Unit 1 - Thinking Geographically Flashcards
Reference Map
Maps used to reference basic information (ex. political map)
Thematic Map
Maps used to show spatial patterns and spatial analysis
Types of Thematic Maps
Choropleth, Dot, Isoline, Graduated Symbol, Cartograms
Choropleth Maps
Using colors and differing shades to show data and compare areas
Graduated Symbol Maps
Using symbols of differing sizes and quantities
Dot Maps
Using quantities of dots to express information
Isoline Maps
Using lines to show different information (ex. elevation maps)
Cartograms
A physical part of a map is changed in size to represent data
Geographic Concepts
Absolute + Relative Location, Direction, Absolute + Relative Distance, Elevation
Absolute Location
Location based on coordinates
Relative Location
Location relative to other places (connectivity, distance, travel, direction)
Absolute Distance
Unit measurement distance between two places (miles, km, ft)
Relative Distance
Time distance between two places (10 minutes away)
Elevation
Height of areas or objects
Types of Spatial Pattern Distribution
Clustered/Agglomerated, Dispersed, Linear
Clustered/Agglomerated
Objects are concentrated into one area
Dispersed
Objects are spread out over a large area
Linear
Objects are arranged in a straight line
Landscape Analysis
Defining and describing landscapes. Understanding why landscapes are the way they are
Field Observations
Going to on-site locations and collecting data
Types of Data
Quantitative, Qualitative
Types of Geographic Data Tools
Geographic Information System, Global Positioning System, Online, Remote Sensing
Geographic Information System (GIS)
A system that overlays many pieces of geographic data into one dataset
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A system that calculates the absolute location of a receiver
Online Mapping
Using data to create online maps
Remote Sensing
Collecting data remotely (ex. Ariel photography, satellite imagery)
Space
An area where human or physical activity can happen but isn’t
Place
An area where human or physical activity does happen
Time-Space Compression
The shrinking of relative distance between places because of innovation, interconnectedness, and globalization
Distance-Decay Effect
Despite Time-Space Compression, places with large absolute distances still interact less
Human-Environment Interaction
The connection and interaction between society/humanity and the natural environment
Types of Human-Environment Interaction
Natural Resources, Land Use
Natural Resources
naturally occurring resources used by society such as wind, coal, oil, sun, etc
Land Use
How the land is organized, used, and altered for agriculture or societal development
Environmental Determinism
A theory stating that the physical conditions of an area define cultural, economic, and societal development
Possibilism
A theory stating that societal and economic development is defined by human ingenuity, culture, and social conditions.
Scales of Analysis
The level/scale at which data is shown on stimulus
Relative Scale
The scale that the map is actually showing (ex. a map of the world)
The scale of the Data
The scale of the data shown on a map (the data is shown by country)
5 Scales
Global, World Regional, National, National Regional, Local
Global
The Whole World
World Regional
Mulitple countries, continents
National
Single county
National Regional
Physical portion of a country (not political subdivisions). Based on direction
Local
Political subdivisions of a country (states, cities, provinces, etc)
Regionalization
The process of dividing a place into smaller segments/subdivisions
Formal/Uniform/Homogenous Region
An area united by a common, measurable, pattern or characteristic.
Perceptual/Vernacular Region
An area united by a common characteristic that doesn’t have to be measurable
Functional/Nodal Region
An area with common activities based around one central place
