Geography, Anthropology, and Sociology Flashcards
The study of the physical features of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, including how humans affect the physical features of the Earth and the ways these physical features affect humans.
Geography
exact location of a point using latitude and longitude or an address
absolute location
location of a point in relation to another point
relative location
an imaginary line of navigation on the surface of the Earth that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and indicates the change of one calendar day to the next.
International Date Line (IDL)
The Earth is divided into ___ Hemispheres.
four
the ____ divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres
equator
the ____ divides the earth into eastern and western hemispheres
prime meridian
the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. These lines run horizontally across the Earth.
Latitude
the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. These lines run vertically across the Earth.
Longitude
defined by both physical and human characteristics, including uses of that area
Places
areas broadly divided by physical characteristics, human impact characteristics, and the interaction of humanity and the environment
Regions
A community of people who share similar history, culture, and traditions and reside in the same area of territory
Nation
a self-governing geopolitical entity that has defined borders and controls its internal sovereignty
Sovereign State
A nation with its own government and economy that occupies a defined territory
Country
One of the world’s seven main continuous expanses of land (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America)
Continent
Show locations of cities, towns, and counties and might show some physical features such as rivers, streams, and lakes
Political Maps
Illustrate the physical features of an area, such as mountains, rivers, and lakes. Colors are used to show relief (differences in land elevation).
Physical Maps
Show major (and minor) highways and roads, airports, railroad tracks, cities, and other points of interest to someone planning trips/driving.
Road Maps
Focus on details such as topography, climate, or district. These maps can be useful for finding more information about things like population, tourism, elevation, etc.
Special Purpose Maps
provide general information about the climate and precipitation of a region. These maps use colors to show different climate or precipitation zones.
Climate maps
these maps feature the type of natural resources or economic activity that dominates an area
economic or resource maps
these maps are similar to physical maps but these use contour lines instead of colors to illustrate different land features
topographical maps
This field of geography includes the study of how physical systems and processes interact with plant and animal life to create, sustain, and modify ecosystems
Physical Systems
What are the four physical systems of our Earth?
Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, and Lithosphere
the envelope of gases surrounding the Earth or another planet
atmosphere
this physical system includes all life on the planet
biosphere
includes all water on the planet
hydrosphere
the outer region of the Earth, includes the crust and upper mantle
lithosphere
a group of islands or island chains (i.e., Hawaii)
Archipelago
a coral island that surrounds a lagoon
Atoll
a band of beach parallel to the mainland that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean
Barrier Island
an inlet of the sea or other body of water- usually smaller than a gulf
bays
one of the seven great divisions of land on the globe
continent
a forest of trees, which lose their leaves seasonally
deciduous forest
a landform that forms from a deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or standing water
delta
a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions may be hostile for plant and animal life; can be hot or cold
desert
a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs
fjord
a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract of land
forest
land on which the natural dominant plant forms are grasses and herbs
grassland
a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees
savannah
a glacier forming on an extensive area of relatively level land and flowing outward from its center
ice caps
a tract of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent
island
narrow strip of land connecting two large land areas otherwise separated by bodies of water
isthmus
a large area of raised land formed through tectonic movement or volcanic activity
mountain
a series of mountains or mountain ridges closely related in position and direction
mountain ranges
the whole body of saltwater that covers nearly three-fourths of the surface of Earth
Oceans
a land mass mostly surrounded by water and connected to a larger area of land
peninsula
an extensive area of level or rolling, treeless country
plain
a usually extensive land area having a relatively level surface raised sharply above adjacent land on at least one side
plateaus
a woodland with annual rainfall of 100 inches and heavy tree canopy
rainforest
a large system of natural flowing water
rivers
a body of saltwater that is partially enclosed by land
Sea
a moist, subarctic forest of conifers that begins where the tundra ends
taiga
a level or rolling, treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and has a dominant vegetation of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs
tundra
an elongated depression of Earth’s surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains
valley
this aspect of geography explores how people and their environment change each other
Human Systems
the number of people in relation to the square miles (calculated by dividing the total population by total square miles)
population density
Name examples of Ecological Catastrophes of the 20th Century and explain how/what happened
*Desertification of the Sahel (1900s) - a region along the southern border of the Sahara Desert that once supported a prosperous farming community. Overpopulation, overgrazing, and agriculture led to the deforestation of the area.
*Castle Bravo Nuclear Test (1954) - The US detonated several hydrogen bombs on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This particular one led to the largest radiological contamination in US history.
*Desertification of the Aral Sea (1960) - The Soviet water management system was created for irrigation and has caused the 4th largest inland water body in the world to dry up.
*Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown (1979) - A partial nuclear meltdown at a US nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania resulted in the release of radioactive material into the environment
*Chernobyl (1986) - The Soviet nuclear power plant explosion and fires caused a nuclear meltdown and released radioactive material into the environment. The accident caused countless deaths.
*Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill (1989) - An Exxon-Valdez oil tanker ran into a reef off the coast of Alaska and spilled a lot of crude oil in Prince Willian Sound killing hundreds and thousands of birds, fish, and sea animals.
*Kuwai Oil Fires (1991) - As the Iraqi military forces retreated Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, they set fire to 600 oil wells.
*Deep Water Horizon BP Oil Spill (2010) - The explosion and sinking of the Deep Water Horizon oil rig spilled 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
The practice of farming; evolved since the Neolithic era.
Agriculture
(describes land) capable of producing crops
arable
credited as invented by the Inca (though cultures in Peru, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, the Mediterranean, East Africa, Yemen, and China have all independently created the concept); steps built on hilly or mountainous areas
Terrace farming
planting different crops sequentially to maximize the nutrients in the soil
crop rotation
(especially of land or a farm) used for or related to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle
pastoral
producing to sell
commercial
type of agriculture with small areas of land; high inputs of resources
intensive agriculture
type of agriculture with large areas of land; low inputs of resources
extensive agriculture
the supply of water to land and crops to promote growth
irrigation
using gravity to move water across land; no mechanical system
surface irrigation
using a network of pipes and low pressure to distribute water
localized irrigation
a method of surface irrigation first used in the Neolithic period in Mesopotamia. Water was moved through a series of bridges and canals in order to cultivate crops. Perfected by the romans.
Aqueducts
energy from wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass, and nuclear sources
clean energy
energy from coal, oil, and natural gas
fossil energy
energy from charged particles
electric power
refers to methods, systems, and devices that are the result of scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes
technology
the study of human beings, their culture, origins, environment, and social norms
anthropology
the process of individuals absorbing the dominant culture of a group
assimilation
the process of understanding oneself and societal expectations through social interactions with others
socialization
Learning theory created by John Dewey; asserts everything occurs within a social environment & knowledge is socially constructed and based on experiences.
Experiential Learning theory
Skinner
theory of Behaviorism
theorist that developed the Stages of Cognitive Development; discovery learning
Piaget
Maslow
Hierarchy of Needs
Vygotsky
Zone of Proximal Development
An interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location.
Community
What are the three types of communities?
Urban, suburban, and rural
Subsection of a community where the population is ethnically distingushed from the surrounding area
Ethnic Enclave
A method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way
Language
Culture that relies heavily on gestures, eye contact, relationships, and other non-verbal communication
High-Context
Culture that relies heavily on explicit written or verbal communication
Low-Context cultures
What is the main difference between religion and ideology?
Religion examines aspects of life and afterlife that are intangible, Ideology focuses on the tangible and human nature
