Master List AP Human Geo

5 Themes of Geography

  • Location

    • Absolute location: defined by latitude and longitude.
    • Relative location: location in relation to other places.

  • Place

    • Distinctive physical and human characteristics of an area.

  • Human

    • How humans interact with their environment.

  • Movement

    • Mobility of individuals, goods, and ideas; patterns of human spatial interactions, accessibility, and connectivity of places.

  • Regions

    • Areas that display specific criteria with one or more distinctive characteristics.

Physical vs. Human Geography

  • Physical Geography

    • Topography
    • Climate (Koppen classification)
    • Flora and Fauna
    • Soil

  • Human Geography

    • Culture
    • Population
    • Economic factors
    • Political influences
    • Urban environments
    • Agriculture

Forms of Distortion in Map Projections

  • Shape of Area
  • Direction Between Points
  • Distance Between Points (can increase or decrease)
  • Relative Size of the Place

Thematic Maps

  • Isoline Maps
    • Use lines of equal value (e.g., elevation, temperature).
  • Choropleth Maps
    • Thematic maps showing data through shading patterns/colors.
  • Graduated Symbol Maps
    • Size of symbols proportionate to data intensity.
  • Dot Maps
    • Dots represent frequency of a particular data or variable.
  • Cartograms
    • Size of political units display values of data.

LACEMOPS: Climate Influencing Factors

  • L: Latitude
    • Temperature decreases as you move away from the equator.
  • A: Air Masses
    • Different air masses affect regional climates (cold from poles, warm from tropics).
  • C: Continentality
    • Regions far from the ocean experience extreme weather due to water's moderating effects.
  • E: Elevation
    • Higher elevations lead to colder temperatures (temp drops 3.5°F/1,000ft rise).
  • M: Mountain Barriers
    • Mountains block winds, creating moisture on windward sides and deserts on leeward sides.
  • O: Ocean Currents
    • Cold currents bring cool, dry weather; warm currents bring warm, moist weather.
  • P: Pressure Cells
    • High pressure means colder, denser air; low pressure means warmer, less dense air.
  • S: Storms
    • Thunderstorms form where polar and tropical air masses collide.

Migration Trends

  • Women: more migratory within a country;
    • Men: more migratory between countries.
  • Economic factors are the primary cause of migration.
  • Major stream of migration: rural to urban.
  • Large cities grow through migration rather than natural increase.

Map Projections Overview

  • Goode’s Interrupted
    • Minimizes distortion, particularly in Antarctica.
  • Conic Projection
    • Accurate distance and direction, suitable for small areas.
  • Planar Projection
    • Most accurate at the center, distorts edges.
  • Mercator Projection
    • Good direction, but distorts shape and size for navigation.
  • Robinson Projection
    • Proportional landforms but distorts poles.
  • Gall-Peters Projection
    • Accurate land sizes but inaccurate distances.
  • Fuller Projection
    • Accurate size and shape without cardinal directions.
  • Winkel Tripel Projection
    • Round shape reduces distortion near poles.

Economic Classifications of Countries

  • Primary Countries
    • Extract resources directly.
  • Secondary Countries
    • Manufacture or refine products.
  • Tertiary Countries
    • Provide services.
  • Quaternary Countries
    • Information and management services.
  • MDC (Most Developed Countries):
    • e.g., USA, Canada, Japan.
  • NIC (Newly Industrialized Countries):
    • e.g., China, India, Brazil.
  • LDC (Least Developed Countries):
    • e.g., Angola, Benin.

Important Geographic Vocabulary

  • Cartography
    • Science of mapmaking.
  • Map Scale
    • Detail level; Ratio (e.g., 1:24,000).
  • Absolute Distance
    • Measured in physical units like miles.
  • Relative Distance
    • Descriptive terms (e.g., "20 min south").
  • Clustering
    • Proximity of objects;
  • Dispersal
    • Spread of objects.
  • Meridians
    • Lines joining poles; run E/W.
  • Parallels
    • Lines running parallel to the equator; define latitude.

Population Distribution Insights

  • Population clusters are often in low-lying areas with fertile soil, moderate climates, and access to water.
  • Sparsely populated: Too harsh or inaccessible areas, e.g., deserts.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

  • Five stages of population growth:
    • Stage 1: high birth/death rates; low growth.
    • Stage 2: declining death rates; high growth (Nigeria).
    • Stage 3: declining birth rates; moderate growth (most Europe).
    • Stage 4: low birth/death rates; potential ZPG (Canada).
    • Possible Stage 5: negative growth (Japan).

Epidemiologic Transition Model (ETM)

  • Stage 1: pestilence, famine (high CDR).
  • Stage 2: receding pandemics (lower CDR).
  • Stage 3: degenerative diseases (moderately declining CDR).
  • Stage 4: delayed degenerative diseases (low and rising CDR).
  • Possible Stage 5: evolution of resistant viruses; increased spread due to globalization.

Health and Birth Rates

  • Developed countries: public healthcare;
  • Developing countries: individuals pay more.
  • Declining birth rates linked to better access to education and healthcare.

Types of Population Policies

  • Pro-natalist: Encourages births (e.g., USSR awards for children).
  • Anti-natalist: Discourages births (e.g., China’s one-child policy).

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

  1. Migrants prefer short distances.
  2. Migration occurs step by step.
  3. Long-distance migrants prefer urban areas.
  4. Each stream creates a counterstream.
  5. Rural more migratory than urban.
  6. Women more migratory within countries; men between.
  7. Most migrants are adults; families migrate less.
  8. Urban growth through migration.
  9. Increased migration with improved transportation.
  10. Economic factors drive migration.

United Nations and Refugee Considerations

  • Refugee: Forced to migrate to escape threats.
  • Internally Displaced Person (IDP): Similar to refugee but not crossing borders.
  • Asylum Seeker: Claims refugee status in another country.

Major Historical Migration Waves

  • Three main eras:
    • Colonial era (17th-18th century): Europe/Sub-Saharan Africa.
    • European migration (late 19th-early 20th century).
    • Recent Asian and Latin American migration (late 20th-21st century).