Human Geography Unit Test/Exam - #1 Flashcards
Cultural ecology
Geographical approach emphasising human-environment relationships
Who started the cultural ecology movement?
Sauger
In what ways do humans impact the environment
- Climate change
- Pollution
- Overpopulation/consumption
- Climate change
- Fertilizers/pesticides
- Hunting/fishing
- Ocean acidification
- Waste creation
Natural resources
Materials from nature that help humans to survive/live
What are the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy?
Renewable sources of energy can be replaced and reused repeatably. Non-renewable resources are one use only and create waste
Sustainability
Using the earths resources in a harmless way that allows for future use
Why is sustainability important?
- Protects ecosystems
- Preserves natural resources
- Improves quality of life
What are some examples of sustainable practices?
- Clean energy
- Water treatment
- Eco-friendly construction/infrastructure
- Waste reduction
- Recycling
- Electric vehicles
- Protected green spaces
- Reforestation
Environmental determinism
The philosophy that humans behavior and their culture is determined by the environment
Possibilism
Theory that humans determine their own culture and way of life regardless of what the surrounding environment is
Criticisms of environmental determinism
- Humans are inventors with free will
- Humans have adapted for the natural environment to fit their needs
- Used as tools of colonialism, racism, and imperialism
Criticisms of possibilism
- Nature cannot completely be overrun by human will and innovation
- Discourages the study of nature and understates it’s importance
Regional boundaries
Places where common features or characteristics change
Example of regional boundaries
Brazil
Transitional regional boundaries
A space that exhibits characteristics of both regions its located between
Example of a transitional regional boundary
The border between the United States of America and Mexico
Contested regional boundary
An area where the ownership or possession of the area is disputed and unagreed upon
Example of a contested regional boundary
Taiwan
Regionalization
The process geographers use to divide and categorize
Region
An area defined by one or more common characteristics that make it different from surrounding regions
Any place ___ than a point and ___ than the entire planet can be a region
- Larger
- Smaller
Formal region
Region defined by boundaries and shared characteristics
Perceptual region
An area that people believe to be apart of their cultural identity
Corn belt
Main producer of corn in the midwestern USA
Hinterland - “Country behind”
An area served by an urban center which is the focus of of goods and services for the hinterland
Mental maps
Maps that people create in their own minds based on experience and knowledge
Small scale maps
Maps that show a large area with a small amount of detail
Large scale maps
Maps that show a small area with a large amount of detail
What reason would business owners need to use a small scale map to make decisions
To show where a specific population, demographic or customer base is located
What reason would business need to use a large scale map?
To show specific details of business areas
What are the four scales of analysis?
- Global
- Regional
- National
- Local
What are the four types of reference maps?
- Road maps
- Political maps
- Physical maps
- Locator maps
What are reference maps?
Maps that help people refer to general information in an area
What do political map show?
Human created boundaries and designations
What do physical maps show?
Natural factors like mountains, rivers, and deserts
What do road maps show?
They show things like roads, highways, streets, an alleyways
What do plot maps show?
Property lines and details of land ownership
What is a locator map?
A map that uses illustrations to show specific locations in a book or text
What are the two types of thematic maps?
- Choropleth
- Dot distribution
What is a choropleth map?
A map that uses colors, shades, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data
What is a dot distribution map?
A map used to show specific location and distribution of something, with each dot representing a specific quantity
What is a cartogram map?
Maps where the sizes of places are shown according to the some specific statistics
What is a graduated symbol map?
A map that uses different sized symbols to to indicate different amounts of something
What is the purpose of a Mercator map?
Navigation
What are the two strengths of a Mercator map
- Directions shown accurately
- shapes are shown relatively the same as they appear on the globe
What is the distortion of Mercator maps?
High latitude places are distorted
What is the purpose of a Peters map?
Illustrating spatial distribution
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What is the strength of a Conic map?
Size and shape of areas along one latitude are close to reality
What is the purpose of a Conic map?
Regional mapping
What is the purpose of a Robinson map?
General use
What are the two strengths of a Robinson map?
- No glaring distortion
- Oval shape appears more like the globe
What is the distortion on a Robinson map?
Area, shape, and size are distorted
What are the two purposes of maps?
- Reference tools - how to get somewhere
- Communication tools - show human activity
How has Cartography evolved over time?
- Knowledge has advanced
- Science has advanced
- People have explored more and discovered more areas on earth
- Maps have become more methodical and less artistic
- The development of GPS and GIS systems has allowed for more accurate readings of specific areas
What is a GIS (Geographic Information system) and what is it’s purpose?
A GIS is a computer system whos purpose is to capture, store, and analyze data
What is GPS (Global positioning system)
A system that gives the precise position of something using satellites
What is remote sensing?
Images taken from satellites or planes
What is qualitative data?
Data based on opinions (humanistic approach)
How is qualitative data collected?
Through surveys, observations, and interviews
What is quantitative data?
Data from facts, math models, and statistics
How is quantitative data collected?
Surveys
What words do geographers use to describe data in thematic maps?
- Density
- Distribution
- Clustered
What is distance decay?
The theory that interactions between two places decrease as the distance increases
What is space time compression?
Reduction in time it takes to spread something due to improved communication and transportation
Example of space time compression
The mobile phone
Example of distance decay
Choosing to go to a grocery store 2 blocks away instead of going to a competing grocery store 8 blocks away
Relative location
Description of where something is in relation to other things
Example of relative location
Fred lives in a town that is West of the Mississippi river
Absolute location
The precise place where something is found
Example of absolute location
Coordinates or an address
Relative distance
Measurement in time, effort, or costs
Absolute distance
Measurement in precise units
Example of absolute distance
The distance between New York and Boston is exactly 310 km
Absolute direction
Direction in cardinal or compass directions
Example of absolute direction
North/East/West/South
Why does scale matter when it comes to interpreting data?
Because it can reveal different information
How do human geographers define regions?
Defined by one or more traits, characteristics, or features that make them different
What kind of region is the Middle East?
perceptual
What kind of region is a radio station?
Functional
What kind of region is a pizza delivery area?
functional
What kind of region is French Canada?
Formal
What is the distortion on a Peter’s map
The shapes
What is the distortion of a conic map
Shapes, angles, distances, and directions are distorted
Clustered
Spatial patterns where things gather closely in specific areas within a population area
National scale of analysis
Scale by country or nation
Regional scale of analysis
Scale larger than a single community or neighborhood, but smaller than an entire nation/country
Local scale of analysis
Scale by community or neighborhood
Elevation
Distance above sea level
Scale of analysis
The size of map we use to observe geographical phenomena
Parallels
Imaginary lines that divide earth
Site
actual location of a settlement on earth
Ptolemy
The man who recorded 8,000 locations as well as longitudes and latitudes for his maps
Vemacular
Language spoken by people in a country or region
Layers
Slice or stratum of the geographical reality in a certain area
Eratosthenes
- First to use the word geography
- Made latitude and longitude
- Made a map of the known world
Map projection
The method of transferring the graticule of latitude and longitude on a plane surface
Situation
The position of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area
Example of a functional region
Trade route, transportation hub, or a shopping center
