Key Terms Flashcards
Absolute Location
location determined by a frame of reference, usually latitude and longitude
Accessibility
degree of ease with which it is possible to reach a certain location from other locations
Activity Space
space within which daily activity occurs
Cartography
art and science of making maps
Connectivity
amount of direct linkage between places by transportation and communication
Contagious Diffusion
form of expansion diffusion, nearly all adjacent individuals are affected
Cultural Barrier
ideas or practices unacceptable or unadoptable in that particular culture
Cultural Diffusion
cultural element expansion from its place of origin to a wider area
Cultural Hearth
place of origin of a major culture
Cultural Landscape
visible imprint of human activity
Culture
sum total of the knowledge, attitudes, and habitual behavior patterns shared by the members of a society
Culture Complex
related set of cultural traits, such as prevailing dress codes and cooking and eating utensils
Culture Trait
single element of normal practice in a culture, such as the wearing of a turban
Distance
measurement of the physical space between two places
Environmental Determinism
Environment (nature) affects human life (culture)
Epidemic
regional outbreak of a disease
Expansion Diffusion
innovation/idea develops in a hearth and remains strong there while also spreading outward
Fieldwork
answer geographic inquiry by visiting places to observe how people’s actions and reactions change those places
Formal Region
marked by a certain degree of similarity
Functional Region
defined by the particular set of activities or interactions that occurs within it
Generalized Maps
information is always generalized on maps
Geocaching
hunt for a cache, the GPS coordinates which are placed on the Internet by other geocachers
Geographic Concept
ways of seeing the world spatially that are used by geographers in answering research questions
Geographic Information Systems
computer technology that lets spatial data be collected and analyzed
Global Positioning System
satellite-based system for determining the absolute location of places or geographic features
Globalization
set of processes that...without boundaries: • increase interactions • deepen relationships • heighten interdependence Set of outcomes...throughout the world: • unevenly distributed • differently manifested • varying across scales
Hierarchical Diffusion
main channel of diffusion is some segment of those who are susceptible to/adopting what is being diffused (ex: new shoes)
Human-Environment
relationship between humans and physical world
Independent Invention
trait with many cultural hearths that developed independent of each other
Isotherm
line on a map connecting point of equal temperature values
Landscape
overall appearance of an area, most are comprised of a combination of natural and human-induced influences
Location
how geographical position of people and things affects what happens and why
Location Theory
an element of contemporary human geography that seeks answers to a variety of questions
Medical Geography
study of health and disease from a geographical perspective
Mental Map
maps we carry in our minds
Movement
mobility of people, goods, and ideas across Earth
Pandemic
worldwide outbreak of a disease
Pattern
design of the spatial distribution; what processes create and sustain it
Perception of Place
belief or understanding about a place from books, movies, pictures, etc.
Perceptual Region
only exists as an idea, not as a physically demarcated entity (different people have different opinions)
Physical Geography
study of physical phenomena on Earth
Place
all have unique human and physical characteristics; geo-graphers study the special character and meaning of places
Political Ecology
the environment/nature is affected by political and socioeconomic contexts
Possibilism
humans affect culture
Reference Maps
maps that show the absolute location of places and geographic features
Region
area of Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic
Relative Location
regional position or situation of a place relative to the position of other places
Relocation Diffusion
movement of individuals who have adopted the idea/innovation, and carry it to a new (and maybe distant) locale, where they disseminate it (ex: migration)
Remote Sensing
collecting data/info (that is almost instantly available) from instruments physically distant from the area or object
Rescale
involve players at other scales to generate global support for their position
Sense of Place
infusing a place with meaning and emotion
Spatial
cultural succession and its lasting imprint, contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape
Spatial Distribution
physical location of geographic phenomena across space
Spatial Interaction
how places interact with another
Spatial Perspective
observing variations in geographic phenomena across space
Stimulus Diffusion
spread of an underlying principle
Thematic Maps
maps that tell stories
Time-Distance Decay
declining degree of acceptance of an idea or innovation with increasing time
AIDS
immune deficiency syndrome caused by HIV, spread by bodily contact
Child Mortality Rate
death rate of children who die by 5 per thousand live births
Chronic Diseases
afflictions of middle and old age such as cancer, stroke, tuberculosis, etc.
Crude Birth Rate
of births per year per thousand people
Crude Death Rate
of deaths per year per thousand people
Demographic Transition
sequence of stages in population growth:
- Low-growth stage
- High-growth stage
- Moderate-growth stage
- Low-growth/stationary stage
Dot Map
map that represents population distribution, where one dot equals a certain # of a population
Doubling Time
time required for population to double in size
Infant Mortality Rate
baby’s death between birth to 1 year old, per thousand births
Life Expectancy
average of how long a person is expected to live
Natural Increase
difference between # of births and deaths
Population Composition
structure of a population by age, gender, marital status, education, etc.
Population Distribution
descriptions of locations where individuals/groups live
Population Explosion
rapid growth of population by shorter doubling times and accelerating rates of increase
Population Pyramids
shows demographic situation by visually displaying % of each age group in a total population by gender
Chain Migration
pattern of migration that develops when migrants move along and through kinship links
Forced Migration
human migration flows in which movers have no choice but to relocate
Gravity Model
predicts interactions between places based on their population size and distance between them
Guest Workers
legal immigrant who has a short term work visa
Immigration Laws
laws and regulations of a state designed specifically to control immigration into that state
Immigration Wave
phenomenon where different patterns of chain migration combine
Internal Migration
human movement within a nation-state
Laws of Migration
developed by Ernst Ravenstein
- Every migration flow generates a return/countermigration
- Majority of migrants move short distances
- Long distance migrants tend to choose big-city destinations
- Urban residents are less migratory than rural inhabitants
- Young adults more likely to move internationally than families
Quotas
limits set by governments on the number of immigrants allowed into a country each year
Pull Factors
circumstances that effectively attract the migrant to certain locales from other places
Push Factors
conditions and perceptions that help migrants decide to leave
Refugees
people who have fled their country from political persecution and seek asylum in another country
Cultural Appropriation
process where other cultures adopt customs and knowledge and use them for their own benefit
Cultural Landscape
visible imprint of human activity on the landscape
Culture
group of belief systems, norms, and values practiced by a people
Custom
practice that a group of people routinely follow
Hearth
origin of an idea/cultural trait
Hierarchical Diffusion
idea/innovation spreads fastest among most connected places/people
Site
physical characteristics of a place
Situation
location of a place relative to other places
Projection
used to transfer places from earth’s surface to a flat map
