Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
Absolute Location
Precise Geographic Coordinates
Ex: the Empire State Building is located at 40.7 degrees North, 46 degrees West
Absolute Distance
A measurement of the physical space between two locations.
Could be in Feet, Yards, or Miles
Accessibility
The degree of each which it is possible to reach a certain location from other locations.
Aerial Photography
A picture taken from an elevated viewpoint
Built Environment
Man-Made structures which are collectively viewed as an area which people live and work
Ex: Buildings, roads, cities
Carrying capacity
The Max number of people who can realistically be sustained by the geography of that area
Connectivity
The direct or indirect links between places or people
Ex: Transportation, Internet access, friends or acquaintances
Cultural ecology
The relationship between culture and the environment, dealing with human adaptation to various environments
Cultural landscape
A property that shows existence of human interaction with the environment
Distance
Exact measurement of the physical space between two places
Distance-decay
Describes the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions
Diffusion
The spread of an idea or characteristic over time
Environmental determinism
The theory that the environment determines, plays a role, or causes cultural or social development
Equator
A line that runs through the middle of the earth horizontally
Friction of distance
The farther you travel the more effort, time, and money it will require
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GIS is a system for capturing, analyzing and displaying spatial or geographical data
Ghost Towns
Abandoned places which have changed but stayed in the same location
Global Positioning system (GPS)
A Navigation system which is used to pinpoint a location on earth
Human-Envoirnment interaction
The effect that humans have on their environment and the effect that the environment has on humans
Human geography
A branch of geography dealing with how human activities affects or is influenced by the earths surface
International date line
Where the day starts (virtical line)
Landscape Analysis
Landscape analysis studies how humans impact and use a specific area of land
Latitude
A angular measurement north or south of the equator
Ex: A globe
Longitude
The angular measurement east and west of the prime meridian
Physical geography
Physical geography studies natural features like air,water, and soil on earth
Place
A specific point on earth defined by characteristics distinguishing it from other places
Possibilism
The idea that while the environment limits what humans can do, we can adapt around it
Prime meridian
The starting point for measuring east and west around the earth
Proximity
The closeness or nearness of one location to another
Remote sensing
Remote sensing is taking pictures of earth from satellites or airplanes to study large areas
Relative location
A discriotion of how a place is related to other places
Relative distance
Relative distance measures how close places are in terms of social, cultural or economic connections not just physical distance
Sense of place
Emotions someone attaches to an area based on their experiences
Sequent occupance
The idea that different societies leave their cultural marks on a place over time, shaping its landscape
Site
The actual location of a point on earth
Ex: villages, cities
Situation
The location of a place based on its relation to other places
Spatial association
The presence of one phenomenon is related to the presence of another nearby phenomenon
Spatial data
Information about the physical location and shape of its geographical features
Time space compression (spatial interaction)
The concept that advances in transport and communication make the world feel smaller and distances seem shorter
Toponym
The name given to a place, such as a city, town, or geographic feature
