AP Human Geography – Unit 1 Vocabulary (Articulation) – Flashcards
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geography
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the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries
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spatial relationships
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two (or more) phenomena may be related, or associated with one another
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human-environment interaction
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the connection and exchange between humans and the natural world
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location
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position; situation of people and things
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place
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uniqueness of a location (or similarity of two or more locales); phenomena within an area
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scale
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the amount of territory that a map represents
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pattern
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general arrangement of things being studied
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regionalization
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the process geographers use to divide and categorize space into smaller areal units
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globalization
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expansion of economic, political, and cultural processes to a global scale and impact (transcend state boundaries)
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physical map
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primary purpose is to show landforms like deserts, mountains, and plains
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political map
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designed to show governmental boundaries of countries, states, and counties, and the location of major cities
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thematic map
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show spatial aspects of information or of a phenomenon
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reference map
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generalized map type designed to show general spatial properties of features
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choropleth map
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uses various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of spatial data
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dot map
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used to show the specific location and distribution of something across the territory of the map
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graduated symbol map
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uses symbols of different sizes to indicate different amounts of something
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isoline map
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uses lines that connect points of equal value to depict variations in the data across space
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cartogram map
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the sizes of countries (or states, counties, or another areal unit) are shown according to some specific statistic
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map projections
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process of showing a curved surface on a flat surface
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Mercator projection
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straight meridians and parallels that intersect at right angles, used for marine navigation; most distortion at the poles (high latitudes)
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Polar projection
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directions from a central point are preserved; usually these projections also have radial symmetry; also known as Azimuthal projections
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region
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area on Earth's surface marked by a degree of homogeneity (uniformity) of some phenomenon
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formal (uniform) region
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homogeneous region is an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics. The shared feature could be a cultural value such as a common language, or an environmental climate
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perceptual (vernacular) region
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a place that people believe exists as a part of their cultural identity. Such regions emerge from peoples informal sense of place rather than from scientific models developed through geographic thought
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functional (nodal) region
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area organized around a node or focal point; the characteristic will diminish in importance as it spreads outward. This region is tied to the central point by transportation or communication systems or by economic or functional associations
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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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collection of computer hardware and software permitting spatial data to be collected, recorded, stored, retrieved, used, and displayed
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Global Positioning System (GPS)
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satellite-based system for determining the absolute location of places
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remote sensing
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method of collecting data or information through the use of instruments (e.g., satellites) that are physically distant from the area or object of study
