unit 1 vocab Flashcards
map
A two-dimensional or flat-scale model of Earth’s surface, or a portion of it.
scale
The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole.
remote sensing
The acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from another long distant method.
toponym
Toponym is “the name that is given to a place on Earth”.
site
physical character of a place.
site characteristics
Some site characteristics include climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation.
situation
Situation is the location of a place relative to other places.
region
an area of earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics
formal/uniform region
An area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
functional/nodal region
An area organized around a node or focal point.
vernacular/perceptual region
An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
culture
the body of customary beliefs, material traits, and social forms that together constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people.
globalization
A force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope.
communications revolution
The communion revolution played a role in globalization by allowing people to spread ideas, opinions, and cultures.
space
the physical gap or interval between two objects
distribution
the arrangement of a feature in space
density
The frequency with which something occurs in space.
hearth
A place from which an innovation originates. For example, Hip-hop originated in urban areas.
relocation diffusion
The spread of an idea through the physical movement of people from one place to another. An example could be language.
hierarchical diffusion
The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places. For example, the spread of ideas from political leaders/important people to others in a community.
contagious diffusion
The rapid widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population. As it says in its name, this is the diffusion of contagious diseases.
stimulus diffusion
The spread of an underlying principle even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse. An example could be innovation features on an iPhone have been adopted by other competitors.
expansion diffusion
The spread of a feature from one place to another in an additive process.
distance decay
Distance decay is when contact diminishes with increasing distance and eventually disappears.
space-time compression
The reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place.
sustainability
The use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future.
preservation
The maintenance of resources in their present condition, with as little human impact as possible
conservation
The sustainable use and management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human need such as food, medicine, and recreation.
cultural ecology
Cultural ecology is the geographic study of human-environment relationships.
environmental determinism
Environment determinism is an approach that encourages human geographers to apply laws from the natural sciences to better understand relationships between the physical environment and human actions.
possibilism
Possibilism states that the physical environment may limit some human actions, however people have the ability to adjust to their environment.
