Unit One Flashcards
GIS
geographic information system ; designed to store geographical data in layers
scale
relationship between the portion of Earth being studied as Earth as a whole
Winkel Tripel Projection
used by national geographic ; incorporates different elements of projecting
Carl Sauer
American geographer ; defined cultural landscape as an area fashioned from nature by a cultural group
cultural landscape
combination of cultural features, physical features, and economical features
cultural hearth
site of innovation which basic ideas, materials, & technology diffuse to many cultures
Possibilism
physical environment may limit human actions but people have the ability to adjust to their actions
space time compression
reduction in time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place as a result of improved communications and transportation systems
situation
location of a place relative to other places
toponym
the name given to a place on Earth
expansion diffusion
spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another
remote sensing
acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite
site
physical character of a place
distortion
alteration of the original shape if something
environmental determinism
how physical environment caused social development
distance decay
the effect of distance on cultural interactions
vernacular region
(perceptual region) ;
place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity
friction of distance
based on idea that distance requires effort , money , and/or energy to overcome
formal region
shared cultural and physical traits
GPS
Global Positioning System ;
determines absolute location of something on Earth using satellites, tracking stations , and receivers
absolute location
location found using latitude and longitude
contagious diffusion
rapid , widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population
prime meridian
0 degrees longitude (through Greenwich, England)
Land of Ordinance
a law that divides much of the US into townships to facilitate the sale of land to settlers
relocation diffusion
spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another
globalization
connectivity of all parts of the world
functional region
nodal region ; area organized around a focal point
culture complex
group of culture traits all interrelated and dominated by one essential
