Unit 1: Chapter 1 Vocab Flashcards
spatial approach
The way of identifying, explaining, and predicting the human and physical patterns and the connections of various locations.
physical geography
the branch of geography dealing with natural features and processes
absolute location
Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates
latitude
the distance in degrees north or south of the equator
equator
the imaginary center line of latitude that divides the northern and southern hemispheres.
longitude
Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees
prime meridian
0 degrees longitude - passes through Greenwich, England
International Date Line
the line of longitude that marks where each new day begins, centered on the 180th meridian
relative location
the regional position or situation of a place relative to the position of other places
connectivity
the degree of linkage between locations from one another
accessibility
the relative ease with which a destination may be reached from some other place
ghost towns
empty, deserted towns left after gold miners had moved on
place
A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character.
region
An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features.
site
The physical character of a place
situation
the location of a place relative to other places
sense of place
The relationship with places expressed in different dimensions of human life, how humans perceive a place.
toponyms
name given to a portion of Earth’s surface
distance
The length of a path between two points
proximity
nearness in space, time, or relationship
time-space compression
term for the reduction in time it takes for something to diffuse to a distance place
spatial interaction
movement of people, goods, info, etc between different places
friction of distance
the increase in time and cost that usually comes with increasing distance
distance-decay
contact diminishing with increasing distance and eventually disappear.
spatial association
the reason why two things are placed where they are
density
The frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area
distribution
The arrangement of something across Earth’s surface.
human-environment interaction
The geographic theme that explores how people use, adapt to, and modify the environment
cultural ecology
the geographic study of human-environment relationships
environmental determinism
the idea that human behavior is controlled by the physical environment
possibilism
the idea that some environments offer specific constraints/ opportunities
landscape analysis
The process of describing and interpreting the landscape ecology of an area.
field observation
a study of a phenomenon in a natural setting
spatial data
refer to the digital representation of space
aerial photography
Taking images of the earth from elevated positions as a means of gathering geographic data
built environment
man-made or constructed parts of a landscape or area
cultural landscape
the visible imprint of human activity and culture on the landscape
