Chapter 1 + Basics Flashcards
Absolute location
Defines a point or place on the map using coordinates such as latitude and longitude.
Absolute distance
Can be measured on a straight line: distance between point A and point B.
Agricultural destiny
The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture
Arithmetic destiny
The total number of people divided by total land area
Cartogram
Uses simplified geometries/shapes to represent real world places.
Cartography
The science of making maps
Choropleth maps
Express the geographic variability of a particular theme using color variations. There is a key/legend explaining what each color represents.
Concentration
The spread of something over a given area
Connections
Relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space
Contagious diffusion
The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population
Cultural ecology
Geographic approach that emphasizes human environment relationships
Cultural landscape
Fashioning of a natural landscape by a cultural group
Distance-Decay
The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin
Distribution
The arrangement of something across earths surface
Dot distribution map
Use dots to express the volume and density of a particular geographic feature.
Environmental determinism
19th-and early 20th century approach to the study of geography which argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences. Geography was there for the study of how physical environment caused human activities.
Equator
Zero attitude. The north and south poles are 90° latitude.
Expansion diffusion
The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process.
Destiny
Frequency with which something exists within the given unit of area
Diffusion
The process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another overtime
Formal region (uniform)
An area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics
Flow- line maps
Use lines of varying thickness to show the direction and volume of a particular geographic movement patterns.
Friction of distance
When the length of distances becomes a factor that hinders the interaction between two points this is known friction of distance.
Functional region (nodal)
Area organized around a node or focal point
GIS (Geographic information system)
A computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data
GPS (Global positioning system)
A system that determines the precise position of something on earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers
Globalization
Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope
Hierarchical diffusion
The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to another person or place
Human geography
Study of where and why human activities are located where they are
International date line
In art that for the most part follows 180° longitude, although it deviates in several places to void dividing land areas. When you cross the international date line heading east(toward America), The clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. When you go West(toward Asia), The calendar moves ahead one day.
Hearth
The region from which innovative ideas originate
Isoline Map
Data values between points across a variable surface. Between point A and point B a series of contour lines can be drawn to show the change in data between the two points
Land ordinance of 1785
A law that divided much of the United States into two townships to facilitate the sale of land to settlers
Latitude
Numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels Drawn a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator
Legend
Or key explains the symbols or dots of a classifications or colors on the map
Location
Position of anything on Earth surface
Longitude
Numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on the globe and measuring distance east to west of the prime meridian
Map
Two dimensional, or flat, or a representation of earths surface or a portion of it
Meridian
An arc drawing on a map between the north and south poles
Parallel
Circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians
Pattern
The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study
Physiological destiny
The number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is the land suitable for agriculture
Prime meridian
The Meridian that designated as 0° longitude, that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.
Place
Specific point on earth distinguished by a particular character
Projection
This system used to transfer locations from Earth surface to a flat map
Region
An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features
Relocation diffusion
The spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another
Remote-sensing
The acquisition of data about earths surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or from another long-distance methods
Resource
Substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use
Scale
Generally, the relationship between the portion of earth being studied and earth as a whole; specifically, the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth surface
Section/Township
Section; Square normally 1 mile on the side. The land ordinance of 1785 divided townships in the United States into 36 sections
Township; A square normally 6 miles on the side. The land ordinance of 1785 divided much of the United States into series of townships
Site
The physical character of a place
Situation
Location of a place relative to another place
Space
The physical gap or interval between two objects
Space-time compression
The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems
Stimulus diffusion
Spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected.
Toponym
Name given to proportion of earths surface
Transnational corporation
A company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where it’s headquarters or shareholders are located
Vernacular region
An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity
Mercator projection
Shape is distorted very little, direction is consistent, and the map is rectangular, flat, and has a grid/graph look. Great disadvantage is the land area is grossly distorted towards the poles– look much larger than they actually are
Relative location
Refers to the location of a place compared to a known place or geographic feature.
Robinson projection
Useful for displaying information across the oceans. It’s major disadvantage is that by allocating space to the oceans, the land areas are much smaller. The world is presented with rounded look on the edge
Thematic map
A number of different map types can be grouped under this heading. Each one expresses a particular subject and does not show land forms for other features: chloropleth, isoline, dot distribution, flow-line, and cartograms
Tobler’s law
All places are interrelated but closer places are more related than further ones.
Sequent occupancy
The succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a places history. In many places there are several different historical place-specific culture, society, politics, and economy.
Topographic maps
Show the lines of elevation, as well as the urban and vegetation surface with Road, building, River, and other natural landscape features. These maps are highly accurate in terms of location and topography. Are used for engineering surveys and land navigation, especially wilderness areas.
Possibilism
The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives
Functional region
An area organized around a node or focal point
