Unit 1 optional vocab

Question 1

accessibility

Answer 1

The degree of ease with which it is possible to reach certain location from other locations

Question 2

aerial photography

Answer 2

The taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position off Earth’s surface

Question 3

circular pattern

Answer 3

A pattern, where objects are located in a rough circle around another object

Question 4

climate region

Answer 4

An area with a distinct climate, such as tropical, arid, and temperate

Question 5

connectivity

Answer 5

The ways in which different places, people, and ideas are linked together, creating networks that facilitate interactions and exchanges

Question 6

culture

Answer 6

A total way of life held in common by a group of people, including learned features such as language, ideology, behavior, technology, and government

Question 7

daylight savings time

Answer 7

A time cycle, where the clock is pushed an hour ahead of the original timing or is at the original timing, this is changed every Spring and Fall

Question 8

distance

Answer 8

Can be absolute or relative – measures how far apart two things are

Question 9

distribution

Answer 9

The arrangement of features in a space

Question 10

distortion

Answer 10

Inaccuracies or misrepresentations that occur when translating three-dimensional geographic features onto two-dimensional maps

Question 11

environmental geography

Answer 11

The branch of science that examines issues like climate change, pollution, deforestation, and urbanization to understand their impacts on both humans and the natural world

Question 12

equator

Answer 12

The 0 degree line of latitude that wraps around the globe, separating the Northern and Southern hemispheres

Question 13

friction of distance

Answer 13

Movement incurs some form of cost, in the form of physical effort, energy, time, and/or the expenditure of other resources, and that these costs are proportional to the distance traveled

Question 14

geospatial technologies

Answer 14

A general term for the geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and global positioning systems (GPS)

Question 15

geospatial data

Answer 15

Information that has a geographic aspect to it, like coordinates or distribution patterns

Question 16

geocaching

Answer 16

A hunt for a cache where the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates which are placed on the internet by other geocachers

Question 17

Greenwich Mean Time

Answer 17

The time in the zone encompassing the prime meridian, or 0° longitude

Question 18

landscape analysis

Answer 18

A process of studying and describing a landscape, generally with the goal of assessing the impact of humans on that space

Question 19

International Date Line (IDL)

Answer 19

The line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next (about 180 degrees longitude)

Question 20

latitude

Answer 20

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator

Question 21

local time

Answer 21

The official time for a region, depending on where it is located

Question 22

location theory

Answer 22

A logical attempt to explain the locational pattern of an economic activity and the manner in which its producing area are interrelated

Question 23

locator maps

Answer 23

Show the absolute location of a specific event

Question 24

longitude

Answer 24

The set of curving imaginary lines that run North-South, coming together at the poles. They measure distance, in degrees, East or West of the Prime Meridian

Question 25

meridian

Answer 25

An arc drawn on a map between the north and south poles

Question 26

map projection

Answer 26

A way of representing the curved surface of the earth on a flat map

Question 27

parallel

Answer 27

A circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians, or a line of latitude

Question 28

physical geography

Answer 28

The science concerned with the study of physical aspects, including air, water, and soil on the Earth’s surface

Question 29

plat maps

Answer 29

A kind of map that shows and labels property lines and details of land ownership

Question 30

Prime Meridian

Answer 30

The 0 degree line of longitude that runs through Greenwich, England

Question 31

proximity

Answer 31

The nearness or closeness of one location to another

Question 32

regionalization

Answer 32

The process of dividing up the earth into smaller regions or units or the tendency to form decentralized regions

Question 33

road maps

Answer 33

A map showing the roads of a city, state, or other area

Question 34

Cartographic scale

Answer 34

Refers to the relationship between the size of the features on a map and their actual size in the real world

Question 35

scale of data

Answer 35

The scale from which data was collected, often influencing conclusions

Question 36

spatial models

Answer 36

Theoretical frameworks used to understand and predict the patterns and movements of people, goods, and information across space

Question 37

nonspatial models

Answer 37

Examining data that is not defined by specific spatial dimensions

Question 38

spatial data

Answer 38

Information about the physical location and shape of objects, often represented in a coordinate system

Question 39

spatial organization

Answer 39

The way a group or phenomenon is arranged on the surface of the Earth

Question 40

spatial perspective

Answer 40

A way of thinking about how and why physical features or processes are positioned in geographic space

Question 41

time zones

Answer 41

Areas separated by approximately 15 degrees longitude which have different local times from one another to compensate for Earth’s curved surface

Question 42

Geographic scale

Answer 42

A conceptual hierarchy of spaces, from small to large that reflects actual levels of organization in the real world

Question 43

Relative scale

Answer 43

The relative size of the map or lens we choose to use to observe geographical phenomena