Test 1 Flashcards
Geography
the study of where things around on Earth’s surface and the reason for their location
place
specific point on Earth that is distinguished by a particular characteristic
region
an area of the Earth defined by one or more defining characteristics
Scale
the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole
Small Scale Map
large areas are compressed (world map)
Large Scale Map
zoomed in on a specific area (map of Livingston)
scale of analysis
the level at which data is displayed on a map
Space
the physical gap between two objects
Connection
the relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space
map
two-dimensional or flat-scale model of the Earth’s surface or a portion of it
Geographic information science
the analysis of data about earth acquired through satellites and other electronic information technologies
Geographic Information System (GIS)
captures, stores, and displays the geographic data in real-time
Photogrammetry
the science of taking measurements of the Earth’s surface through photographs
Remote sensing
the acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from other long-distance methods
global positioning system (GPS)
a system that determines the precise position of something on Earth
Geotagging
when the locations of all the information we gather and photos we take with our electronic devices are recorded.
Volunteered geographic information (VGI)
the creation and distribution of geographic data contributed voluntarily and for free by individuals
Participatory GIS (PGIS)
Community-based mapping
mashup
a map that overlays data from one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service
Map scale
the level and the amount of area covered on a map
meridian
an arc connecting the North and South poles
Location
the position that something occupies on Earth’s surface
toponym
a name given to a place on Earth
site
the physical character of a place
Situation (relative location)
the location of a place relative to other places
Absolute location
describes the position of a place in a way that never changes
formal (uniform region)
is an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics
functional region (nodal region)
an area organized around a node or a focal point
Cultural Landscape
a combination of cultural features
vernacular region (perceptual region)
an area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity
Globalization
the force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope
Distribution
the arrangement of a feature in space
Density
the frequency with which something occurs in space
Concentration
the extent of features spread over space
pattern
the geometric arrangement of objects in space
Post Structuralist geography
how the powerful in society dominate less powerful group
Humanistic geography
the different ways that individuals form ideas about place and give those places symbolic meaning
Behavioral geography
the importance of understanding the emotional basis for human actions in space
Uneven development
the increasing gap in economic conditions between regions in the core and other areas that results from the globalization of the economy
Diffusion
the process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to another
Hearth
a place from which an innovation originates
Expansion diffusion
the spread of a feature from one place to another in an additive process is expansion diffusion
Hierarchical diffusion
the spread of an idea from one person to another person or place
Contagious diffusion
the rapid, widespread diffusion of a character throughout the population
Stimulus diffusion
the spread of an underlying principle even though a characteristic fails to diffuse
Distance decay
when you are farther away from something, the less likely you are to interact with it
Space-time compression
the reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place
network
a chain of communication that connects places
Assimilation
the process in which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group
Acculturation
the process of changes in culture that result from the meeting of 2 groups
Syncretism
the combining of elements of two groups into a new cultural feature
resource
a substance in the environment that is useful to people
Sustainability
the use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future
renewable resource
produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans
nonrenewable resource
produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans
Conservation
the sustainable use and management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human needs such as food, medicine, and recreation
Preservation
the maintenance of resources in their present condition with little human impact
Biosphere
all living organisms on earth
ecosystem
a group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact
Environmental determinism
when the physical environment causes social development
Possibilism
when the physical environment may limit some human actions but people have the ability to adjust to their environment
polder
a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
the time at 0 longitude
International Date Line
an arc that for the most part follows 180* longitude
Isoline map
connects with lines all the places that have particular values
Dot distribution map
depicts data as points and shows how those points are clustered together or spread out
Choropleth map
recognizable areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurements of the variable (distinctive colors = different quantities/densities)
Proportional symbol map
displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable
Cartogram
a map in which the size of a country is proportional to the value of a particular variable (shapes are distorted)
Robinson Map Projection
designed to make the shape of the continents look correct
Mollweide Map Projection
representation of a sphere where meridians converge at the poles
Mercator Map Projection
(square shape) sphere where lines of latitude and longitude are straight and at right angles making it ideal for navigation
