AP HUG weakness

AP Human Geography Ultimate Vocabulary Notes

Population & Resources

Malthusians:

  • Believe that population grows faster than food supply, leading to famine and conflict unless controlled.

  • Example: Thomas Malthus warning about overpopulation.

Neo-Malthusians:

  • Modern supporters who worry about overpopulation, environmental degradation, and limited resources (like water and fossil fuels).

  • Example: Concerns about resource scarcity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Culture & Identity

Ethnocentrism:

  • Judging another culture based on the values of your own.

  • Example: Europeans viewing Indigenous societies as "uncivilized" during colonization.

Political Geography – Types of Boundaries

1. Antecedent Boundary

  • Drawn before people settle or develop the area.

  • Example: U.S.–Canada border at the 49th parallel.

2. Subsequent Boundary

  • Drawn after population and cultural landscapes are established.

  • Two subtypes:

    • Consequent Boundary: Matches cultural divisions.

      • Example: India–Pakistan (religious divide).

    • Superimposed Boundary: Forced by external powers, ignoring cultural divisions.

      • Example: Borders in Africa from the Berlin Conference.

3. Relic Boundary

  • No longer functions, but still visible or culturally significant.

  • Example: The Berlin Wall.

4. Geometric Boundary

  • Straight lines (usually latitude/longitude).

  • Example: U.S.–Canada border.

5. Physical (Natural) Boundary

  • Based on natural features.

  • Example: Himalayas between India and China.

6. Cultural (Ethnographic) Boundary

  • Based on language, religion, or ethnicity.

  • Example: Language borders in Europe.

Political Geography – Boundary Disputes

Definitional Dispute: Disagreement about legal language (e.g., Andes boundary dispute).

Locational Dispute: Disagreement over the boundary's actual position (e.g., Israel–Palestine).

Operational Dispute: Disagreement on how the boundary is used (e.g., U.S.–Mexico immigration control).

Allocational Dispute: Dispute over resources (e.g., oil in the Persian Gulf).

Other Political Geography Terms

Apartheid:

  • System of racial segregation in South Africa (1948–1990s).

  • Example: Blacks restricted to "homelands" and denied basic rights.

Break of Bulk Point:

  • Place where goods are transferred from one transport type to another.

  • Example: Port of Los Angeles (ship to truck).

SEZ (Special Economic Zone):

  • Area with special economic regulations to attract foreign investment.

  • Example: Shenzhen, China.

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone):

  • 200 nautical miles from coast where a country controls natural resources.

  • Example: U.S. drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico.

UNCLOS (Law of the Sea):

  • Defines maritime zones:

    • Territorial Sea: 12 nm, full sovereignty.

    • Contiguous Zone: 12–24 nm, enforcement zone.

    • EEZ: 200 nm, resource rights.

    • Continental Shelf: Rights to seabed beyond 200 nm if justified.

    • High Seas: International waters beyond EEZ.

    • Archipelagic Waters: Straight baselines connecting outermost islands.

    • Deep Seabed (The Area): Managed by International Seabed Authority.

Economic Geography

Commodity Chains:

  • Series of steps in producing and distributing a product.

  • Example: Coffee – grown in Brazil, processed in Europe, sold globally.

Urban Geography

Ecumene:

  • Permanently inhabited areas of Earth.

  • Example: Nile River Valley (dense ecumene); Sahara Desert (sparse).

Rostow's Model of Economic Growth:

  1. Traditional Society (subsistence, farming).

  2. Preconditions for Takeoff (infrastructure, investment).

  3. Takeoff (industrial growth).

  4. Drive to Maturity (diversified economy).

  5. Age of Mass Consumption (consumer goods, services).

  • Example: South Korea is in Stage 5.

Urban Models:

  • Concentric Zone Model: Rings from CBD outward (e.g., Chicago).

  • Sector Model: Wedges radiating from center (e.g., rail lines).

  • Multiple Nuclei Model: Multiple centers of activity (e.g., Los Angeles).

  • Latin American City Model: Spine of elite housing from CBD, surrounded by squatter settlements.

  • Southeast Asian City Model: Centered around port, no CBD.

  • Sub-Saharan African Model: Three CBDs (colonial, traditional, market).

Agricultural Geography

Shifting Cultivation:

  • Slash-and-burn farming in tropical regions; move after soil depletes.

  • Example: Amazon Rainforest farming by Indigenous communities.