Unit 1: Thinking Geographically Flashcards
spatial patterns (analysis tool)
they describe the general organization of phenomena on a map
Reference Maps: Types and Purposes
- political: show & describe human-made boundaries & classifications
- physical: show & label natural features
- road: show & label highways, streets + alleys
- plat: show ownership borders an information
Thematic Maps: Types and Characteristics
- Choropleth Maps: Use color or shading to show rates in specific categories.
- Dot Distribution Maps: Use dots (or symbols) to show exact locations and distribution.
- Graduated (Proportional) Symbol Maps: Use symbols of various sizes to represent different quantities.
- Isoline (Isometric) Maps: Connect points of equal value with lines to show spatial changes in data.
- Cartograms: Resize countries based on a specific statistic rather than actual area.
latitude
the distance north OR south of the equator
longtitude
the distance east OR west of the prime meridian
what 3 things can geospatial data identify?
- water shortages
- potential famine
- rising conflicts
what are the 2 ways to refer a place?
1) site: characteristics at the immediate location
2) situation: the location of a place relative to its surroundings + connectivitiy to other places
what’s the term used for when a place inspires no strong ties in ppl or lacks uniqueness?
placelessness
toponym
referring to a location by name
time-space compression
the decreasing “time-distance”, or relative distance between locations as a result of developments in communication + transportation technologies
what’s the increasing connection between places reflected in the growth of?
spatial interaction
- the contact, movement + flow of things between locations
define distance decay (also known as Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration)
impact of distance indicates things tend to be less connected the father apart they are
- inverse relationship between connection + distance
what are the 4 concepts through which human-environmental interaction can be understood thru?
1) natural resources
2) sustainability
3) land use
4) built-environment
what is culture ecology the study of?
how humans adapt to the environment
environmental determinism
the belief that landforms + climate are the most powerful forces shaping human behaviour + societal development while ignoring the influence of culture
possibilism
the idea that while environment can limit actions, ppl can adapt + make choices to overcome these limits
world regional
multiple countries of the world
- (north America, south Asia)
national regional
portion of a country or a region(s) within a country
- (Midwest, Eastern China)
data aggregation
when you group detailed data into large categories to make it easier to understand
Regional Analysis: formal regions
sometimes called UNIFORM or HOMOGENOUS regions + united by 1 or more traits like political, physical, cultural, and economic
Regional Analysis: functional (or nodal) regions
define what they’re organized around, defined by & united by
are organized around a focal point + defined by an activity usually political, social, economic that occurs across a region
- united by networks of communication, transportation & other interactions
- ex: pizza delivery areas are functional regions; the pizza shop is the node
Regional Analysis: perceptual regions defined by (also known as vernacular)
differ from formal & functional regions in that they’re defined by the informal sense of place that ppl ascribe to them
Regional Analysis: world sub regions
a sub region shares some characteristics w/ the rest of the larger region but its distinctive in some ways
- ex: Brazil’s primary language is Portuguese, which makes it unlike any other country in the mostly Spanish-speaking Latin America. Because of its language, Brazil is a distinct sub region.
what are the 4 ways spatial patterns can be defined?
1) location
2) distance
3) direction (cardinal and intermediate)
4) elevation (height of an area above sea level, usually measured in ft or m)
