Geography Flashcards
absolute distance
Distance that can be measured with a standard unit of length
absolute location
Location using latitude and longitude
accessibility
The relative ease with which a destinatin may be reached
activity spaces
The area within which people move freely on their rounds of regular activity
agricultural density
The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture
anthropogenic
Having to do with the study of people and their shaping of the Earth’s surface
arithmetic density
Or population density, people per amount of land
Azimuthal projection (Polar or Planar Projection)
A map projection in which the distance and direction of any point on a map from the center of it is known to be accurate; all other distances are incorrect
Cardinal and Intermediate Directions
Cardinal directions are N, E, S, W and Intermediate directions are the measurements between Cardinal directions (NE, SE, SW, NW)
Carl Sauer
The theorist who developed the idea of environmental possibilism, which states that humans are not only a product of their environment, but they also have the skills to modify the environment
Cartogram
A map in which size on the map equals value (such as the map where countries are redrawn based on population)
Cartography
The science of making maps
Centralized Pattern
A pattern in which a characteristic is clustered or concentrated at a concentrated place
Choropleth Thematic Map
A map in which colors and shading represent information within boundaries (think of maps showing democratic/republican party in US)
Concentration
The spread of something over a given area
Conformal (Orthomorphic) Projection
A map in which angles formed by lines are preserved, preserving the shape of any small area
Conic Map
A map in which meridians radiate out from an apex (they all point toward the same point) and circles of latitude are mapped to circular arcs centered on the apex
Connectivity
The degree of economic, social, cultural, or political connection between two places
Contagious Diffusion
The rapid spread through contact in a population, which is usually widespread, and can be a disease
Coordinate System
A standard grid composed of lines of latitude and longitude used to determine the absolute location of any object, place, or feature on the Earth’s surface
Cotton Belt
The region of the Southeast in reference to the old home of King Cotton
Cultural Diffusion
The movement of a cultural trait that originates in the hearth
Cultural Ecology
How environment affects people and vice versa (hot, cold, wet, dry, hilly)
Cultural Landscape
Landscapes that are symbolic to humans and are familiar/hold meaning
Culture
A collection of arts and human manifestations that are regarded collectively by a group of people
Cylindrical Map
A map in which meridians are mapped to equally spaced vertical lines and circles of latitudes are horizontal lines (Mercator)
Daylight Savings Time
Time changes used to create more daylight hours (back in November, forward in March)
density
How often an object or characteristic occurs in a given area
Diffusion
The movement of any characteristic through relocation or expansion
Distance Decay
Interaction between two places decline as the distance between them increases
Distortion
The alteration of an original shape or characteristic of something
Distribution
The arrangement and apportionment of animals, plants, characteristics, or cultures in different regions of Earth
Dot Density Map
A map that uses dots which communicate the frequency of data or population
Environmental Determinism
The theory that cultures are a result of the environment they’re set in, or the environment determines cultural traits
Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases
An Epidemic Disease occurs when the incidence rate of a disease substantially exceeds what is expected based on experience in a concentrated region, whereas a pandemic disease is an epidemic of an infectious disease that spreads through human populations across a larger region
Equal-Area Projection
A map that preserves area measure and distorts shape in order to do so (Molleweide)
Equator
0 degrees latitude
Equidistant Projection
A map that preserves distance from some standard point or line
Expansion Diffusion
The spread of a characteristic quickly through various means such as hierarchal, contagious, and stimulus
Flow-Line Map
A map in which lines represent movement or migration
Formal Region (Uniform Region)
Similar characteristics link all of the people in the area together through rules, climate, products, religion, etc.
Friction of Distance
The degree to which distance interferes with the interaction between two locations
Fuller Projection
A map that maintains shape and area but loses direction
Functional Region (Nodal Region)
A region defined around a node (central location) dominated by a characteristic, and the characteristic becomes weaker as you move further from the hearth
GIS (Geographic Information System)
A computer system that uses layers of information to create mapping patterns
Globalization
The process of international expansion of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture
Goode’s Homosline Projection
A map that maintains area but divides oceans, distorting distance
GPS (Global Positioning System)
A system that uses longitude and latitude to determine an absolute location which relies on remote sensing to collect information from satellites.
Great Circles
Circles formed by the Earth’s surface and a plane through the center that includes all Meridians and the Equator
Greenwich Mean Time
The standard time zone where there is no time offset, the calibration area of time
Hearth
A place of origin
Hierarchal Diffusion
The spread of a culture as a result of a group with power (i.e. the important at the top of a hierarchy spread the idea down from the node)
Human Geography
The study of the people and processes that shape the Earth’s surface (anthropogenic)
Human-Environmental Interaction
How environment affects people and vice versa
Independent Invention
A trait with many hearths that developed independent of each other at the same or close to same time
International Date Line
The line of longitude across the globe from the Prime Meridian where If you pass going east, you go back a day, whereas if you pass going west, you go forward a day
Isoline Thematic Map
A map that includes lines that connect points of equal value (looks like map of jet streams)
Landscape
The character of a place including natural features, human structures and other tangible objects that give a place a particular form
Latitude
Lines of measurement on the global grid that run east and west that dictate absolute location in increments of 15
Linear Pattern
A pattern that repeats indefinitely along a line
Location
Where a place is, which can be relative or absolute
Longitude
Meridians that run north and south on the global grid to communicate absolute location in increments of 15
Map
A representation of an area using projection methods
Mental Map (Cognitive Map)
An image of the way space is organized as determined by an individual’s perception, impression and knowledge of the space (subjective and personal)
Mercator Projection
A map that accurately represents direction, but area is distorted on the rectangular grid
model
A representation used to attempt and predict patterns
Molleweide Projection
A map that accurately represents area, but straight lines of latitude distort shape
movement
Interaction between places
natural landscape (physical landscape)
The section of landscape that features non-man-made characteristics, such as topography and climate
network
A set of interconnected nodes without a center
node
A central location in which a characteristic dominates or is more intensified than the outlying area
oval map
A map that distorts distance and shape to show the curvature of the planet and the areas of each landmass
pattern
An arrangement of repeated characteristics
perceptual region (vernacular region)
A region defined by a person’s ideas or feelings about a place outside the region.
Peters Projection (Gall-Peters)
A map that maintains area but distorts shape
Physical Geography
The study of physical features on Earth
Physiological Density
A form of density that dictates the amount of people per unit of arable land
Place
A unique area on the Earth’s surface
Possibilism
The notion that the environment does affect human culture, but humans have the capability to mold the environment to fit their needs
Prime Meridian
0 degrees longitude in Greenwich, England
principal meridian
A meridian used for land survey control in a large region which divides regions into east and west
projection
A method that involves transferring the Earth’s sphere onto a flat surface; the map that results from the process of projecting; all maps have distortion in at least one area: direction, distance, area, and shape
Proportional-Symbol Thematic Map
A map in which symbol sizes are proportional to data values
random pattern
A pattern that has no regular distortion that can be seen
Reference Map
A map used to show roads, mountains, etc. and to navigate
region
Linking places together based on a common characteristic
regional studies
The examination of what link’s a region together
relative direction
The direction of something in relation to the direction of a known, familiar, or famous object/location
relative distance
A measure of distance that includes the costs of overcoming friction of distance, describing the amount of social, cultural, or economic activity between the two places
relative location
Location in reference to another location
relocation diffusion
The physical spread of culture through the movement of people
remote sensing
The acquisition of information about an object without making physical contact with the object
Robinson Projection
A map that equally distorts shape, area, distance, and direction
Rust Belt
A region that encompasses the Northeast referring to its once powerful industrial sector
scale
A direct connection between a unit of measurement on a map and actual distance on Earth. Small scales show large areas whereas large scales show small areas (1:1).
section
A distinct group or part into which something is or may be divided from which it is made up
sense of place
A person’s idea or feelings about a place based on real or imagined reasons
sequent occupancy
The influences of a current group and groups that were there before
site
The internal physical and cultural characteristics of a place (focus often on physical features)
situation
A description of where something is located in relation to something familiar or important
spatial (analysis, diffusion, interaction, perspective)
Spatial Analysis allows us to see patterns among the area one place holds
Spatial diffusion refers to the ways in which technology, cultural trends, or disease travel over space
Spatial interaction explains how regions communicate and relate to one another
statistical map
A type of map in which the variation in quantity of a factor such as rainfall, population, or crops in a geographic area is indicated (dot map)
stimulus diffusion
The diffusion of part of an idea or the underlying principle of an idea
Sun Belt
A region made up of the South of the US from the East to the West Coast.
symbolic landscapes
A landscape that serves a symbolic, cultural or geographical meaning
Thematic Map (Layers)
A map that communicates various forms of information and data regarding an area
time zones
the Earth is divided into 24 time zones that correspond to 24 hours in a day, each moving 15 degrees away from the Prime Meridian
time-space compression (convergence)
The phenomenon that is seen as increasing technological innovations bring distances “closer” together by perception; distance decay is no longer applicable
Tobler’s First Law of Geography
Every place is related to everywhere else, but near things are more related than far things
toponym (place name)
A name given to a place
