APHUG TEST TERMS

Term: Environmental Determinism
Definition: A geographic theory stating that the physical environment, particularly climate and terrain, actively shapes human culture and societal development. Example: Early civilizations like Egypt formed around fertile river valleys due to environmental constraints.

Term: Possibilism
Definition: A geographic perspective that recognizes the environment places limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust and choose alternatives. Example: The Netherlands reclaimed land from the sea using polders and dikes.

Term: Epidemiologic Transition Model
Definition: A model explaining changes in population disease patterns corresponding to different stages of demographic transition, shifting from infectious to chronic diseases. Example: Stage 2 countries experience high rates of diseases like cholera.

Term: Malthusian Theory
Definition: A theory by Thomas Malthus proposing that population growth would outpace food production, leading to widespread famine and societal collapse. Example: Predicted food shortages in industrializing Britain.

Term: Neo-Malthusian Critique
Definition: Modern support of Malthus's ideas, arguing that population growth still threatens resources despite technological advances. Example: Concerns about overpopulation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Term: Cartogram
Definition: A thematic map that distorts geographic shape to represent data values such as population or economic output. Example: A population cartogram makes India appear much larger than Canada.

Term: Step Migration
Definition: A migration pattern in which migrants move to a destination in a series of stages, often from rural to urban areas. Example: A person moving from a village to a town, then to a large city like Mexico City.

Term: Forced Migration
Definition: Human migration flows in which the movers have no choice but to relocate, often due to conflict, persecution, or natural disaster. Example: Syrian refugees fleeing civil war.

Term: Gerrymandering
Definition: The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to benefit a specific political party or group. Example: North Carolina’s 12th congressional district shaped to concentrate Democratic voters.

Term: Packing (Gerrymandering)
Definition: A form of gerrymandering where opposition voters are concentrated into a few districts to dilute their overall influence. Example: Urban voters grouped into a single district to reduce their impact elsewhere.

Term: Supranationalism
Definition: The association of three or more states for mutual benefit, often in economic, political, or military spheres. Example: The European Union promotes free trade and political integration.

Term: Shatterbelt Region
Definition: A politically unstable region caught between stronger external cultural or political forces. Example: The Balkan Peninsula during the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Term: Nation-State
Definition: A state whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity. Example: Japan, where most people share the same language and ethnicity.

Term: Federal State
Definition: A political system where power is divided between central and regional governments. Example: The United States grants states significant legislative authority.

Term: Unitary State
Definition: A state governed as a single entity with centralized authority. Example: France operates under a central government with little power at local levels.

Term: Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
Definition: A set of international laws defining nations' rights concerning the use of oceans, including territorial seas and exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Example: China’s claims in the South China Sea conflict with the EEZs of neighboring states.

Term: Primate City
Definition: A city that is more than twice as large as the second-largest city in a country and dominates economic, cultural, and political life. Example: Bangkok in Thailand.

Term: Rank-Size Rule
Definition: A rule stating that the nth-largest city in a country will be 1/n the size of the largest city, commonly found in more developed countries. Example: U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago follow this pattern.

Term: Central Place Theory
Definition: A spatial theory that explains the distribution of services based on settlements serving as ‘central places’ to provide goods and services to surrounding areas. Example: Towns offering everyday services, while cities provide specialized services.

Term: Central Business District (CBD)
Definition: The commercial and business center of a city characterized by high land values, tall buildings, and concentration of services. Example: Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Term: Postindustrial City
Definition: A city characterized by a shift from manufacturing-based industries to service and information-based economies. Example: San Francisco, with a strong tech sector.

Term: Urban Sprawl
Definition: The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into peripheral rural regions, often resulting in car dependency and low-density development. Example: Atlanta’s suburban growth over the past few decades.

Term: Von Thünen Model
Definition: A model that explains agricultural land use in concentric rings around a central market, based on transportation cost and perishability. Example: Dairy farming near cities, grain farther away.

Term: Green Revolution
Definition: The 20th-century introduction of high-yield crops, synthetic fertilizers, and irrigation techniques to developing countries to boost food production. Example: Wheat and rice innovations in India and Mexico.

Term: Extensive Farming
Definition: Agricultural practices involving low labor input over large areas of land, typically in semi-arid regions. Example: Cattle ranching in the western United States.

Term: Free-Range Farming
Definition: A method of animal agriculture where animals are allowed to roam freely rather than being confined. Example: Free-range poultry production in Europe.

Term: Subsistence Agriculture
Definition: Farming that provides food for the farmer and family with little surplus for trade. Example: Slash-and-burn agriculture in the Amazon Basin.

Term: Gender Inequality Index (GII)
Definition: A composite measure reflecting inequality in reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation between men and women. Example: Norway has a low GII due to gender equality policies.

Term: Economic Sectors
Definition: Divisions of the economy based on stages of production: primary (raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), quaternary (knowledge), and quinary (decision-making). Example: A coal miner is in the primary sector; a teacher is in the tertiary.

Term: Debt-for-Nature Swap
Definition: A financial agreement where a portion of a developing nation's debt is forgiven in exchange for commitments to environmental conservation. Example: The U.S. and Costa Rica agreement to preserve rainforests.

Term: Core-Periphery Model
Definition: A model describing how core countries dominate global trade and exploit peripheral countries for resources and labor. Example: The U.S. imports cocoa from Ghana, adding value through processing and branding.

Term: Gini Index
Definition: A statistical measure of income inequality within a country; 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents total inequality. Example: South Africa has one of the highest Gini scores globally.