History 220 Chapter 1 &2 Flashcards
Abiotic
A system composed of nonliving or inorganic matter
atmosphere
the thin layer of gases surrounding earth
biosphere
all living organisms on earth
biotic
the system composed of living organisms
cartography
the science of making maps
concentration
the spread of something over a given area
connection
relationship among people and objects across the barrier of spce
contagious diffusion
the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout population
cultural ecology
the geographic study of human-environment relationsships
cultural landscape
fashioning of a natural landscape by a cultural group
density
the frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area
diffusion
the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time
distance decay
the diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin
distribution
the arrangement of something across earths surface
ecology
the scientific study of ecosystems
ecosystem
a group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact
environmental determinism
a 19th and early 20th century approach to the study of geography that argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences. Geography was therefore the study of how the physical environment cause human activities
expansion diffusion
the spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in an additive process
formal region
or uniform or homogeneous region,: An area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics.
functional region
(or nodal region) An Area organized around a node or focal point
Geographic Grid
a system of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on earth’s surface
Geographic Information Science (GIScience)
The development and analysis of data about Earth acquired through satellite and other electronic information technologies
Geographic information system (GIS)
a computer system that store, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
a system that determines the precise location of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.
Globalization
Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The time in that time zone encompassing the prime meridian, or ) degrees longitude
Hearth
The region from which innovative ideas originate
Hierarchical Diffusion
The spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places
Hydrosphere
all of the water on and near Earth’s surface
International Date Line
A meridian that for the most part follows 180 degrees longitude. When you cross the date line heading east, the clock moves back 24 hours.