Unit 1 Flashcards
scale
Scale: The relationship between that being studied and the Earth as a whole.
Space
Space: Physical gap or interval between two objects.
Map
Map: A two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface, or a portion of it.
cartography
Cartography: the science of map-making
GIS
GIS: (Geographic Information System) captures, stores, queries, and displays the geographic data; a computer-based analysis tool.
Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry: the science of taking measurements of Earth’s surface from photographs.
Remote Sensing
Remote Sensing: the acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or to other long-distance methods.
GPS
GPS: (Global Positioning System) system that determines the precise position of something on Earth.
Geotagging
Geotagging: recorded locations of all the information we gather and photos we take with our electronic devices.
Region
Region: an area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics
Connection
Connection: refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space.
VGI
VG1: (Volunteered geographic information) creation and dissemination of geographic data contributed voluntarily and for free by individuals.
Citizen Science
Citizen science: scientific research by amateur scientists.
PGIS
PGIS: (participatory GIS) community-based mapping.
Mashup
Mashup: a map that overlays data from one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service
Map scale
Map scale: level of detail and the amount of area covered on a map.
Projection
Projection: The scientific method of transferring Earth to a flat map.
Robinson
Robison: allocates space to oceans but shows land areas much smaller than on interrupted maps of the same size.
Homolosi
Homolosi: “the orange peel map,” is good at mapping human phenomena across space.
Mercator
Mercator: minimizes the distortion of shape and direction but grossly distorts the area toward the poles
Gall Peters
Gall-Peters: a projection that does not distort relative size, but does distort the shape.
Winkel
Winkel: The relative size of the landmasses on the map is the same as in reality.
Meridian
Meridian: an arc connecting the North and South poles.
Longittude
Longitude: location of each meridian is identified on Earth’s surface according to a numbering system.
Parallel
Parallel: a circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians.
Lattitude
Latitude: numbering system to indicate the location of a parallel.
Isoline Map
Isoline Map: connects with lines all the places that have particular values
Dot distribution
Dot Distribution: depicts data as points and shows how those points are clustered together or spread out over an area.
Chloropleth
Choropleth: A map where recognizable areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the variable.
Graduated Symbol
Graduated Symbol: Displays symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable
Cartogram
Cartogram: A map in which the size of the country or U.S. state is proportional to the value of a particular variable.
Place
Place: a specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic.
Topynym
Toponym: name given to a place on Earth.
Site
Site: the physical character of a place.
Situtation/Relative Location
Situation/Relative location: location of a place relative to other places.
Absolute Location
Absolute location: describes the position of a place in a way that never changes.
Cultural Landscape
Cultural landscape: a combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation.
Region
Region: An area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics.
Formal/Unified Region
Formal/Uniform region: area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
Funtional/Nodal Region
Functional/Nodal region: area organized around a node or focal point.
Vernacular/Perceptual Region
Vernacular/Perceptual region: area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
Cultures
Cultures: the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social fons that together constitutes the distinct tradition of a group of people.
Spatial Association
Spatial association: is observed within a region if the distribution of one feature is related to the distribution of another feature.
Globalization
Globalization: A force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope.
Transnational Corporation
Transnational Corporation: Conducts research, operates factories and sells products in many countries, not just where headquarters and principal shareholders are located.
Distribution
Distribution: The arrangement of a feature in space.
Concentration
Concentration: The extent of a feature’s spread over space.
Post structurialist Geogrpahy
Post Structuralist geography: Examines how the powerful in a society dominate, or seek to control less powerful groups, how the dominated occupy space, and confrontations that result from domination.
Humanistic Geography
Humanistic Geography: emphasizes the different ways that individuals form ideas about place and give those places symbolic meaning.
Behavioral Geography
Behavioral geography: Emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological basis for individual human actions in space.
Uneven Development
Uneven development: The increasing gap in economic conditions between regions in the core and periphery that results from the globalization of the economy.
Diffusion
Diffusion: The process by which a feature spreads across space from one place to another over time
Hearth
Hearth: A place from which an innovation originates
Relocation Diffusion
Relocation diffusion: The spread of an idea through the physical movement of people from one place to another.
Expansion Diffusion
Expansion diffusion: The spread of a feature from one place to another in an additive process
Hierarchical Diffusion
Hierarchical diffusion: The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places.
Contagious Diffusion
Contagious diffusion: The rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population.
Meme
Meme: Contagious diffusion through the Internet or social media.
Stimulus Diffusion
Stimulus diffusion: the spread of an underlying principle even through a characteristic itself fails to diffuse
Distance Decay
Distance decay: The diminished importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from the origin.
Space Time Compression
Space-time compression: The reduction in time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.
Network
Network: A chain of communication that connects places.
Assimilation
Assimilation: The process by which a group’s cultural features are altered to resemble those of another group.
Acculturation
Acculturation: The process of changes in culture that results from the meeting of two groups.
Syncretism
Syncretism: The combining of elements of two groups into a new cultural feature
Resource
Resource: A substance in the environment that is useful to people, economically and technologically feasible to access, and socially acceptable to use.
Sustainability
Sustainability: The use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future.
Renewable Resource
Renewable Resource: Produced in nature more rapidly than consumed by humans.
Nonrenewable Resource
Nonrenewable Resource: Produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans.
Conservation
Conservation: The sustainable use and management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human needs such as food, medicine, and recreation.
Preservation
Preservation: The maintenance of resources in their present condition with as little human impact as possible.
Biotic
Biotic: A system composed of living organisms
Abiotic
Abiotic: Composed of nonliving or inorganic matter.
Atmosphere
Atmosphere: A thin layer of gasses surrounding the Earth.
Hydrosphere
Hydrosphere: All of the water on and near the Earth’s surface
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Lithosphere
Lithosphere: Earth’s crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust.
Biosphere
Biosphere: All living organisms on Earth, including plants and animals as well as microorganisms.
Climate
Climate: The long-term average weather condition at a particular location.
Ecosystem
Ecosystem: A group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres in which they interact
Ecology
Ecology: The scientific study of ecosystems
Erosion
Erosion: When the soil washes away in the rain or blows away in the wind
Depletion of Nutrients
Depletion of Nutrients: When plants withdraw more nutrients than natural processes can replace
Cultural Ecology
Cultural Ecology: The geographic study of human-environment relationships
Environmentalism
Environmental Determinism: The belief that the physical environment causes social development
Possibilism
Possibilism: The belief that the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people can have the ability to adjust to their environment.
Polder
Polder: a piece of land that is created by draining water from an area
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC): Informally known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is the time at the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude) is the master reference time for all points on Earth.
International Date Line
International Date Line: An arc that for the most part follows the 180 degrees of longitude.
