Chapter 1 and 2 Test Review

Question 1

space-time compression

Answer 1

describes the reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place
technology has accelerated the process of cultural diffusion

Question 2

cartogram

Answer 2

a map in which some thematic mapping variable – such as travel time, population, or Gross National Product – is substituted for land area or distance

Question 3

Mercator projection

Answer 3

scale is true at the equator or at two standard parallels equidistant from the equator:
used for navigation;
distorts the poles;
direction is consistent, 
map is rectangular

Question 4

map distortion

Answer 4

a change in shape, size, or position of a place when it’s shown on a map

Question 5

Robinson projection

Answer 5

scale is true only on the central meridian and the parallels;
used in countries with larger north-south than east-west;
distances measured from center are true;
distortion increases away from center point

Question 6

indigenous

Answer 6

culture group that constitutes original inhabitants of a territory, distinct from the dominant culture which is often derived from colonial occupation

Question 7

place

Answer 7

another word for location; used to connote the subjective, ideographic, humanistic, culturally oriented type of geography that seeks to understand the unique character of individual regions

Question 8

space

Answer 8

term used to connote the objective, theoretical, model-based economics-oriented geography that seeks to understand spatial systems

Question 9

Prime Meridian

Answer 9

the meridian that passes through Greenwich, England; is the meridian at 0 degrees

Question 10

scale

Answer 10

refers to the relationship of a feature size on a map to the actual size on Earth

Question 11

longitude

Answer 11

number system used to determine the location of each meridian

Question 12

globalization

Answer 12

increasing interconnection of all regions in the world through politics, communication, transportation, marketing, manufacturing, and social and cultural processes

Question 13

placelessness

Answer 13

spatial standardization;
no special relationship to particular location;
examples: roadside strip shopping malls, gas/petrol stations and convenience stores, fast food chains, and chain department stores

Question 14

possibilism

Answer 14

school of thought based on the belief that humans are the primary active force; humans decide what to do

Question 15

mechanistic view of nature

Answer 15

view that humans are not integrated with nature

Question 16

environmental perception

Answer 16

belief that culture depends on what people perceive; the environment is colored by culture

Question 17

latitude

Answer 17

number system to indicate the location of a parallel on Earth

Question 18

environmental determinism

Answer 18

belief that cultures are directly or indirectly shaped by the physical environment

Question 19

time-distance decay

Answer 19

the decrease in acceptance of a cultural innovation with increasing time and distance from its origin

Question 20

density

Answer 20

the frequency with which something occurs in space

Question 21

dispersion

Answer 21

the movement of people, ideas, or things from one location to other locations

Question 22

independent innovation

Answer 22

cultural innovation that is developed in two or more locations by individuals or groups working independently

Question 23

indigenous technical knowledge

Answer 23

the knowledge that a particular community acquired from their personal experience which they gain from ancestors over a long period of time;
place based and developed through trial and error

Question 24

absorbing barrier

Answer 24

barrier that complete halts diffusion of innovations and blocks the spread of cultural elements

Question 25

permeable barrier

Answer 25

barrier that permits some aspects of an innovation to diffuse through it or weakens or retards the spread of innovation

Question 26

material culture

Answer 26

all physical, tangible objects made and used by members of a cultural group; includes clothes, buildings, tools, utensils, instruments, furniture, artwork

Question 27

nonmaterial culture

Answer 27

the wide range of tales, songs, lore, beliefs, values and customs that pass from generation to generation as part of an oral or written tradition

Question 28

popular culture

Answer 28

dynamic culture based on large, heterogeneous society permitting individualism, innovation and change;
relationships more numerous but less personal;
mass media shapes popular culture

Question 29

folk culture

Answer 29

distinguish traditional ways of life in rural spaces;
small, cohesive, stable, isolated self-sufficient group that is homogenous in custom and race;
characterized by a strong family or clan structure;
order maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family;
interpersonal relations are strong

Question 30

nodes

Answer 30

a central point in a culture or region where functions are coordinated and directed

Question 31

vernacular region

Answer 31

cultural region perceived to exist by its inhabitants;
often have language or customs native to a region.
examples: “Dixie” and “Midwest”

Question 32

formal region

Answer 32

a region with a defined, predetermined boundary.

example:school district, a country, a city zoning district, a no-fly-zone

Question 33

functional region

Answer 33

areas served by business and economic activities

example: the local cable or power company

Question 34

convergence hypothesis

Answer 34

cultures are converging;

evidence includes the geographic distribution of names

Question 35

folk landscape

Answer 35

the study of special patterns and ecology of traditional groups

Question 36

relocation diffusion

Answer 36

spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another;
caused when people migrate from place to place and bring their culture with them;
examples: spread of languages, spread of AIDS

Question 37

expansion diffusion

Answer 37

ideas or innovation that spreads outward from the hearth

Question 38

hierarchical diffusion

Answer 38

spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or place;
usually starts in a populated area and slowly diffuses to less and less populated areas
examples: architecture, hip-hop music

Question 39

stimulus diffusion

Answer 39

spread of underlying principle even though characteristic itself fails to diffuse;
idea or innovation sparked by an idea that diffused in from another culture;
example: McDonalds in India