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Unit 1 Vocabulary
Unit 1 Thinking Geographically - Vocabulary and Definitions
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Absolute distance | describing how far a distance is quantitative units of distance (miles, kilometers, etc.) |
Projection | a method of taking a 3D object and putting in on a 2D plane |
Reference Map | maps that emphasizes the location of places (without data attached) |
Relative distance | describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (one hour north of) |
Spatial distribution | arrangement of a phenomenon across the Earth's surface |
Spatial Interaction | the flow of goods, people, or information among places, in response to localized supply and demand |
Thematic maps | a map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location |
Case study | detailed observations that provide insight into a group of people in a specific area |
Census | an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10 years) |
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) | software that captures, manages, analyzes, and displays data that is collected geographically |
GPS (Global Positioning System) | a system that measures distance from a series of satellites to determine location on the planet |
Qualitative data | subjective information that is opinion based, is usually descriptive, and often expressed as text |
Quantitative data | objective data that is fact based, usually measurable and usually expressed in numbers |
Remote sensing | the science of making measurements of the earth using sensors on airplanes or satellites |
Geospatial | relating to data that is specific to one location |
Absolute location | describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system |
Distance decay | the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases |
Friction of distance | a metaphor that explains that effort must be used to overcome distance |
Relative location | describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark |
Time-space compression | the idea that the world feels smaller than it used to because of increased technology in transportation and communication |
Environmental determinism | the belief that a physical environment is THE reason that some societies are strong while others are weaker |
Environmental possibilism | the belief that a physical environment plays a role in the development of a society, but is NOT the ONLY factor at work |
Natural resource | a physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value |
Sustainability | the goal of the human race reaching equilibrium with the environment; meeting the needs of the present without while also leaving resources for future generations |
Scale | the relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map - also a concept describing how "zoomed in" you are while studying a geographic trait |
Scale of Analysis | how zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data |
Formal region | a region that is based quantitative data data (that can be documented or measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government |
Functional region | a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this |
Region | a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped together because of a measurable or perceived common feature |
Vernacular region (or perceptual region) | an area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region |
Density | the number of things divided by the measurement of area |
Culture | the social heritage of a group or their way of life - major components are language, religion, ethnicity, food, and gender roles |
Cultural Landscape | the title of our textbook and more importantly, the visible changes that humans make to the enviroment including buildings, crops, and signs |
Contagious diffusion | when a cultural trend is transmitted from person to person from an original source to numerous others, similar to a virus or viral video |
Diffusion | a feature or idea that is spread from its originating place, outward - the 3 types are contagious, hierarchical, and stimulus diffusion |
Expansion diffusion | a trend is spread from its originating place, outward |
Hierarchical diffusion | the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places |
Relocation diffusion | the physical spread of a feature or trait by people migrating |
Stimulus diffusion | when a feature or idea spreads, but is changed by those adopting the idea |
Globalization | worldwide integration and development which results in the expansion of international cultural, economic, and political activities |
Hearth | a source of culture (where a culture began) |
Toponym | a place name |
Uneven development | unequal distribution of people, resources, and wealth within a region |
Gravity Model of Spatial Interaction | the most important model in geography - (population1 x population2)/distance squared - the interconnectedness of 2 places depends on their distance and population |
Infrastructure | the basic facilities and installations that help a government or community run, including roads, schools, phone lines, sewage treatment plants and power generation |
Temporal | relating to time |
3 Types of Distribution | density, concentration, and pattern |
Capitalism | an economic system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled mainly by private owners for profit, rather than by the state - limited government control of the economy |
Cartography | the science of drawing maps |
cold war (lower case) | a state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats short of open warfare |
Cold War( Upper case) | the state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet Union and the US and their allies from 1945 to 1990 |
Communism | an economic system in which all (or nearly all) trade and industry are collectively owned by the state and not by individual citizens - near total control of the economy by the government |
Concentration | how closely packed together objects are |
Network | a chain of communication, transportation, or ideas that connects places |
Socialism | an economic system in which trade and industry are partially collectively owned by the state and partially privately owned by individual citizens - partial control of the economy by the government |
Spatial | it's not as complicated as it sounds - a fancy word for describing how things are organized in space |