Chapter 1 - The Geographical Perspective: Elements and Terms Flashcards
Define Space, Absolute space, and Relative space
space: The areal extent of something on the Earth’s surface
Abs. space: space with definitive boundaries that can be objectively measured, such as the property line of a person’s home
Rel. space: space as it is perceived and interpreted by individuals, how we feel about it, attachments to the space (far from home)
What are Mental Maps
person’s individual perspective on the way space is organised.
Closely interconnected with perception
Perception and its importance
perception influences how people interpret space over time
A college campus feels big at first, thenn smaller as you get more comfortable
Location
A specific part of the Earth’s surface that usually doesn’t change over time, and can be described in absolute, relative, or nominal terms (toponyms)
Site
when we think of a location, we associate it with physical characteristics like its climate, mountainous range, valley depth, etc. and it is closely related to absolute location
Situation
more aligned with relative location, situation refers to thinking about a location in terms of its strategic location and accessibility to other cities/towns
Distance
The amount of space between two or more points on the earth’s surface
Toponym
a common name for a location; sometimes contested and can change over time
Landscape
Appearance or visible characteristics of an area on the Earth’s surface produced through BOTH the natural environment and human activity
cultural landscape
Appearance or visible characteristics of an area produced by SOLELY human activity, such as a suburban area, neighbourhood, farmstead, or hockey arena
(Cultural landscapes differ around the world, suburbs in Africa will look different than suburbs in Calgary, AB even though they’re both suburbs)
place
a location with particular identity or meaning attached to it
The subjectivity is key to understanding place
sense of place
Feelings evoked by deep attachments to a place
what are:
Topophilia
Placelessness
Topophobia
Topophilia: someone’s happy place
Placelessness: a place you feel no attachment to (retail store/mall)
Topophobia: a place that makes you feel anxious/fearful
Region (name an example of a region defined on a cultural and regional basis)
Area of the earth that can be defined in terms of one or more distinctive characteristics that may be human, physical or both
Latin America is an example of a region that is defined on a cultural basis
Cascadia in North America is an example of a region defined on a physical basis
What is a formal region?
an area that possesses a certain degree of uniformity with respect to cultural or physical traits; the commonalities are shared by nearly all people in the region
what is a functional region?
area organised around a node or focal point, and unified by a specific economic, social or political activity
the further away you get from the node the less unified the people/landscape are
what is a vernacular region?
an area defined on the basis of perceptions held by people inside or outside the region (the Bible Belt)
what is regionalization
subdividing areas within a region into smaller regions, such as provinces in Canada
These subdivisions are subjective, but are typically divided on the basis of differences in culture or landscape
1st Law of Geography
“everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things” (Tobler 1970)
Time-Space Convergence theory
the idea that transportation and communication technologies have evolved over time to allow for faster travel and communication between people over long distances, effectively reducing the experience of space
What is Distribution in Human Geography
the spatial arrangement of things in a geographic area (density, concentration, pattern)
What is Concentration (give an example of a cluster and dispersion)
how geographic phenomena are spread over a given area
cafe’s are clustered in urban centres, while hospitals are dispersed over the city
What is Density in Human Geography
the frequency at which geographic phenomena exist within a particular area; these could be trees, people, buildings, coffee shops, or mechanic shops
What is hierarchical diffusion
where the phenomenon is spread first to key people or places and then to the rest of the area/population
What is contagious diffusion
where the phenomenon of diffusion is rapid and random
(distance is the only variable for expansion)
What is Spatial Interaction
the relationship between two LOCATIONS
Distance Decay
a spatial relationship where the intensity of the interaction declines as distance increases
(we are less likely to go visit our grandparents the further away they are)
Friction of Distance
the restraining effect of distance on human interaction and movement; generally greater time and cost are associated with greater distance
(over time friction of distance has decreased as transportation technology has improved)
Relocation Diffusion vs. Expansion Diffusion
Rel. Dif: Relocation diffusion: when individuals migrate to a new location and bring their ‘cultural suitcases’ WITH them
Exp. Dif: when cultures are spread outward from the hearth to new locations WITHOUT movement of individuals
