Unit 1: Geography, Its Nature And Perspectives Flashcards
Contagious diffusion
The distance-controlled spreading of an idea, innovation, or some other item through a local population by contact from person to person–analogous to the communication of a contagious illness.
Diffusion
The spatial spreading or dissemination of a culture element (such as technological innovation) or some other phenomenon (e.g. A disease outbreak). See also contagious, expansion, hierarchical, relocation, and stimulus diffusion.
Expansion diffusion
The spread of an innovation or idea trough a population in an area in such a way that the number of those influenced grows continuously larger, resulting in an expanding area of dissemination.
Hearth
The area where an idea or cultural trait originates
Hierarchical diffusion
An idea or innovation spreads by passing first through the most connected places it peoples. An urban hierarchy is usually involved, encouraging the leap-frogging of innovations over wide areas, with geographic distance a less important influence
Relocation diffusion
Sequential diffusion process in which item being diffused are carried by people that are evacuating an old area and relocating to a new one. Most commonly by a migrating population.
Stimulus diffusion
In which a cultural adaptation is created as a result of the introduction of a cultural trait from another place.
Environmental determinism
The view that the natural environment has a controlling influence over various aspects of human life, including cultural development. Also known as environmentalism.
Pattern
The design of spatial distribution (e.g. Scattered or concentrated.)
Possiblism
Geographic viewpoint–a response to determinism– that holds that human decision making, not the environment, is the crucial factor of cultural development. Possiblists view the environment as providing a set of broad constraints that limit human choice.
Region
The Third Theme of Geography, an area on the earth’s surface marked by a degree of formal, functional, or perceptual homogeneity of some phenomenon.
Formal region
A region marked by a certain degree of homogeneity in one or more phenomena; also called uniform region or homogenous region.
Functional region
A region defined by the particular set of activities or interactions that occur within it.
Perceptual region
A region that is only a conceptualization or an idea, and not as a physically marked entity. For example, in the US, “the South” is a perceptual region.
Scale
Representation of a real world phenomenon at a certain level of generalization or reduction. In cartography, the ratio of map distance to ground distance; indicated on a map as a bar graph.
Spatial
Pertaining to space on the Earth’s surface; sometimes used as a synonym for /geographic/.
Complementarity
A co diy ion that exists when two regions, through an exchange of raw materials or finished products, can specifically satisfy each other’s demands. A type of /spatial interaction/
Intervening opportunity
The presence of a nearer opportunity that greatly diminished the attractiveness of sites farther away. A type of spatial interaction
Accessibility
The degree of ease with which it is possible to reach a certain location from other locations. Can be measured. A type of spatial interaction.
Connectivity
The degree of direct linkage between one particular location and other locations in a transport network. A type of spatial interaction.
Networks
A set of interconnected nodes without a center. A type of spatial interaction.
Distance decay
The effects of distance on interaction; usually the greater the distance the less interaction. A type of spatial interaction.
Friction of distance
The increase in time and cost that usually comes with increasing distance. A type of spatial interaction.
Time-space compression
Refers to the social and psychological effects of living in a world in which time-space convergence has rapidly reached a high level of intensity. A type of spatial interaction.
Time-space convergence
Refers to the greatly accelerated movement of goods, information, and ideas during the twentieth century made possible by technological innovations in transportation and communications.
Geographic information systems (GIS)
Computer ware that allows spatial data to be collected, recorded, stored, retrieved, manipulated, analyzed, and displayed to the user.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Satellite-based system for determining the absolute location of places or geographic features.
Latitude
An imaginary line running parallel to the equator that is used to measure distance in degrees north or south from the equator.
Longitude
An imaginary line circling the earth and running through its poles. Used to determine the location of things by measurement of the angular distance, i degrees east or west, from the prime meridian.
Prime Meridian
An imaginary north-south line of longitude on the earth grid, passing through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in London, defined as having a longitude of 0 degrees.
Mental map
Image or picture of the way space is organized as determined by an individual’s perception, impression, and knowledge of that space.
Remote sensing
A method of collecting data or information through the use of instruments, such as satellites, that are physically distant from the area or object of study.
