Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
Absolute location
Specific coordinates; generally latitude and longitude
Absolute distance
The exact distance between two points
Accessibility
The ability to reach a place (refers to the ease of reaching destinations)
Aerial photography
Taking photos from planes or other airborne platforms
Built environment
The layout of a community’s buildings, streets, sidewalks and infrastructure
Carrying capacity
The average limit of a species that can occupy a habitat without permanently damaging the habitat
Connectivity
The interaction between two places and the relationships among people and objects across the space
Cultural ecology
Adaptive practices that have evolved between humans and their nonhuman worlds
Cultural landscape
A historically significant property that shows evidence of human interaction with the physical environment
Distance
The space between two places
Distance decay
As the space between two places increases, the interaction decreases
Diffusion
The spread of an idea, characteristic or group of people over time
Environmental determinism
The idea that the environment determines, plays a role or causes social and cultural development
Equator
The imaginary circle of latitude (a horizontal line) that divides the earth into the northern and southern hemispheres
Friction of distance
Movement incurs some sort of cost, meaning that the further away two places are the less efficient and common it is to interact with
Geographic information system
A computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information, using data attached to a specific location
Ghost town
An abandoned settlement, usually containing visible remaining infrastructure and buildings.
GPS
A worldwide navigational surveying system based on signals from orbiting satellites
