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