Geographical Thinking Flashcards
What is physical geography?
The study of Earth’s natural features and processes such as landforms, climate, vegetation, soils, and water.
What is human geography?
The study of human activities and their relationship to the Earth’s surface, including cultural, political, and economic landscapes.
What is ‘place’ in geography?
A location on Earth with unique physical and human characteristics that give it meaning.
Example of ‘place’?
Bangkok: known for its markets, temples, food, and sense of community.
What is map scale?
The relationship between distance on a map and the actual distance on the ground.
What is a large-scale map?
A map that shows a small area in great detail (e.g., a city).
What is a small-scale map?
A map that shows a large area with less detail (e.g., the world).
What is scale of analysis?
The level of geographic inquiry: local, regional, national, or global.
What are map projections?
Ways to represent Earth’s 3D surface on a 2D map, each causing some distortion.
What does the Mercator projection preserve?
Angles and shape, but it distorts size (e.g., Greenland appears too large).
What does the Gall-Peters projection preserve?
Area/size, but it distorts shape.
What is GIS?
Geographic Information Systems: tools to store, analyze, and visualize spatial data.
What is GPS?
Global Positioning System: uses satellites to provide precise location information.
What is remote sensing?
Collecting information about Earth’s surface from a distance using satellites or aircraft.
What are renewable resources?
Resources that naturally replenish over short time spans (e.g., solar, wind, forests).
What are non-renewable resources?
Resources that exist in limited amounts and take millions of years to form (e.g., fossil fuels, minerals).
What is latitude?
Horizontal lines measuring north-south from the Equator.
What is longitude?
Vertical lines measuring east-west from the Prime Meridian.
What is elevation?
The height of a location above sea level.
What is globalization?
The growing interconnectedness of countries through trade, culture, and technology.
Name a pro of globalization.
Increased cultural exchange, economic opportunities.
Name a con of globalization.
Cultural loss, inequality, environmental damage.
What is a career in GIS?
GIS analyst, cartographer, remote sensing technician.
What is a career in planning?
Urban planner, transportation planner.
What is a career in sustainability?
Environmental consultant, climate change analyst.
What is a career in demography?
Demographer, market researcher.
