1.1 Flashcards
Physical Geography
The study of natural processes and the distribution of features in the environment, such as land forms, plants, animals, and climate.
Human Geography
The study of the events and processes that have shaped how humans understand, use, and alter Earth.
Spatial Perspective
Where something occurs.
Ecological Perspective
The relationships between living things and their environments
Location
The position that a point or object occupies on Earth
Absolute Location
The exact location of an object
Relative Location
A description of where a place is in relation to other places or features
Place
A location on Earth that is distinguished by its physical and human characteristics
Mental Maps
internalized representations of portions of Earth’s surface
Site
A place’s absolute location, as well as its physical characteristics, such as the land forms, climate, and resources
Situation
A place’s location in relation to other places, such as transportation routes, political associations, and economic and cultural ties
Space
The area between two or more things on Earth’s surface
Distributed
The way things are arranged within a given space
Density
The number of things—people, animals, or objects—in a specific area.
Pattern
How things are arranged in a particular space
Flow
movement of people, goods, or information that has economic, social, political, or cultural effects on societies
Environmental determinism
The idea that human behavior is strongly affected, controlled, or determined by the physical environment
Possibilism
Theory of human-environment interaction that states that humans have the ability to adapt the physical environment to their needs
Distance Decay
a principle stating that the farther away one thing is from another, the less interaction the two things will have
time-space compression
a key geographic principle that describes the ways in which modern transportation and communication technology have allowed humans to travel and communicate over long distances quicker and easier
Sustainability
the use of Earth’s land and natural resources in ways that ensure they will continue to be available in the future
