pt.1 Flashcards
What is human geography?
A branch of social studies that looks into how humans affect the region they live in
What does a cartographer do?
They make/ draw maps for a living
What is spatial perspective?
It shows where things happen in a more geographic approach and also explains why things happened where they happened
What are spatial patterns?
The placement between objects and the space between them
What is time-distance decay?
The decrease in activity between two objects depending on their distance from each other.
(the closer things are the more closely related)
When we use the term “relative” (as in location, direction, etc.) what do we mean?
Relative is directions that are not exact but are around a certain area or in relation to it
When we use the term “absolute” (as in location, direction, etc.) what do we mean?
Absolute in the exact location or direction of something. Exact as in coordinates or addresses
What is map scale?
The ratio of a distance on a map to the distance on earth’s surface usually under the key on a map
What do we use a reference map for?
You use a reference map for navigation or general knowledge of any location
What does a thematic map show?
Thematic maps shows what the land is like
Name 4 types of thematic maps and how they work.
Choropleth, Dot density, Proportional circle, and cartograms
What are the 3 basic shapes that cartographers use for map projections?
Planar, Conical, Cylindrical
Name 4 types of map projections and study their pros and cons.
4 types of map projections
Robinson:
Pro - most appealing
Con - everything is distorted
Peter’s:
Pro - land masses are equally sized
Con - lots of distortion in the polar regions
Goode homolosine:
Pro - all land is in the correct proportions
Con - awkwardly separates the oceans
Polar:
Pro - shows land from the polar perspectives
Con - doesn’t show land nearest the equator
What does latitude measure?
Latitude measures North and South
What does longitude measure?
Longitude measures East and West
What is the Prime Meridian?
The Prime Meridian is the line in the middle of the earth going vertically. Could also be interpreted as the vertical Equator
What is the Equator?
The equator is the horizontal line that separates the Northern and Southern hemisphere
What is the difference between a meridian and a parallel?
Meridians run north and south (longitude) and parallels run east and west (latitude)
Name three ways that geographers gather data.
Satellites, Surveys and fieldwork
What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?
Gathers information that relates to a certain place on earth using other unrelated but available information
What is space versus place?
Space is the area we take up as humans. Place is how we customize it or make that space our own
What does cultural landscape mean?
Any area with a cultural significance like churches temples houses and farm fields
What does time-space compression mean?
It’s the decrease in distance between two objects measured in travel time or cost often recognized by the phrase “the world is shrinking”
Give an example of interdependence.
My friend needs someone to bake cookies for them; i need someone to bake cookies for
What is diffusion?
The spread of an idea or characteristics
What is cultural ecology?
The study of how humans adapt to their environment
What is an ecosystem?
Different physical environments
Name two natural hazards
Wildfires
Name three natural resources
Food, gasses, and water
Name two non-renewable resources
Coal and oils
Name two renewable resources
Wood and food
What is the Greenhouse effect?
The Greenhouse effect is the warming of the Earth due to pollution in the atmosphere that traps heat
What is possibilism?
The belief that every environment offers a number of different ways for societies to develop and that humans can adapt to and overcome any physical or environmental challenges
What is environmental determinism?
The belief that the physical environments can determine cultures and change how humans develop
Give an example of global scale analysis.
A map with all of the continents showing all of their respective political boundaries
Give an example of regional scale analysis.
A map showing just a single region within a continent or a few states
Give an example of national scale analysis.
A map showing an entire nation/country or continent
Give an example of local scale analysis.
A map showing within a certain community | can be more contextual
What is a formal region? Give an example
A formal region has set and clear boundaries. (The European union)
What is a functional/nodal region? Give an example
A functional region is based around a certain point and radiates outward from it. An example is a restaurant like Taco bell
What is a perceptual/vernacular region? Give an example.
A perceptual region is an area that doesn’t have set boundaries and is based completely on where people think it starts and ends but they do exist so it is a region nonetheless
