AP HUMAN QUIZLET
absolute distance
The distance that can be measured in a quantitative term, such as a mile or kilometer.
equator
an imaginary line that circles the globe halfway between the north and south poles
cultural landscape
anything built by humans
locator maps
illustrations used in books and advertisements to show specific locations mentioned in the text
distance
important part of geographic perspective and spatial approach. distance is a measurement of how far or near things are from one another
Geometric Phenomena
in a regular arrangement
Spatial Approach
studies the geographical way events are mapped out. Things such as movement of people and things, changes in places over time and human perceptions of space and place
Human Geography
study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities
field observation
the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording firsthand information there
What is the 4 level analysis to study geographic phenomena?
1. Comprehension, establish basic info 2. Identification, identify and describe patterns in phenomena 3. Explanation, explain how individual phenomena form a pattern 4. Prediction, explain why a pattern is important and predict what it might lead to
Opposite side of the globe from the prime meridian?
180 degrees longitude
Linear Phenomena
Arranged in a straight line, like the distribution of towns along a railroad line
How can density be talked about in psychological terms?
A full elevator might make someone feel like the density is fine, but to someone else it might feel too dense.
Dot Distribution Map
A map where dots are used to demonstrate the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena. each dot represents a quantity of something, like a school, or even millions of people
Graduated Symbol Map
A map with symbols that change in size according to the value of the attribute they represent.
cartograms
A type of thematic map that transforms space such that the political unit with the greatest value for some type of data is represented by the largest relative area.
spatial data
All of the information that can be tied to a specific locations.
Isoline Map
Also called isometric maps, these thematic maps use lines to connect points of equal value to show variations in data across space. where lines are close together, whatever the map depicts is changing rapidly, if lines are farther apart then the phenomena is relatively the same.
prime meridian
An imaginary line passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, which marks the 0° line of longitude.
What 2 terms can describe relative location?
Connectivity and Accessibility
What is equator designated as?
Designated as 0 degrees and the poles are 90 degrees north and 90 degrees south
longitude
Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees
Latitude
Distance north or south of the equator
What are some words to describe geographic perspective?
Distribution, place, processes, location, relationships, movement, clusters, accessibility, patterns, connections, change.
Circular Phenomena
Equally spaced from a central point
How was the theory of possibilism formed?
In the 19th and 20th centuries, people used environmental determinism to argue that people in some climates were superior to people in other climates
What is distance measured in
It can be measured in terms of geography, or in measurements.
What has happened to the world?
It is more spatially connected than ever before.
Example of time-space compression?
NYC and London are separated by an ocean, but air travel reduces travel time between NYC and London, so it feels closer than it did in the 19th century
Do different cultures respond to the same natural environment in the same way.
No, depending on beliefs, goals, technologies, etc different cultures respond to the environment in different ways.
How can you calculate population density?
People/Area
political maps
Show countries, their borders, and capital cities
2 ways to refer to a place?
Site and Situation
Density
The number of something in a specifically defined area.
Scale
The ratio between the size of an area on a map and the actual size of that same area on the earth's surface.
Distribution
The way a phenomenon is spread out over an area.
spatial approach
The way of identifying, explaining, and predicting the human and physical patterns and the connections of various locations.
What happens to places with more connections?
They have increased spatial interaction
relative location
a description of where something is in relation to other things
region
a group of places in the same area that share a characteristic
toponyms
a name given to a place on earth, they can provide insight into the physical geography, history, or the culture of the location
placelessness
a place inspires no strong emotional ties in people
possibilism
a view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays
Ghost Towns
abandoned settlements of the western United States that once had relative locations near water sources (which dried up), along trade routes (which changed), or near mines (which closed). This is an example of relative location changing over time
What are 2 types of location?
absolute and relative
What type of location always stays the same?
absolute location
What type of location is this? Mexico is 19 degrees north latitude and 99 degrees west latitude.
absolute location
What are important sources of observed data available today?
aerial photography and remotely sensed info from satellites that orbit the Earth
geographic scale
also called relative scale, refers to the amount of territory that the map represents. example is a global scale is a map of the entire planet while a local scale is a map of the city and can show finer details like schools
What are some examples of built environment?
buildings, roads, signs, and fences
What is the 1st part of landscape analysis?
careful observation
What are some types of thematic maps?
choropleth, dot distribution, graduated symbol, isoline, flow line and cartograms
proximity
degree of nearness
Travel distance
distance using a route that includes twists and turns or cars/airplanes
what does geography mean?
earth writing
What did Carl Sauer do?
expanded focus of geography beyond physical traits of the earth
spatial patterns
general arrangements of things being studied
space
general, objective location or area. extent of an area and can be in an absolute or relative sense. Refers to the physical gap or interval between two objects
What has replaced sketches?
ground-level photography
Accessibility
how quickly and easily people in one location can interact with people in another location
Connectivity
how well 2 locations are tied together by roads or other links
sense of place
humans tend to perceive the characteristics of places in different ways based on their personal beliefs
What are global forces around the world doing?
influencing culture everywhere and reducing local diversity more than ever before. because of radio, internet, etc.. people in Europe can listen to the same music that people in other continents are also listening to
most common system
latitude and longitude
physical maps
map of natural characteristics of Earth's surface, such as landforms and bodies of water
Most important tool of geographers?
maps
Spatial Association
matching patterns of distribution that indicate that two (or more) phenomena may be related, or associated with one another.
What has increased the ways in which geographers can obtain spatial data?
modern technology
absolute location
most precise spot where something is according to a system
Population Density
number of people per square mile
What did improvements in transportation, communication, and infrastructure lead to?
reduced friction of distance and increased spatial interaction
Reference vs Thematic Maps
reference maps show Earth's surface while thematic maps show data of places
Situation
refers to the location of a place relative to its surroundings and other places. example is the situation of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is roughly in the center of the Arabian Peninsula, the situation of the Arabian Peninsula is between the continents of Africa and Asia.
What type of location can change over time?
relative location
proccesses
repeated sequences of events
international date line
roughly follows the prime meridian but makes deviations to accommodate international boundaries
Straight line distance
shortest distance between two points
road maps
show and label highways, streets, and alleys
plat maps
show and label property lines and details of land ownership
reference maps
show locations of places and geographic features, not used for data
thematic maps
show spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon.
friction of distance
shows that when things are farther apart, they tend to be less connected
What has influenced the way geographers observe landscapes?
sound recordings and the ability to get chemical analysis of air, water, and soil
environmental determinism
the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development
Site
the characteristics at the immediate location. examples are soil type, climate, labor force, and human structures
spatial interaction
the contact, movement, and flow of things between locations. connections can be physical like through roads, or through information, like radios and internet
What is influencing the growth of spatial interaction?
the increasing connection between places
distance decay
the inverse relationship between distance and connection
Topographic Maps
the most common type of isoline maps, popular among hikers as points of equal elevation are connected. other isoline maps are weather maps showing changed in barometric pressure, temperature, or precipitation across space
built environment
the physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape.
time-space compression
the shrinking "time distance" between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication
place
the specific human and physical characteristics of a location
cultural ecology
the study of how humans adapt to the environment
physical geography
the study of spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment. physical geographers study topics like weather and climate, ecosystems and biomes, and volcanism and erosion
Human Environment Interaction
the study of the interrelationship between people and their physical environment
cartographic scale
the way the map communicates the ratio of its size to the size of what it represents. example is 1 inch equals 10 miles, or 1:10, or a line that can indicate something like each line equals 10 miles (linear/graphic scale)
What shows that long-distance relationships can work?
time-space compression
Choropleth map
use various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data. often shows quantitative data in defined areas
landscape analysis
using field observation, spatial data, and aerial photography to gather data to define and describe landscapes
Random Phenomena
we can't predict the individual outcomes, but we can hope to understand characteristics of their long-run behavior. Like the distribution of pet owners in a city