AP Human Geo - All Vocab Chapters 1 & 2

Question 1

Physical Geography

Answer 1

the study of spatial characteristics of various elements of the physical environment

Question 2

Human geography

Answer 2

the study of the spatial characteristics of humans and human activities

Question 3

reference maps

Answer 3

designed for people to refer to for general information about places (Political maps, Physical maps, Road maps, Plat maps)

Question 4

thematic maps

Answer 4

show spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon

Question 5

choropleth map

Answer 5

A thematic map that uses various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data.

Question 6

dot distribution map

Answer 6

A thematic map where dots are used to show the specific location and distribution of something across a map

Question 7

graduated symbol map

Answer 7

A thematic map that uses symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something

Question 8

isoline maps

Answer 8

Also called isometric maps, use lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space

Question 9

topographic map

Answer 9

Points of equal elevation are connected on these maps, creating contours that depict surface features (most common type of isoline map)

Question 10

cartogram

Answer 10

the sizes of countries (or states, counties, or another areal unit) are shown according to some specific statistic

Question 11

cartographic scale

Answer 11

refers to the way the map communicates the ratio of its size to the size of what it represents (words, ratios, lines, or scales)

Question 12

small-scale maps

Answer 12

show a larger amount of area with less detail

Question 13

absolute location

Answer 13

the precise spot where something is according to a system

Question 14

relative location

Answer 14

description of where something is in relation to other things

Question 15

field observations

Answer 15

the act of physically visiting a location, place, or region and recording, firsthand, information there

Question 16

remote sensing

Answer 16

gathers information from satellites that orbit the earth or other craft above the atmosphere

Question 17

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Answer 17

GPS receivers on the earth’s surface use the locations of multiple satellites to determine and record a receiver’s exact location. Uses: locating borders precisely, navigating ships, aircraft, and cars, mapping lines (trails) or points (fire hydrants)

Question 18

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Answer 18

computer system that can store, analyze, and display information from multiple digital maps or geospatial data sets. Uses: (Analyzing of crime data, monitoring the effects of pollution, analyzing transportation.travel time, planning urban area)

Question 19

Space

Answer 19

the area between two or more phenomena or things

Question 20

Location

Answer 20

identifies where specific phenomena are located either on a grid system or relative to another location

Question 21

Place

Answer 21

refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location

Question 22

Site

Answer 22

the characteristics at the immediate location

Question 23

Situation

Answer 23

the location of a place relative to its surroundings and its connectivity to other places

Question 24

Sense of Place

Answer 24

humans tend to perceive the characteristics of places in different ways based on their personal beliefs

Question 25

Toponyms

Answer 25

place names, provide insights into the physical geography, the history, or the culture of the location

Question 26

Time-Space Compression

Answer 26

the shrinking "time distance" between locations because of improved methods of transportation and communication

Question 27

Friction of Distance

Answer 27

indicates that when things are farther apart, they tend to be less well connected

Question 28

Distance Decay

Answer 28

the inverse relationship between distance and connection, ex: weakening of a radio signal as it travels across space away form a radio tower

Question 29

Pattern

Answer 29

the general arrangement of things being studied, and geography must be able to describe patterns accurately and with precision

Question 30

Human-environmental Interaction

Answer 30

the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

Question 31

Sustainability

Answer 31

an overarching theme of human geography and relates to trying to use resources now in ways that allow their use in the future while minimizing negative impacts on the environment

Question 32

Land Use

Answer 32

the study of how land is utilized, modified, and organized by people

Question 33

Built Environment

Answer 33

the physical artifacts that humans have created and that form part of the landscape

Question 34

Cultural Landscape

Answer 34

the study of how humans adapt to the environment

Question 35

Environmental Determinism

Answer 35

the belief that landforms and climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behavior and societal development while ignoring the influence of culture

Question 36

Possibilism

Answer 36

a view that acknowledges limits on the effects of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

Question 37

Global Scale

Answer 37

Area shown is the entire world, Ex: global Earth at night image, world population density map

Question 38

World Scale

Answer 38

multiple countries of the world

Question 39

National Scale

Answer 39

the whole country

Question 40

Regional Scale

Answer 40

interactions occurring within a region

Question 41

Local Scale

Answer 41

a province, state, city, county, or neighborhood

Question 42

Region

Answer 42

have boundaries, unifying characteristics, cover space, and are created by people

Question 43

Formal Region

Answer 43

untied by one or more traits: political, physical, cultural, economic

Question 44

Functional Region

Answer 44

regions are organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity, usually political, social, or economic, that occurs across the region

Question 45

Perceptual/Vernacular Region

Answer 45

defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them