Geography Flashcards
Conformal projections
Preserve angles locally, maintaining the shape of a small area in infinitesimal circles of varying sizes on a two dimensional map
Mercator projection
Drastically distorts the size of land areas at the poles
Equal-area projection
Attempts to equally represent the size of landforms on the globe
Lambert projection
Inherently alter the size of continents, islands, and other landforms, both close to Earth’s center and near the poles
Robinson projection
Also referred to as the Goode’s homolosine projection tries to balance form and area in order to create a more visually accurate representation of the spatial world
Topographical maps
Display contour lines, which represent the relative elevation of a particular place and are useful for surveyors, engineers, and/or travelers.
Thematic maps
Useful to geographers because they use two-dimensional surfaces to convey complex political, physical, social, cultural, economic, or historical themes
Subgroups of thematic maps
Dot-density maps and flow-line maps
Dot-density map
Thematic map that illustrates the volume and density in a particular area
Flow-line maps
Utilizes both thin and thick lines to illustrate the movement of goods, people, or even animals between two places
Isoline maps
Useful for calculating data and differentiating between the characteristics of two places
physical geography
correlates with the land, water, and foliage of the earth
human geography
the study of the Earth’s people and how they interact with their environment
population density
total number of people in a particular place divided by the total land area, usually square miles or square kilometers
infant mortality rate
total number of child deaths per 1,000 live births
CIA World Factbook
provides information such as land area, literacy rates, birth rate, and economic data
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
provides human populations including HIV rates, immigration rates, poverty rates, etc.
relative location
used frequently and involves location objects by notating their proximity to another better known object
absolute location
exact latitudinal and longitudinal position on the globe
toponyms
names given to locations to help develop familiarity within a certain location
formal regions
areas that have overarching similarities
linguistic region
a place where everyone generally speaks the same language
wind erosion
occurs in generally flat, dry areas with loose topsoil, over time winds can dislodge significant amounts of soil into the air, reshaping the land and wreaking havoc on those who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods
physical weathering
involves the effects of atmospheric conditions such as water, ice, heat or pressure, process over the course of centuries
chemical weathering
occurs in warmer climates and involves organic material that breaks down rocks, minerals, or soil. Scientists believe this led to the creation of fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas
orographic effect or rain shadow
affects temperatures on the leeward side of the mountains by blocking most of the cool air and causing dry conditions to dominate
