Weak Concepts- For Midterm Flashcards
Define density
The frequency with which something occurs in space
Define a formal (or uniform) region and give examples
An area within which everyone has at least one or more distinctive characteristics in common that are universally recognized. Ex: The US, Canada, Tennessee, etc
Define a functional (nodal) region and give examples
An area organized around a node or focal point. Ex: TV broadcast area, train stations, airport, etc
Define a vernacular (or perceptual) region and give examples
A place people believe exists as a part of their cultural identity that is not universally agreed upon. Ex: The South, the Rust Belt, the Sun Belt, etc
Define site
The physical characteristic of a place
Define situation
The location of a place relative to other places
Define concentration
The extent of a feature’s spread over an area
Define a chloropleth map
A map that shows you by county where something is
What is a proportional map
Big and little dots
What’s an isoline map?
Lines
Define GIS (Global Information System)
A computer system that captures, stores, queries, analyzes, and displays geographic data. It’s used to make maps.
Define GPS (Global positioning system)
A system that accurately determines the precise position of something on earth
Define physiological density
The number of people per unit of area suitable for agriculture
Define projection
The scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map
Define stimulus diffusion
The spread of an underlying principle even though the characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse
Define scale
The relationship between the portion of the Earth being studied and the earth as a whole
If something a map has a large scale, is it more zoomed in or out?
It’s more zoomed in
Define agricultural density
The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture
Define arithmetic density
The total number of people divided by the total land area
What are the pros and cons of the Robinson map?
It’s good for everyday use, however it distorts land masses.
What are the pros and cons of the Mercator map?
It’s good for navigation, however the landmasses at the poles look larger than they really are
What is Goode’s projection map also called and why is it used a lot?
It’s also called the “Orange peel map”. It’s good because there’s not much distortion
Define demography
The scientific study of population characteristics
Define ecumene
The portion of earth’s surface occupied by permanent human settlement