Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

AP Human Geography > Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives > Flashcards

Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives Flashcards

1
Q

absolute distance

A

an exact measure of the separation between two points using a standard measure such as inches, meters or miles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

absolute location

A

the precise location of any object or place on the earth’s surface as determined by a standard grid or coordinate system

latitude and longitude are most commonly used to determine absolute location

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

accessibility

A

ease with which you, goods, and/or ideas can reach a destination

determined by a place’s connectivity; the more means there are for interacting with a place, the higher its accessibility

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

administrative regions

A

politically determined; boundaries are exact

are hierarchical or nested. eg: in the USA, states exist within the country, counties exist within states, and census tracts exist within counties.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

aggregation

A

the size of the unit under investigation such as cities, counties, states, or countries

like simplification, completely depends on the purpose of the map

level also depends on the data geographers have access to

if a geographer investigates population density with data at the state level, his map will dramatically differ from a geographer that has density data at the country level

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

azimuthal projections

A

planar projections: formed when a flat piece of paper is placed on top of the globe and a light source projects the surrounding areas onto the map

typically, the north pole or the south pole is oriented at the center of the map, giving an impression of looking up or down at the earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

barriers to diffusion

A

something that inhibits a phenomenon from spreading across space

physical barriers: objects that prohibit interaction from taking place (eg: mountain ranges, rivers, highways - where interactions occur on food)

sociocultural factors: when a person’s beliefs, culture, or place in society prohibit interaction with certain people or places

psychological barriers: things like fear or ignorance that keep individuals from interaction with certain people or places

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

cartograms

A

transform space so that the political unit, such as a state or country, with the greatest value for some type of data is represented by the largest relative area, and all other polygons are represented proportionately to that largest polygon

can be powerful for illustrating comparative patterns. eg: a cartogram of electoral votes in the US would make some states really small and some really large - this shows a more accurate picture of each state’s influence on the political process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

cartography

A

the art and science of making maps

the goal of cartographers is to develop maps that accurately and elegantly convey spatial information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

cartographic scale

A

also called map scale; refers to the ratio between distance on a map and the actual distance on the earth’s surface (eg: 1:200)

ratio remains constant despite units (inches, feet, miles, etc)

on small scale maps, ratio between map units and ground units is small and maps represent a larger piece of the earth’s surface

on large scale maps, ratio between map units and ground units is large, meaning map represents a relatively small piece of the earth’s surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

choropleth maps

A

use colours or tonal shadings to represent categories of data for given geographic ares; countries, states, or counties most commonly use polygons

a map population density by county in the US might use 5 shades of green to classify density values

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

cognitive maps

A

a dynamic internal representation of a place or environment

the sketch map is the external representation of the spatial information that exists in a person’s head

each cognitive map is highly individual, dependent on information an individual deems important, and is limited by amount and type of experience an individual has with a place

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

cognitive/perceptual/vernacular regions

A

they describe how people informally organize places in their mind

even though formed by individuals, usually are shared between people because of culturally shared beliefs. eg: most people would draw similar boundaries around the “Deep South”

boundaries are imprecise, vague, or variable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

concentration

A

when spatial distributions of objects or features appear in close proximity to one another, they are said to be concentrated. this is also called a cluster

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

conformal projection

A

the shapes of small areas are preserved

in many conformal projections like the Mercator Projection, compass direction is preserved making them useful for navigation purposes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

connectivity

A

a measure of all the means of connection and communication between places

virtually synonymous with relative distance as some places are highly connected to one another yet separated by significant distance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

contagious expansion diffusion

A

describes diffusion resulting from direct contact with an individual

all infectious diseases such as AIDS are spread by contagious diffusion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

density

A

the amount of a particular feature within a given area. it is not the same thing as dense, which implies a cluster

eg: population density is the number of people within a given area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

diffusion

A

the way in which phenomena such as technological innovations, cultural trends, or outbreaks of diseases travel over space.

two main processes spread phenomena across space: expansion diffusion and relocation diffusion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

relocation diffusion

A

physical movement leads to spread, usually as a result of migration; number of adopters is relatively small

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

expansion diffusion

A

interaction leads to spread and numbers of adapters grow rapidly before stabilizing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

distance decay

A

describes the pattern of diminishing likelihood of interaction with a place with increasing distance from that place

eg: the majority of people who shop at a particular grocery store live or work close by. few customers in that strore live far from its location.

different activities have different distance decay curves; that is, people travel short distances for everyday goods like milk and bread, but travel farther to attend special events

distance small = interaction strong; distance large = interaction slight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

distortion

A

all flat maps are distorted as a result of projecting a three-dimensional surface onto a two-dimensional surface. the only accurate representation of the earth’s surface is a globe

some other projections distort certain features in favour of preserving others

generally, the major features that get distorted or preserved are shape, area, and direction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

distribution concepts

A

concepts that are used to understand how certain objects, features, and phenomena are organized in space

concentration, density, dispersion, and pattern area are all distribution concepts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

dot density maps

A

use points to represent particular values. eg: cropland harvested where each dot represents 1,000 bushels of corn

value comes from the ability to facilitate perception of spatial pattern; in example of corn cropland harvested, an obvious spatial pattern would emerge in the Midwest

the disadvantage is that data that does not meet the threshold (eg: only 999 bushels of corn harvested in a particular are) does not appear on the map

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

earth’s graticule

A

SEE CARD #25

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

environmental geography

A

results from the intersection of human and physical geography

environmental geographers, or geographers who study human environment relationships (HER), come from almost every academic discipline and frequently occupy prominent positions at the forefront of debates regarding anthropogenic, or human-induced, environmental change, conservation planning, and sustainability

concerned with anything from the history of a given landscape and the effects of pollution on impoverished neighbourhoods, to the creation of nature reserves for endangered species

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

equal-area projection

A

cartographers using or making these types of projections are interested in the preservation of an area; in other words, shapes or directions are distorted but sizes of landmasses are correct in relation to each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

distance decay curve

A

SEE CARD #21

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

first law of geography

A

everything is related to everything else, but near things are more closely related than far things

describes “the friction of distance” meaning that the farther away something is, the less likely someone is to interact with it

31
Q

5 themes of geography

A

LOCATION refers to position on earth’s surface

HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION refers to cultural ecology or the relationship between culture and environment

REGIONS are way to organize or compartmentalize space

PLACE differs from location in that it refers to associations among phenomena within a particular area

MOVEMENT describes the interconnections between areas

32
Q

formal regions

A

sometimes called thematic regions because they are defined by one or more variable or theme

group strength varies throughout the region; some places represent the theme defining the region more strongly than others

because of varying membership strength, boundaries are imprecise or vague. a clear line does not separate one area from another. change between regions tends to be gradual

eg: climate regions, language, religion, or any other theme that does not correspond to administrative boundaries

33
Q

fuller projection

A

maintains the accurate size and shape of landmasses but completely rearranges direction

cardinal directions - north, south, east, and west no longer have any meaning

34
Q

functional regions

A

the boundaries are drawn around an interaction region: every functional region has a node that people interact with. the spatial pattern of that interaction defines that region

for example, commuters to a particular city, newspaper circulation, or branch operations with a major bank

35
Q

generalization

A

averaging over details; in a cartographic context generalization results from scaling changes

small-scale maps have high generalization, or less detail, but show larger pieces of the earth’s surface are

large-scale maps have less generalization, or more detail, but show smaller pieces of the earth’s surface

a map of the entire US (small scale) will not show the small towns and villages that would appear on a map of a local area (large scale)

36
Q

geographical information system (GIS)

A

a software program that allows geographers to map, analyze, and model spatial data

use thematic layers, consisting of individual maps that contain specific features such as roads, stream networks or elevation contours

37
Q

global positioning system (GPS)

A

an integrated network of satellites that orbit the earth, broadcasting location information, in terms of latitude and longitude, to handheld receivers on the earth’s surface

38
Q

gravity model

A

first described in the 1850s, it is based on Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation

lij = PiPj/Dij^2 
lij: interaction between places i and j 
Pi: population of place i 
Pj: population of place j
Dij^2: the distance between places i and j, squared.

an important implication is large cities may still have extensive interactions despite being separated by great distances; for example, NY and LA

39
Q

Hierarchical Expansion Diffusion

A

describes spread first to major nodes and then down a hierarchy. fashion trends typically spread hierarchically by first appearing in major fashion nodes such as London, Milan, and Paris, and then spread from there.

Within the major nodes, a phenomenon spreads, typically, by contagious diffusion (eg: a fashion trend spreading within Milan)

40
Q

human geography

A

the field of geography that looks at variations in human behaviour over space

human geographers look at human characteristics including: population, economy, agriculture, urbanization, culture, political systems, and how those characteristics vary depending on where you are on the earth’s surface

human geographers also look at the complicated relationship between humans and their environments

SEE CARD #39

41
Q

isoline maps

A

maps that use lines to represent quantities of equal value

most common example is a topographic map where each line represents a constant elevation

lines spaced close together indicate a rapidly changing value, whereas lines far apart indicate little change over space

isolines can be used to show other values that vary continuously over space such as temperature or population density

42
Q

latitude and longitude

A

LINES OF LONGITUDE (meridians) originate at the prime meridian which passes through Greenwich, England, and ends at the International Date Line. All lines of longitude meet at the poles

LINES OF LATITUDE (parallels) run parallel to one another. they originate at the equator and terminate at the poles

together, they allow for precise determination of location on the surface of the eart

43
Q

maps

A

pictorial models of reality that use symbols to convey meaning, power comes in their ability to make something nonspatial (ex: population rates), spatial, thereby facilitating the perception of spatial relationships.

the only way to see the entire earth’s surface at once

44
Q

mercator projection

A

preserves accurate compass direction but distorts area of landmasses relative to each other

landmasses become increasingly distorted, or large in size, at latitude near the north and south poles

originally created by projecting the earth’s features onto a cylinder (a cylindrical projection), which results in lines of latitude becoming parallel rather than intersecting leading to tremendous distortion at the poles

45
Q

network

A

the areal pattern of connections between places

some networks describe literal connections between places such as connections between subway stops on a metro map. However, some are less literal; for example, many emerging internet sites such as “facebook” are social networks, describing all the links between a group of “friends”

46
Q

pattern

A

a distribution concept that conveys how objects, features, or phenomena are spatially situated in relation to one another

for example, some features can have a linear pattern, some centralized, some triangular

47
Q

pattison’s four traditions of geography

A

1964 - pattison published a piece on the discipline of geography’s four defining traditions:

THE EARTH: science tradition as defined by Pattison is essentially physical geography

THE CULTURE: environment tradition is essentially the same thing as HER or environmental geography

THE LOCATIONAL TRADITION: relates to the analysis of spatial data through cartography

THE AREA: analysis tradition refers to regional geography, which involves an investigation and description of a unique piece of the earth’s surface

48
Q

perceptual regions of the USA

A

the northwest, west coast, inter-mountain west, southwest, great plains, midwest, south, new england, mid-atlantic, south florida

SEE CARD #47

49
Q

peters projection

A

a cylindrical projection that retains accurate sizes of all the world’s landmasses

reveals how large the landmasses near the equator actually are

often viewed as a political statement - an attempt to focus attention on the world’s poorest countries

50
Q

physical geography

A

physical geographers study spatial characteristics of the earth’s physical and biological systems

many natural scientists, including meteorologists, climatologists, ecologists, oceanographers, geologist, soil scientists, and hydrologists, study physical geography

through the understanding of the spatial variability of the phenomena under investigation each of these types of scientists gain insight into why certain phenomena behave the way they do in certain places

51
Q

preference map of the USA

A

SEE CARD #50

52
Q

preference maps

A

show people’s ideas about environmental, social, or economic quality of life in various places.

in general, most americans rate their home state highly, and most show preferences for coastal areas, especially California, and the East Coast

53
Q

projection

A

refers to the process by which the three-dimensional surface of the earth is transferred to a two-dimensional map

traditionally, maps were made by placing a light source (eg a candle or bulb) inside of a translucent globe and then projecting the globe’s features onto another shape (usually a piece of paper) surrounding it.

currently produced through numerous different, complicated, mathematical equations

54
Q

proportional symbols maps

A

size of the chosen symbol (eg: circle triangle, or flow line) indicates relative magnitude of some value for a given geographic region

flow lines often used to show movement of goods or people over space; lines get relatively thinner and thicker as values shrink or expandused to nag

55
Q

reference maps

A

used to navigate between places and include topographic maps, atlases, road maps, and other navigational maps

56
Q

region

A

one of the fundamental units of analysis in human geography

regionalizing allows geographers to group pieces of the earth’s surface together according to certain similarities

regions do not exist as well-defined units in the landscape; instead they are conceptual constructions that geographers use for convenience and comparison

57
Q

regional geography

A

regional geography, or Pattison’s area - analysis tradition, is the study of regions.

regions vary in size; a region may be an entire continent, for example, North America, or a smaller area, such as southern Florida

regional geographers, no matter the size of the region under study, investigate the unique characteristics, patterns, and processes existent within that place

58
Q

relative distance

A

relative distance is when less precise but often meaningful measures are used to describe separation between two points

most common relative distance measure is time, or how long it takes to get from point A to point B, which is typically relative to a person’s mode of transportation.

eg: NY might be 5 hours by plane from LA but over 3 days by car

59
Q

relative location

A

relative location describes a place’s location in terms of its relationship to places around it

it is more common in everyday language

60
Q

remote sensing

A

process of capturing images from earth’s surface from airborne platforms such as satellites or airplanes

images can be digital or analog photographs and data can be collected from several bands of the electromagnetic spectrum

61
Q

resolution

A

refers to a map’s smallest discernable unit; basically it is the smallest thing visible on a map

if an object has to be 100 meters long in order to show up on a map, then that map’s resolution is 100 meters

62
Q

robinson projection

A

an example of an attempt to balance projection errors

does not maintain accurate area, shape, distance, or direction, but minimizes error in each

provides an aesthetically pleasing balance leading to its frequent use by cartographers at organizations such as the national geographic society (which is where the projection was made)

63
Q

scale

A

geographic scale is a general concept that refers to a conceptual hierarchy of spaces, from small to large, that reflect actual levels of organization in the real world

a characteristic scale in human geography, from small to large, is the increase in size from the neighbourhood, to the urban area, to the metropolitan area, and finally, to the region

geographers seek to understand how processes occurring at one scale may affect activities at other scales

64
Q

simplification

A

refers to level of detail portrayed on a map

if a cartographer designs a map of the entire US, he would probably not include minute details such as locations of towns smaller than 50 thousand people

level of simplification depends on the purpose of the map and the size of the are the map is portraying

65
Q

site vs situation

A

site refers to the physical and cultural features of a place, independent of other places around it

situation describes a place’s relationship to other places around it

eg: new orlean’s site is poor: it is essentially a below sea level, meaning big rain events lead to significant problems. however, its location on the Mississippi River delta makes its situation in relation to the rest of the US very important

66
Q

spatial association

A

describes the distribution of two or more features and how they do or do not correspond to one another

powerful concept in spatial analysis as it allows geographers to understand why certain spatial patterns exist

for example, the mapping of type 2 diabetes and socioeconomic status (SES) reveals a strong spatial association: the states with the highest rates of type 2 diabetes also have lowest SES

67
Q

spatial perspective

A

an intellectual framework that allows geographers to look at the earth in terms of the relationships between various places

geographers look at the spatial distribution of different types of phenomena and ask why and how certain phenomena come to occur in certain places

some major questions of geographers are: how do two places interact economically, socially, and culturally? why do some places have more in common than others? how are social phenomena conveyed over time and space?

68
Q

stimulus expansion diffusion

A

describes the pattern by which a concept is diffused but not in the same form as in original contact

for example, some native american groups’ exposure to written language stimulated them to develop their own written language systems that differed from the language they were exposed to

69
Q

systematic geography

A

study of the earth’s integrated systems as a whole, instead of focusing on particular processes in a single place

this approach allows geographers to apply their knowledge of a specific spatial process broadly beyond unique places to other areas across the globe

70
Q

thematic maps

A

thematic maps display one or more variables across a specific space such as population variables, voting patterns, or economic welfare

many ways to display thematic data; some common methods include choropleth maps, proportional symbol maps, isoline maps, and cartograms

71
Q

time-distance decay

A

the idea that the longer it takes for something to spread or move over space, the less likelihood of interaction with or spread of that phenomena

essentially description of time as a barrier to spatial diffusion

72
Q

time-space convergence

A

the idea that with increasing transportation and communications technology, absolute distance between certain places is, in effect, shrinking

for example, increased transportation technology has “shrunk” the distance between New York City and London; it used to take days, even weeks, to cross the Atlantic by boat; it now takes only half a day by plane

increased communications technology allows places to communicate instantaneously with each other, which, in effect, completely negates distance’s effect on interaction (via voice or text communication)

73
Q

topographic map showing elevation contours

A

SEE CARD #72

74
Q

visualizations

A

exist digitally and use sophisticated software to create dynamic computer maps, some of which are three-dimensional or interactive

some allow geographers to investigate features that cannot be seen with the naked eye; others use models to show how landscapes change over time

in some, people can walk through, or fly over, landscapes

AP Human Geography (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions