Unit 1 Topic 1: Maps Flashcards
- Map -
- Cartography -
- Distortion -
- Scale -
- Projection -
What is the relationship between geography and culture? - Unit 1 essential question
- Map - visual representation that shows the features and layout of a place, like cities, roads, and mountains.
- Cartography - the process of creating and designing maps, which involves gathering geographic information and using specialized tools and techniques to accurately depict the Earth’s surface or a specific area.
- Distortion: The changes or alterations that occur when representing the three-dimensional Earth on a two-dimensional map.
- Scale: The size of an area represented by a map
- Projection: The method used to transform the spherical surface of the Earth onto a flat map.
Explain each of the 5 themes of geography
1. location
2. place
3. region
4. movement
5. human environment
Location - using absolute and relative location to tell where a place is on earth
Place - a particular space that has its own unique characteristics determined by the surrounding environment and the people who lived there
Region - a social or economic connection that occurs between a focal point and surrounding areas
Movement - exploring how people goods and ideas get from one place to another
Human environment interaction - examning the ways people use their surroundings, how and why they change it and what consequences result from these
Maps are always changing. Explain what changes on maps and why they change
Maps organize space during a specific time through the perspective of the
Spaces change.
Perspectives change
Therefore, maps are constantly changing.
Explain map projection and distortion and each of the aspects that can be accurate that map cartographers have to choose which ones to eliminate.
There are 4 aspects
Cartographer attempt to eliminate distortion in one or several aspects of the map.
Not all aspects can be accurate so the map maker must choose which distortions are less important than the others.
- Conformality: The shapes of places are accurate
- Distance: Measured distances are accurate
- Area/Equivalence: The areas represented on the map are proportional to their area on the earth.
- Direction: Angles of direction are portrayed accurately.
Determining Location
Define Latitude, Longitude, Absolute Location, and Relative Location
Latititude
* horizontal lines that circle the Earth
* Equation is 0 degrees and all other lines of latitutde are measured in degrees north or south of the equator.
Longitude
* Vertical lines (also called meridians) that run from pole to pole.
* The Prime Meridian is 0 degrees and all other lines are measured in degrees or west of the Prime Merdian
The Global Grid
* Every place on earth has an absolute location.
* Absolute location can be determined by naming the line of latitude and longitude that crosses each particular place.
Explain
* GPS and how it works
* GIS, what it does, how it does it, and examples
Global positioning system (GPS)
* Uses staelites to find the site or absolute location of places
Geography information system GIS
* Used to record and communicate geographic information on maps
* Uses layers to overlay data from one source on top of another source
* Examples: Tracking hurricanes, Provides layered structures
Explain what Reference maps are
* what they do
* examples
- Reference maps display places
- For example, physical maps, political maps, road maps, time zone maps, etc.)
- Help you find places
Thematic Maps
* what they do and focus on
* example
- Thematic maps display data. They focus on a particular theme.
- They emphasize the spatial pattern of geographic atrtributes or statistics about places and rleationships between places
- For example: World population Density (2022)
Thematic v Reference maps
Examples, the main idea
- For example, while a reference map might show the locations of cities, a thematic map might also represent the population of those cities.
- A reference map might show bank locations, while a thematic maps shows average income in an area. It’s the difference between mapping places and mapping data.
Regional spotlight: The United States and Canada
Explain the age and birthday of the United States
Also explain
* where it is located
* how large is it and how it ranks
* what its mainland borders
* largest and smallest states
The United States July 4 1776 Age: 247
Location and size.
* The U.S. is the located on the Western Hemisphere in North America.
* It is the world’s 3rd largest country in size and nearly the 3rd largest in terms of population
* Its mainland is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the West and by the Atlantic Ocean to the East. Along the nothern border is Canada and Southern border is Mexico.
* Smallest state is Rhode Island
* Largest state is Alaska.
Climate. Explain all 5 climates in the United States and where they are located.
Mostly temperatre but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plans west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest.
Population. Explain the population of the entire US, what most of the immigrants or descendants are, and what percentage of indigenous people are in the U.S.
Over 334 million ppl
Most are immigrants or descendants of imigrants: Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans
The indigenous ppl of this land, native americans, make up only 2.09% of the population (6.79 million ppl)
Urbanization. What is true about urbanization. Which city has the highest urban population.
Most people live in and around urban areas
New York City has the highest urban population in the country with 8.8 million people living there.
Language and Religion. Explain the most spoken, official, and second most spoken language. Also explain the major religious groups.
Although English is the most spoken language in the U.S. and is the language used in government, the country has no official language.
Spanish is the 2nd most spoken language
Major religious groups in the U.S. Include: Christains (majority) , Jews, Muslisms, Hindus, Buddhists.
Resources. Explain the
* 6 natural resources that give the US economy a surperior advantage
* the top exports
* the 3 top trading partners
Six natral resources give the US economy a surperior advantage: a large landmass, expansive coastlines, fertile land, fresh water, oil, and coal
Top exports: Petroleum, computers, electrical machinery, vehicles, and aircraft
Top trading partners: Mexico, Canada, and China
