Ap Human Geo

Key Concepts for AP Human Geography

1. Space and Place

  • Space: Refers to the Earth's geometric surface where objects are located, defined by distances and relationships.

  • Activity Space: The area in which daily activities occur.

  • Place: A bounded space with human importance, recognized through toponyms (place-names).

  • Attributes of Place: Change over time due to successive cultural and social influences, known as sequent occupancy.

2. Scale and Analysis

  • Scale: The relationship between an object/place and the Earth as a whole.

  • Map Scale: The ratio of map distance to real-world distance.

  • Relative Scale (Scale of Analysis): The level of aggregation for examining data, ranging from local to global levels.

3. Types of Regions

  • Formal Regions: Areas with a homogeneous characteristic (e.g., language). Boundaries can be defined differently based on context:

    • Cultural Regions: Have fuzzy borders.

    • Political Regions: Well-defined boundaries.

    • Environmental Regions: Measurable, often transitional (e.g., ecotones).

  • Functional (Nodal) Regions: Defined by a central node that serves a specific purpose (e.g., market areas around outlet malls). Includes the concept of intervening opportunities.

  • Vernacular Regions: Based on residents' perceptions or collective mental maps, varying due to individual or group interpretations.

4. Location Concepts

  • Absolute Location: Defined by coordinates (latitude and longitude).

  • Relative Location: Describes a place's position in relation to others.

Key Concepts for AP Human Geography: Cultural Patterns & Processes

1. Definition of Culture

  • Culture: The collective experience, traits, and activities shared by a group with common heritage.

2. Components of Culture

  • Art: Represents cultural identity and pride.

  • Architecture: Reflects cultural influences in the built environment.

  • Language: A key element connecting cultural groups.

  • Music: Expresses shared traditions and influences.

  • Film and Television: Communicates cultural stories and values.

  • Food: Culinary practices that signify cultural heritage.

  • Clothing: Fashion that symbolizes cultural identity.

  • Social Interaction: Behaviors and practices among people.

  • Religion: Shapes cultural beliefs and practices.

  • Folklore: Traditional stories reflecting cultural history.

  • Land Use: Shows cultural values and economic practices.

3. Cultural Synthesis (Syncretism)

  • Definition: The blending of different cultural influences into a new, distinct cultural form.

  • Example: American country music as a product of Scots-Irish, German, African, and other musical traditions.

4. Architecture

  • Modern Architecture (20th century): Emphasizes geometric, ordered designs (e.g., rectangular steel and glass skyscrapers).

  • Contemporary Architecture: Incorporates curves, eco-friendly technologies, and innovative materials (e.g., metal sheeting).

  • Postmodern Architecture: Features wavy and non-linear shapes, moving away from rigid forms.

5. Traditional Architecture Patterns

  • New Commercial Buildings: Blend modern efficiency with traditional materials.

  • Folk Housing Types:

    • New England: Cape Cod, Saltbox styles.

    • Federalist/Georgian: Symmetrical, classical townhomes with Greek/Roman influences.

    • I-House: Simple, rectangular structures with symmetrical windows and central doors.

6. Religious Buildings and Places

  • Christian: Churches often have steeples; cathedrals feature domes and towers.

  • Islamic: Mosques with domes and minarets.

  • Hindu: Temples with intricate carvings.

  • Buddhist: Pagodas and stupas with symbolic architecture.

  • Jewish: Synagogues varying widely but often including symbolic religious motifs.

Boundaries and Borders

Types of Boundaries
  1. Relic Boundaries

    • Definition: Former state boundaries that still have political or cultural significance.

    • Example: German-Polish border after 1945; Kaliningrad to the USSR in 1946.

  2. Subsequent Boundaries

    • Definition: Boundaries that evolve due to conflict or cultural changes (e.g., war, migration).

    • Example: German-Polish border after 1945; Kaliningrad to the USSR in 1946.

  3. Superimposed Boundaries

    • Definition: Political boundaries laid over existing cultural boundaries, often for political reasons.

    • Example: Sub-Saharan Africa after the Berlin Conference of 1884; Yugoslavia and Iraq after the Treaty of Versailles (1919).


Boundary Processes
  1. Claiming, Negotiating, or Capturing Borders

  2. Delimitation Process

    • Definition: The act of defining borders on a map.

  3. Demarcation Process

    • Definition: The placement of physical markers (e.g., signs, fences) on the ground to define borders.


Types of Boundaries
  1. Physical Border

    • Definition: Natural boundaries such as rivers, lakes, mountains, or deserts.

  2. Cultural Border

    • Definition: Boundaries based on cultural divisions, like those between nations or ethnic groups.

  3. Geometric Border

    • Definition: Boundaries defined along lines of latitude and longitude.


Border Disputes
  1. Definitional Dispute

    • Definition: Disputes over the interpretation of border treaties.

    • Example: Russian-Japanese Kuril Islands under Soviet control (1945).

  2. Locational Dispute

    • Definition: Disputes arising when physical borders change (e.g., rivers changing course).

    • Example: India-Bangladesh territory along the Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta.

  3. Operational Dispute

    • Definition: Disputes over border passage or use.

    • Example: U.S. passport requirements after September 11, 2001.

  4. Allocational Dispute

    • Definition: Disputes over resources straddling borders.

    • Example: Water allocation between Mexico and the U.S. for irrigation from the Colorado River and Rio Grande.


Other Terms
  • Frontier: Open, undefined territory (e.g., Antarctica).


Territorial Morphology

State Morphology
  • Definition: The shape of a country, which affects its society and external relations.

TypeDescriptionExamples

Compact

Shape without irregularity

Nigeria, Colorado

Fragmented

Broken into pieces; archipelagos

Philippines, Newfoundland

Elongated

Appears long and stretched-out

Chile, Tennessee

Prorupt

Has a panhandle or peninsula

Italy, Michigan

Perforated

Has a hole (e.g., another country)

South Africa, Utah

Landlocked

No sea or ocean borders

Switzerland, Wyoming


Territorial Change
  • Annexation: The addition of territory through purchase or incorporation.

    • Example: U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.


Capitals and Political Structures

  • Capital Cities: Seat of government, often where political power is centered.

    • Example: Washington, D.C. is the U.S. national capital.

  • Planned Capital Cities: New cities built specifically to serve as capitals.

    • Example: Canberra replaced Sydney as Australia’s capital.


Electoral Politics
  • Suffrage: The right to vote, varying by state.

    • Example: Women gained voting rights in the 1900s.

  • Gerrymandering: Manipulation of district boundaries for political gain.

    • Example: Irregularly shaped districts in the 1990 and 2000 U.S. elections.


Political Economy

Feudalism
  • Aristocracy: Nobles control the majority of land and wealth, while peasants work the land.

  • Debt Peonage: Peasants pay rent and are taxed, keeping them in a cycle of debt.

Monarchies and Democracies
  • Absolute Monarchy: A ruler holds all political power.

    • Example: French monarchy pre-Revolution.

  • Constitutional Monarchy: Monarch retains ceremonial powers while parliament holds legislative power.

    • Example: The United Kingdom.

  • Republics: Democratically elected governments free from aristocratic control.

    • Example: France post-Revolution.


Communism and Marxism
  • Planned Economy: Central government plans production and distribution.

    • Example: Soviet Union under Marxism.

  • Communism in Practice: Failed to achieve Marx’s utopia.

    • Example: Soviet Union’s Five-Year Plans.


Geopolitics

Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Forces
  • Centripetal Forces: Factors that unify a state.

    • Examples: Nationalism, strong leaders, productive economy.

  • Centrifugal Forces: Factors that divide a state.

    • Examples: Ethnic/religious conflicts, political corruption.

  • Balkanization: The fragmentation of a larger state into smaller ones.

    • Example: The dissolution of Yugoslavia.

robot