Human Geography Test Answers – Flashcards
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geography
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study of the location, relationships, and distribution between and among physical and human features on the earths surface.
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What two Greek words and their meanings does Geography come from?
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geo: earth graphein- to write
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areal differentation
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provided the basis for geographical thought in prehistoric times.
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3 scholarly traditions
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Literally tradition- travel logs about land. Cartographic traditions- mapping of places Mathematical- measureing/ calculating spatial and non spatial info about places .
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physical areal differation
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landscapes, climates, vegatation, wet zones, highlands, etc.
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Global
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the whole world
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Global realms
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largest inhabited spatial units , based on physical, economic, history, population, etc.
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Region
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area defined by some chosen physical and or human features or physical features. example: state or country.
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spatial units
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country, state, urban area, rural area, and local area regions.
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2 forms of space
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visible- physical territory like a city country etc. invisible- non physical territory like economic space, cultural space etc.
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"space"
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-the surface are that is occupied for various uses by humans. -Space as an areal extent may be understand in both absolute and relative sense.
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absolute vs. relative space
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Absolute- space that you can measure, like longitude. relative- comparative and varies with context, like 2 hrs->east of etc.
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"sense of place"
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feelings evoked by experiences, memories, etc. tends to be reinforced by recognized local/regional distinctness.
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placelessness
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loss of locally distinctive characteristics and identity and replacement by standardized landscapes. it is a spatial standardization. Like american suburbs.
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Why does placelessness happen?
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happens because we share the same technology and organizational structures by transportation and communication.
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place perception
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beliefs and attitudes people have about particular places, regions, and landscapes.
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Environs
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spaces
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spatial interaction
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movement of people, ideas, commodities, within or between areas. These spaces have physical and human attributes.
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3 main factors of spatial interaction
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1. Complementary- interaction between 2 places based on supply and demand. 2. Transfer ability- bearable cost or ease of a commodity being transported. 3. Intervening Opportunity- closer opportunity lessens to attractiveness of sites further away.
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system
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a body of interconnected parts each part of a system by itself.
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systems in Human Geography
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productions- agric, industry Livelihood- urban,rural, etc. Spatial organization- Capitalist.
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inter- phenomenon
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population and physical environment over time.
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Natural landscape
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the array for land forms that constitute the earth's surface- mountains, hills, plains, etc.
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Cultural landscape
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the natural landscape as modified by human activities and bearing the imprint of a culture group or society.
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land tenure system
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a social institution or practice established in various parts of the world, to determine access to land for: farming, hunting, planting, etc.
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components of the land tenure system
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system of land ownership and system of labor organization.
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3 agrarian/ agricultural systems
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1. advanced (mechanism) 2. Traditional with the plow 3. Traditional without the plow
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Adaptation
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process by which humans adjust to particular sets of circumstances or changes in behavior that reduce conflict with the environment.
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Cultural Processes
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mechanisms and interactions within a culture that produce stability and/or change.
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cultural adaptation
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changes in technology, organization, and ideology that permit sound relationships to develop between humans and their physical environment.
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shifting cultivation
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1. clearing of a piece of land 2. several years of farming and wood harvesting on land 3. until the soil loses fertility
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5 important elements of Geography
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Understanding: 1. World in Spatial Terms 2. Places and Regions 3. physical Systems 4. Human Systems 5. Relationship between Environment and Society.
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Understanding the world in spatial terms
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enables us to understand the world as a geographical space- "visible and invisible container" within which people operate. helps us study the relationships between people, places, environments.
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map projection
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a systematic way of transferring the globe grid system from the earths curved surface to the flat surface of a map.
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Understanding Places and Regions
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the identities and lives of individuals and peoples rooted in particular places and regions.
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Understanding Physical Systems
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Enables us to understand that physical processes (rainfall,winds, etc) shape the earths surface and interact with plant and animal life to create sustain and modify ecosystems.
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Understanding Human Systems
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enables us to understand that people are central to geography and human activities, settlements, and structures help shape the earths surface.
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Environment Perception
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people of different cultures will observe and interpret their environment differently and make different decisions about its nature, potentials, and use.
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traditional societies
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" I Thou" sacred relationship with the Environment. Environment is "divine God".
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Advanced soicieties
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"I-It" indifferent secular relationship with the environment. Environment as prey to be exploited.
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Spatial Analysis
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examination of patterns created in the distribution of Phenomena (population, diseases, agricultural types, etc.)
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Spatial Analysis Tradition
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emphasis on the investigation of the spatial distribution of phenomena and the factors influencing observed distribution patterns. includes mapping, boundaries, movement, and transportation.
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Human Environmental Tradition
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interrelationships between human beings and their natural environment. Includes natural hazards, perception of environment, human impact on nature, etc.
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Area Studies of Regional Tradition
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focus on character or nature of places. Existence of distinctive areas or regions, including analysis and explanation of how they came to be formed.
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Earth Science Tradition
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Understanding the natural environment and the processes that shape it. Focuses on the natural processes that alter the earth, erosion, vulcanity, etc.
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Principle Subdivisions of Geography
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physical, human, systematic/topical, and regional.
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Physical subdivision of geography
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focuses on the natural aspects of the earth such as climate, land forms, soils, water resources, and/or vegetation.
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human subdivision of geography
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study of the relationship between people and the places or spaces in which they live.
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Spatial Distribution
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the arrangement of things on the earth's surface. descriptive elements: Density, dispersion, and patterns.
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Density
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the frequency with which something exists or observed within a given area.
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spatial structure
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location of objects in space and all the interactions and relationships linking the objects together as a functional unit.
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Holistic Discipline
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synthesizing and integrative subject for all the Social Sciences.
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Spatial Relationship
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relationships existing among places relationships observed between places on the earth's surface. Trade, and Linkages- financial flows, cultural links, etc.
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spatial process
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the process that develops and maintains spacial structures. involves movement through time and space. human behavior which entails decision making.
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spatial behavior
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behavior resulting from decisions involving location, movement, or use of space. Example: Migration.
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spatial interaction
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the movement and flows involving human activity. opportunity for contact or interaction between a place and other points.
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Distance Decay:
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the tapering off of a process a pattern or an event over distance the declining intensity of any pattern or process with increasing distance from a given location. interaction between places: decreases as distance between them increases.
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Intervening opportunity
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the presence of a nearer opportunity that greatly diminishes the attractiveness of site farther away.
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Morills "Nearness Principle"
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people will seek to: 1. Maximize the overall usefulness of places at minimum effort. 2. Maximize connections between places at minimal cost. 3. locate related activities as close together as possible.
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Imperialism
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drive toward the creation and expansion of a colonial empire.
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colonialsim
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former established rule over local peoples by a larger imperialist government mainly for economic expansion.
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economic specialization
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process where production process are adapted for a unique or singular purpose.
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comparative Advantage
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country focuses on exporting goods they can produce at the lowest relative cost.
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Transferability
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ease which commodity may be transported concepts of: Friction of distance or distance decay.
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complementary
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interaction between 2 places based on supply and demand.
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diffusion
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the spread of phenomenon over space and its growth through time. Spread of movement of any concept, practice, article, or population from one point of origin to other areas.
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Hierarchical diffusion
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spread or movement from a node through various levels in a network-- up or down. example: the spread of HIV_AIDS from large urban centers to smaller towns in a country. spread of movement from a node downwards- cascading diffusion: is more prevalent than an upward movement. the spread may be in a form of "leap frogging" i.e., skipping certain levels: e.g. ideas leapfrog from one important person to another or.. from one urban center to another
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Contagious diffusion
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the wave like spread of ideas, without regard to hierarchies, in the manner of contagious disease. movement outwards in all directions similar to the spread of a contagious disease. is based on proximity and contact it is subject to distance decay as intensity attenuates the further you get away from the point of origin.
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These two have patterns
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hierarchical diffusion and contagious diffusion.
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these two have relationships
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expansion diffusion and relocation diffusion
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Expansion diffusion
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the spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process. outwards spread and increase in #'s like western apparel.
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Relocation diffusion
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spatial relocation in which the phenomenon leaves an area of origin as it is transported to a new location the spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another. movement from origin to a new location migration of people who practice or are part of a phenomenon.
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Patterns
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diffusion through spatial structure (location, interaction, etc.) this is included in Hierarchical Diffusion and Contagious diffusion.
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innovations follow an S-Curve:
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slow buildup rapidly spread. leveling off.
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Knowers and non knowers; adopters and non adopters.
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people need to "know" about the innovation before they adopt it: isolated non knowers- ignorant because of location. non-knowers- ignorant but have the potential of knowing. knowers but non- adopters- constrained by some factors
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Critical mass:
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a sufficient # of adopters in a social system required so that the rate of adoption becomes: self sustaining and creates further growth. Critical Mass is a function of the size, interrelatedness, and level of communication.
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Diffusion Barriers:
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people may not be interested or adopting the new idea at all. physical or environmental obstacles may hinder or stop the process the area might be saturated/ everyone has it.
