AP Human Geography Unit 1: Part 2 – Flashcards
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A place is a specific point on earth distinguished by a particular characteristic. A region is an area on earth distinguished by a distinctive combination of cultural and physical features.
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What is the difference between place and region?
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Regional boundaries - intellectual concepts rather than visible landscape Defining characteristics- physical and cultural content and the dynamic interconnections of people and places
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Identify the characteristics of regions in terms of their boundaries, defining characteristics, change, and level of interaction.
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Sahara (deforestation), Rain Forest (deforestation), Great Plains, Taiga, Low Countries
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Identify examples of physical regions and the causes of change.
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Latin America, English-speaking world, French Canada, Francophone world
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Identify examples of cultural regions, how they have changed over time, and how cultural characteristics have led to the development of regional labels.
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Arab World (Arabic language), Brazil (Portuguese language-link. Spanish speaking south America-divide)
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Identify, given examples, how cultural characteristics such as language, religion, and ethnicity, can link or divide regions.
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The body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute the distinct tradition of a group of people.
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What is culture?
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What people care about and what people take care of
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What two meanings of the concept of culture are important to geographers.
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Environmental determinism and possibilism. Most geographers reject environmental determinism for possibilism because possibilism takes human ability to adapt to environmental condition into account.
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What are the two approaches to cultural ecology? Which one do most geographers reject? Why?
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Global Issues
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What do geographers use cultural ecology to explain?
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Plains - large scale farming, livestock grazing, urban and suburban development, and construction of airports. Plateaus- farming and recreation Hills- Terracing farming, source of minerals, hydroelectric potential and recreational activities. Mountains- Source of minerals, hydroelectricity, and recreation
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Identify the suitability of the 4 major types of landforms to various human activities.
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Along or near plate boundaries
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Where do most earthquakes and volcanoes occur around the world?
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a. Lava produces fertile soil e. geothermal power b. Igneous rock contains valuable minerals (ex. Gold) f. Tourist attraction c. Igneous rock used for building g. Cool sunsets d. Extinct volcano can provide defensive settlement site
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Identify the benefits of earthquakes and volcanoes.
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a.Earthquakes destroy buildings = loss of life b.Tidal waves/tsunamis c.Violent volcano eruptions with blast waves f.Ejection of ash and lava ruins and gas may destroy life and property crops and kills animals c.Mudflows/lahars may be caused by heavy rain and melting snow g.Interrupts communications d. Short term climatic changes occur as volcanic dust absorbs solar energy, lowering temperatures and increasing rainfall.
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Identify the hazards of earthquakes and volcanoes.
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Physical weathering- freezing and thawing of rocks which cause them to crack and breakdown. Chemical Weathering- when water (precip.) combines with chemicals chiefly carbon dioxide present in rocks and air to cause the decomposition of rocks. Man made pollution like acid rain further speeds this process
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Describe the impact of weathering and erosion on physical and human systems.
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Temperature, moisture, atmospheric pressure, and wind
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Identify the 4 conditions that affect weather.
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Orographic precipitation - On mountains Convectional Precipitation - hot moist regions Frontal Precipitation - mid-latitudes
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What are the 3 forms of precipitation? Where does each occur?
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Less developed countries tend to suffer a greater negative impact than more developed countries.
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Assess the impact of weather related hazards - monsoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons - on human systems.
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Latitude, Altitude, and proximity to water
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Identify and explain the impact of the 3 factors that affect climate.
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Earth's tilt at 23.5 degrees on its axis and yearly revolution around the sun
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What causes the seasons?
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Low latitudes - warm or hot Middle latitudes -mild or moderate High latitudes - cool or cold; chilly summers and long cold winters
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Identify, describe, and locate the climates associated with low, middle, and high latitudes.
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Tropical wet - evergreen broadleaf forests Tropical wet and dry - tropical grasslands and scrub forests Arid (desert) - desert scrub Semiarid (steppe) - steppe grasslands and scrub forests Highland (vertical or mountain) - alpine meadows, vertical zonation Mediterranean - chaparral and steppe grasslands Humid subtropical - mixed forests Marine west coast - mixed forests and needle leaf trees Humid continental - prairies, mixed forests, needle leaf forests Subarctic (Boreal) - needle leaf trees Tundra - tundra Ice cap (polar) - none
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Identify the vegetation types associated with world climate zones.
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Tropical wet- hunting gathering, slash and burn, plantation farming, forestry, ecotourism Tropical wet and dry- hunting gathering, livestock grazing, subsistence farming, plantation farming Arid (desert)- Nomadic herding Semiarid (steppe)- nomadic herding, livestock grazing, some crop farming Highland (vertical or mountain)- forestry, recreation, crops based on vertical zonation Mediterranean- Horticulture, tree crops, grain farming, livestock grazing, recreation Humid subtropical- commercial gardening and fruit farming, plantation farming, forestry, recreation Marine west coast- commercial gardening and fruit farming, tree crops, forestry, recreation Humid continental- Grain farming, dairying, livestock grazing Subarctic (boreal)- Forestry, nomadic herding Tundra- Forestry, nomadic herding, hunting and gathering Ice cap (polar)-none
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Given the world climate and vegetation zones, identify the types of human activities suitable to each.
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Depletion of scarce resources Inefficient use of resources Destruction of resources by pollution
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What are the 3 primary misuses of resources?
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Cultural differences - different culture values Technological change - new inventions affect the use of natural resources Economic factors- scarcity and rising prices make people search for alternatives Geopolitics- uneven distribution of resources globally
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Identify and describe the 4 factors that affect a groups use of natural resources.
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Interdependence of nations and formation of economic unions
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What are the results of the unequal distribution of resources?
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a.Provides access to resources, labor, e.Stimulates economic growth by technology, transportation, & communications maximizing comparative advantage b. Promotes job specialization c. Lessens regional conflicts d. All of which creates more efficient industries, provides access to larger markets, and allows greater influence on world markets
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Identify the advantages of economic unions.
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a. Results in closing of some industries in countries lacking comparative advantage leading to unemployment b. The concentration of some industries in certain countries, leaving peripheral areas behind. c. The replacement of family farms by multinational agribusinesses d. Difficulty agreeing on common economic policy.
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Identify the disadvantages of economic unions.
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A nation's economic development is dependent on its ability to acquire resources
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Discuss proximity and non-proximity of resources to economic activity.
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Water - we have polluted it and depleted the ground water through manufacturing farming and drinking and such Forests - we cut down forests to fit our needs Fish and wildlife - many species are becoming endangered due to human impact Soil - clearing land promotes erosion leading to desertification; irrigation causes saltation; farming depletes natural minerals; fertilizer pollutes groundwater; heavy machinery results in soil compaction
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Identify the renewable resources and the impact of human activities on them.
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Lateritic Podzolic Chernozem Desert Cold Land
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Identify and locate the 5 zonal soil types.
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Coal - U.S, Russia, China, Germany, & Australia. Supply will last for 200 years Oil (petroleum) - North America, Venezuela, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico, and the North Sea. Supply will run out by 2100. Natural Gas - Russia, North Africa, & the Middle East. Supply Will last for 150 years
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Identify, locate, and discuss the future of the 3 fossil fuels.
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Nuclear Energy - Uses uranium in fission. (ad. No pollution, inexpensive) (dis. Reactors are expensive, limited uranium supply, radioactivity and toxic waste) Hydroelectricity - uses running water. (ad. Inexpensive, clean, and efficient) (dis. Dams are expensive & create environmental issues, flooding of valuable land) Solar Energy - uses sun's energy through heat. (ad. Source is free and renewable) (dis. Inefficient process, not practical use)
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Identify, define, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of alternative energy sources.
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Settlement- Environmental Impact Agriculture - Human Impact Water Diversion - Human Impact Atmospheric Issues - Human Impact
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Identify them as either environmental impact on human or a human impact on the environment; (Settlement, agriculture, water diversion, and atmospheric issues).
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Improved technology
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What is the driving force behind space-time compression?
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The further away one group is away from another, the less likely the two groups are to interact. However, social, cultural, political, and economic connections overcomes
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Describe the impact of distance on topological space - distance decay.
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Closer opportunities will be more appealing to businesses due to cheaper costs even if the further product is better
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Identify how intervening opportunities influence spatial interaction
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Distance stops interaction through distance decay. You can drive 10 miles for a movie; not 100 miles
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Identify how Friction of distance (Tobler's First Law of Geography) influences spatial interaction
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Distance decay, Friction of distance, Physical barriers, and cultural barriers
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What composes barriers to spatial diffusion?
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The smaller the distance, the stronger the interaction. The farther the distance, the weaker the interaction
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Identify how the Gravity Model (Law of Retail Gravity) influences spatial interaction.
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A hearth is the place from which an innovation originates. For a hearth to emerge a cultural group must be willing to try something new and be able to allocate resources to nurture the innovation.
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What is the function of a hearth? How does a hearth emerge?
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Actual movement of people (ex. Spread of the English language)
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Relocation Diffusion
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Cultural element diffuses in new places; remains may intensify in it's hearth
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Expansion Diffusion
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Spread of something from one large place to another large place. (ex. Rap music from New York to Los Angeles)
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Hierarchical Expansion Diffusion 3. Stimulus - An idea rather than a product spreading (ex. P.C computers over Mac's)
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Snowballing process (ex. Spread of AIDS medicines)
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Contagious Expansion Diffusion
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An idea rather than a product spreading (ex. P.C computers over Mac's)
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Stimulus Expansion Diffusion
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The rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer. As more developed countries improve, less developed countries are getting left behind.
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How does diffusion of culture and economy on a global scale lead to uneven development?
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Geographers use the physical and cultural content of an area and the dynamic interconnections of people and places, which show patterns of spatial similarities to define a region and its boundaries.
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What are the characteristics geographers use to define a region and its boundaries?
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Geographers utilize the regionalization process because when you put places in regions, they become a more manageable unit of study. They do this by selecting a characteristic of study, define the spatial extent of the research, collect the data, identify intensity of similarities and differences, and delineate the region's boundaries on a map.
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Why and how do geographers utilize the regionalization process?
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Formal regions are an area where everyone shares one common characteristic. For example, everyone in the state of Virginia has a set of laws that apply to everyone that lives in that state.
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Identify, define, and provide an example for a formal region
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Functional regions are organized around a node or focal point. For example, the reception area for a TV station is a functional region
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Identify, define, and provide an example for a functional region.
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vernacular region is an area that people believe are apart of their cultural identity. For example, the deep south is perceived as the portion of the U.S with hot climate, distinct accents and foods, poverty, ignorance, and discrimination
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Identify, define, and provide an example for a vernacular region
