AP Human Geography Vocab

GIS

A computer system that reads, organizes and analyses geographic information. He used _____ to make a map of population density.

Polar projection

A map projection showing the Earth with the North Pole as the center and the South Pole as the perimeter. The logo of the UN is a ____ map.

Mercator projection

A map projection that is good for navigation and shows longitude and latitude meeting at right angles but distorts the poles. The sailor used a map with the ____ to navigate the seas.

Physical map

A map that shows physical aspects of the Earth. He used a ______ to see the mountains of Canada.

Political map

A map that shows political boundaries. This ______ shows the 50 States.

Graduated symbol

A map that uses differently sized object or symbols to represent amounts. I viewed a map that used _____ to show storms in the US.

Functional/nodal region

A region centered around a node or central point. NYPD Pizza's delivery range is a ______.

Perceptual/vernacular region

A region that has a different boundary for whoever you ask, typically defined by culture. The American South is a ______.

Formal region

A region with a specific boundary defined by culture or physical characteristics. Nevada is a ____ within the US.

Place

A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character. Las Vegas is a very unique ____ because of its culture and customs.

GPS

A system to predict exact location using satellites. The hiker used ____ to find out where she was.

Map projections

A way of represent a spherical Earth on a flat map. Some common ______ include the Mercator and Peters projections.

Cultural landscape

All things built by humans that emphasize a culture or style architecture. The ___ of Las Vegas includes the Strip and casinos.

Region

An area defined by unique physical and/or cultural characteristics. The ____ of China is defined by its culture and natural resources.

Remote sensing

Collecting data geographic data from a distance. The scientists used ____ to track buffalo migration patterns.

Reference maps

Designed for general use to search for specific information about a place. He looked at a ______ that showed roads.

Field observation

Gathering information at the location being studied. Jane Goodall's observations of chimps in the rainforest are example of ______.

Human and Environment interactions

How humans react with and treat the natural world. Indian Ocean fishermen overfishing is an example of ________.

Distribution

How something is spread out across a place. Mongolia's small population is ________ all throughout the large country leading to a low population density.

Spatial data

Information that can be tied to a place. Population density is an example of ___.

Isoline

Lines connecting at points of equal value, most common version is the topographic map. The hiker used an _______ map to see how tall the mountain was.

Choropleth

Map that uses shades or different colors to show the distribution of spatial data in an area. She looked at a ______ that showed the population density of Botswana.

Dot map

Map used to show distribution using dots representing a specified quantity. That _____ shows lightning strikes in Orlando.

Satellites

Objects orbiting around Earth collecting data. The government used ____ to track weather patterns.

Aerial Photography

Photos of Earth taken from planes. The government used ___ to track illegal logging in the rainforest.

Scale

Ratio between the real world and the map world. A map of Maryland and a map of Baltimore are both maps of the US at different ____.

Spatial relationships

Relationships of places from how they spatially interact or are connected. There are very few ___ between New York and Los Angeles.

Thematic maps

Show spatial aspects of a phenomenon. This _____ shows where certain languages are spoken.

Density

The amount of something in a specific place. The population ______ of Monaco is very high.

Space

The emptiness between places. _____ separates Las Vegas from many other cities through vast desert and mountain ranges.

Pattern

The layout of things being studied. The squares of roads in the Midwest are geographic _________.

Toponyms

The names of places. The _____ of the southernmost contiguous US state is Florida.

Site

The physical character of a place. The ___ of Las Vegas includes desert, mountains and Lake Mead.

Relative location

The position of a place in relation to another place. The _____ of Las Vegas is between the Spring Mountains and Lake Mead.

Location

The position of anything on Earth's surface. The central theme of geography is _____.

Regionalization

The process of dividing a place into regions. Geographers use _______ to divide up places whose people speak the same language.

Globalization

The process of the spread of cultures and ideas across the Earth. Cultural practices moving from the US to India is an example of ______.

Time-space compression

The shrinking of travel time due to innovations in transportation. _______ means that it only takes a couple hours to get to London from New York instead of a couple weeks.

Cartogram

The size of a political unit is show to represent specific data. The ______ showed how sizes of countries would look relative to their population.

Human Geography

The study of where and why human activities are located where they are. Examples include studying the economy, movement, environmental interactions, etc. Studying how mountainous terrain can impact government influence is an example of _______.

Geography

The study of why and where things are on Earth. ______ is a science of synthesis.

Sense of place

The things that make a place feel like a different place from another place. Mountains and casinos give Las Vegas a _____.

Distance-decay

When distance gets in the way of connections of places. ___ has led to many ghost towns in the desert.

Situation

Where a place is in relation to other places. The _____ of Lesotho is that it is totally surrounded by South Africa and has no direct ocean access.

Absolute location

the precise point where a place is located on Earth, determined using an address or longitude and latitude. The ______ of my old house was 7826 Canyon Lake Circle.

Physical geography

the study of physical features of the earth's surface. This includes mountain, river, plateaus, etc. Mountains and lakes are examples of ________.