (e.g., better job prospects, safety, political stability) that attract people to a new place.

14. Chain Migration:

A pattern where migrants move to a location where family members or members of the same nationality have already settled. This creates migrant networks and can lead to the formation of ethnic enclaves.

15. Intervening Opportunities and Obstacles:

- Opportunities: Factors that encourage migrants to stop before reaching their final destination (e.g., job offers, better living conditions).

- Obstacles: Barriers that hinder migration, such as visa restrictions, geographic barriers (mountains, oceans), or political instability.

16. Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration:

A set of principles that describe migration patterns:

- Most migration occurs over short distances.

- Long-distance migrants tend to move to major economic centers (urban areas).

- Migration usually follows a step-by-step pattern (step migration).

- Most migrants are young adults, typically between 18-30 years old.

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### Cultural Geography

17. Cultural Hearth:

The origin point of cultural traits (e.g., language, religion, technology), from which these traits spread to other areas. Examples include the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and the Nile Valley.

18. Folk vs. Popular Culture:

- Folk culture: Traditional, localized, and typically resistant to outside influences. It includes rural lifestyles, indigenous customs, and local knowledge.

- Popular culture: Mass-produced and widely disseminated through media. It is often associated with urban centers and global consumption (e.g., pop music, fashion).

19. Sense of Place:

The emotional attachment and meaning people associate with a particular location. This can be influenced by personal experiences, historical events, or cultural significance.

20. Sequent Occupance:

The idea that successive groups of people leave their cultural imprints on a landscape, influencing its social, cultural, and economic evolution over time.

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### Language

21. Creole Language:

A stable language that evolves from a mixture of different languages, often due to colonization and the blending of languages for communication between groups. Example: Haitian Creole (derived from French and African languages).

22. Lingua Franca:

A language that is adopted as a common means of communication between speakers of different native languages. For example, English is used as a lingua franca in international business and diplomacy.

23. Isolated/Extinct/Revived Languages:

- Isolated languages: Languages that have no relation to other languages (e.g., Basque).

- Extinct languages: Languages that are no longer spoken by any community (e.g., Latin).

- Revived languages: Languages that have been reintroduced after a period of disuse (e.g., Hebrew, after its revival in the 20th century).

24. Language Diffusion:

The spread of languages over time due to migration, colonization, trade, or other social factors. This can occur through relocation diffusion (migrants carrying their language with them) or expansion diffusion (the language spreads through interaction).

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### Religion

25. Universalizing vs. Ethnic Religions:

- Universalizing religions: Religions that actively seek to convert new followers, with the goal of global spread (e.g., Christianity, Islam).

- Ethnic religions: Religions tied to a specific ethnic group or geographic area, and typically do not actively seek converts (e.g., Hinduism, Judaism).

26. Major World Religions:

Religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism shape global cultures, influence political systems, and impact societal norms and landscapes (e.g., Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Hindu temples).

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### Theories and Models

27. Environmental Determinism:

The theory that human behavior and cultural development are shaped or controlled by the physical environment. This view has been largely criticized for ignoring human agency and the complex influence of culture.

28. Possibilism:

A more flexible theory that argues humans have the ability to adapt to and modify their environment, using technology and innovation to overcome environmental constraints.

29. Malthusian Theory:

Malthus argued that population growth would outstrip food production, leading to widespread famine and social unrest. This theory has been challenged by advances in agricultural technology and food production.

30. Wallerstein's World-Systems Theory:

Divides the world into three tiers:

- Core countries: Wealthy, industrialized nations (e.g., USA, Germany).

- Semi-periphery: Countries in transition (e.g., China, India).

- Periphery: Developing nations with limited industrialization (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Latin America).

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### Maps and Geographic Tools

31. Types of Maps:

- Thematic maps focus on specific data (e.g., population density, climate).

- Topographic maps show detailed land features, including elevation.

- Choropleth maps use shading or patterns to show population distribution or density.

32. Types of Density:

- Arithmetic Density: Total population divided by total land area.

- Physiological Density: Population divided by arable land, showing land efficiency.

- Agricultural Density: The ratio of farmers to arable land, highlighting agricultural efficiency and development.

33. Spatial Approach:

Focuses on understanding human activities in relation to their location and space. This approach helps explain patterns like urbanization, trade routes, and environmental impacts.

34. Space-Time Compression:

The reduction in time it takes for something to reach another location due to advancements in transportation and communication technology, leading to greater interconnectedness globally.