Quantitative - involving data that can be measured by numbers

Qualitative - involving data that is descriptive of a research subject and is often based on people's opinions

Census - An official count of the number of people in a defined area.

Geographical Information Systems - Captures, stores, organizes, and displays geographic data that can then be used to configure both simple and complex maps.

Topography - The shape and features of land surfaces.

Remote Sensing - Gathering data remotely, or without making physical contact.

Global Positioning System - An integrated network of at least 31 satellite in the U.S. system that orbit Earth and transmit location data to handheld receivers.

Cartographers - created maps to help explorers follow the routes of those who came before them and to estimate how long it might take to travel to uncharted lands.

Absolute Distance - Distance that can be measured using a standard unit of length.

Relative Distance - Measured in terms of other criteria such as time or money.

Absolute Direction - The direction in the cardinal directions, like north, south, west, east.

Relative Direction - Left, Right, up, down, front, or behind based on people's perceptions. Are used to describe direction and location when interpreting maps.

Map Scale - The mathematical relationship between the size of a map and the part of the real world it shows.

Reference Maps - generalized sources of geographical data and focus on location.

Thematic Maps - Have a theme or specific purpose and focus on the relationship among geographic data.