Download Unit 1 Key Terms - George Washington High School

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Unit 1 Key Terms
Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives
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1. Human Geography
 Definition: the
study of human characteristics on
the landscape. These include population,
agriculture, urbanization, and culture.
 Example/Illustration:
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2. Place

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Definition: has two types of characteristics: physical and
human

Physical characteristics: land features; mountains, plains, and
plateaus; climate; bodies of water

Human characteristics: people, culture, language, religion,
buildings and landmarks, cities
Example/Illustration: (listed above)
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3. Regions
 Definition: this
concept links places together
places using any measurement the geographer
chooses. Three types of regions: formal,
functional, perceptual/vernacular.
 Example/Illustration: the
Midwest
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4. Formal Regions
 Definition: regions
that have one or more
common characteristics. Traits can range from
language, income, or religion to physical
characteristics as elevation or climate. Must be
based on measurable data!
 Example/Illustration: borders
of countries
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5. Functional Regions
 Definition: regions
that have a focal point with
surrounding areas linked by transportation and
communication systems
 Example/Illustration: newspaper
cell phone coverage area
service area,
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5. Functional Regions –
HELPFUL HINTS/EXPLANATIONS

Functional regions are defined by a system of interactions.

Picture a bicycle wheel with a central axel in the middle of
the wheel, which represents the center of all activity. The
spokes of the wheel represent links to outside areas (the tire)
through transportation, communication and trade
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6. Perceptual/Vernacular Regions
 Definition: regions
that are defined by how
people perceive of an area. Commonly based on
people’s feelings and attitudes about an area –
frequently based on stereotypes. More likely
than other kinds of regions to change over time.
 Example/Illustration: middle
east, the south
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7. Mental Maps
 Definition: maps
we carry in our minds of places
we have been and places we have heard of
 Example/Illustration: When
we get to our favorite
restaurant and want to give directions to a friend
so that that person can meet us there, we give
directions based on what is inside our head.
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8. Scale
 Definition: the
ratio between the size of an area
on a map and the actual size of that same area on
the earth’s surface
 Example/Illustration:
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9. Distance Decay
(Also known as frictional effect of
distance)
 Definition: areas
that are closer to the source of
something (like a disease) are more likely to be
affected by it, whereas areas further away from
the source are less likely to be affected and/or
will be affected at a later date
 Example/Illustration: If
Samantha has a cold,
Alondra is more likely to get sick next because
she sits next to Samantha. Andy is less likely to
catch her cold because he sits very far away
from Samantha.
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10. Absolute Location
 Definition: a
specific place on the earth’s surface
that uses a grid system (latitude and longitude)
or a global address
 Example/Illustration:
 Chicago
is 41.8369 North Latitude, 87.6847
West Longitude
 Washington is located at 3535 East 114th street,
Chicago, IL
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11. Relative Location
 Definition: where
a place is in relation to another
place. Must use directional words to describe
location
 Example/Illustration:
 Illinois
is one of the Midwestern states
 Go 1 mile south on Avenue O and turn left
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12. Latitude
 Definition: (shown
as the horizontal line) is the
angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and
seconds of a point north or south of the Equator.
Line of latitude are often referred to as parallels.
 Example/Illustration:
 Place: the
island of Martinique
 Longitude: 61 degrees West
 Latitude: 15 degrees North
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13. Longitude
 Definition: (shown
as the vertical line) is the
angular distance, in degrees, minutes, and
seconds, of a point east or west of the Prime
Meridian.
 Example/Illustration:
 Place: Guatemala
 Longitude: 90
degrees West
 Latitude: 15 degrees North
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14. Site
 Definition: the
internal physical attributes of a
place, including its absolute location, its spatial
character and physical setting.
 Can contribute to a country’s economic success
 Physical characteristics of a particular location
determine its site
 Example/Illustration: New
Orleans has a poor
site due to its location below sea level. When
Hurricanes hit, the city is at a higher risk of
flooding.
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15. Situation
 Definition: the
external locational attributes of a
place; its relative location or regional position with
reference to other places. The relationship of a
location with another location.
 Example/Illustration: Pittsburg
has an ideal
situation for its production of steel. Pittsburg is
located on the confluence of two major rivers, the
Allegheny and Monongahela, which form the Ohio
river. This river system gave the city a perfect
means to ship its steel products all over the world.
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16. Space-Time
Convergence/Globalization
 Definition: the
process that seems to bring places and
people closer together in terms of communicational
distance, through the improvement of communication
and transportation technology. The absolute distance
between areas is the same but the relative distance has
decreased.
 Example/Illustration: The
distance between Chicago and
Taiwan remains the same as it was 80 years ago, but people in
Chicago and Taiwan are relatively closer because they can
communicate quickly via email and airline travel.
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Positive Impacts of
Time-Space
Convergence/Globalization
 increased
trade
 employment
opportunities for those in less
developed countries.
 Increased
media coverage of wars and conflicts
 Improved
travel to holy places
 Improved
oil transport and trade
 Ideas
spread quickly and easily
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Negative Impacts of
Time-Space
Convergence/Globalization
 movement of
industry out of the US and into
areas that can pay people less
 invasion
of culture (i.e. MTV)
 increase in sweatshops at worker’s
expense
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17. Arithmetic Density
 Definition: calculates
the density using all land in
a given area  total number of people divided
by the total land area
 Example/Illustration:
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18. Physiologic Density
 Definition: refers
to the total number of people
divided by the arable (farmable) land – this is
more accurate than arithmetic density
 Example/Illustration:
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19. Concentration
 Definition: refers
to the proximity of a particular
phenomenon over the area in which it is spread. In
the area of concentration, the objects are considered
clustered or agglomerated if they are close together.
If the objects are spread out, they are considered
dispersed or scattered.
 Example/Illustration: There
is a clustered
concentration of freshmen in the hallway on the first
day of school (nervous/making good first
impression!); whereas there is a dispersed
concentration of seniors (used to high school; show
up late)
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20. Diffusion
 Definition: the
movement of a phenomenon (i.e.
culture, language, religion, disease) from one
location to another. Comes in five types:
Expansion
 Contagious
 Hierarchical
 Stimulus
 Relocation
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 Example/Illustration: An
individual begins to use
the word “dope” and soon many people do the
same.
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21. Expansion Diffusion
 Definition: the
pattern originates in a central
place and then expands outward in all directions
to other locations. The distance does not have to
be equal in all directions.
 Example/Illustration:
 Three
types of expansion diffusion:
 Hierarchical
 Contagious
 Stimulus
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22. Hierarchical Diffusion
 Definition: Occurs
when
a phenomenon spreads
through an ordered
sequence of classes or
places.
 Example/Illustration:
Fashion trends begin in
major cities such as New
York City to large urban
areas like Chicago to
small urban areas
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23. Contagious Diffusion
 Definition: the
spread of
an infectious disease
through the direct
contact of individuals
with those infected. This
diffusion type is often
rapid and spreads
through the entire
population
 Example/Illustration: the
common cold, a viral
email
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24. Stimulus Diffusion
 Definition: takes
a part of an idea and spread that
idea to create an innovative product
 Example/Illustration: vegetarian
eating habits
(principle) influence restaurants to offer more
vegetarian dishes (new products)
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25. Relocation Diffusion

Definition: occurs when the spreading phenomenon moves
into new areas, leaving behind its origin or source (people
move/migrate and take ideas with them)
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Example/Illustration: Europeans spreading Christianity when
they arrived in North America
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26. Thematic Maps
 Definition: A
type of map that displays one or
more variables. Can be represented in a variety
of ways: cartograms, choropleth, dot, isoline, etc.
 Example/Illustration:
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27. Chloropleth Maps
 Definition: a
map
showing quantity
by area. It uses
shades of colors to
show intervals
 Example/Illustrati
on:
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28. Isoline Maps
 Definition: a
map that is used to display
distributions. It consists of lines that connect to
show equal value.
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Example/Illustration:
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29. Flow-Line Maps

Definition: map that uses lines of varying thickness to show
the direction and volume of a particular geographic
movement pattern.
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Example/Illustration: A map of flow lines showing the total
number of foreign immigrants in the US (photo on next slide)
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30. Dot Density Maps
 Definition: map
that shows quantity of item
through dots. The more dense (clustered) the
dots are, the more items are present.
 Example/Illustration:
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31. Cartogram Map

Definition: a map that distorts geometry or space in order to
convey the information of a variable.

Example/Illustration: in this image, the US and countries
within Europe have more visitors travel to their countries
compared to other areas in the world.
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32. Proportional (graduated) circle
maps
 Definition: a
map that uses
circles to show
quantity. The
larger the
circle, the
larger the
quantity.
 Example/Illust
ration:
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33. Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)

Definition: computer
hardware and software that
permit storage and analysis
of layers of spatial data
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Example/Illustration:
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34. Global Positioning System
(GPS)

Definition: satellite-based system for determining the
absolute location of places or geographic features
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Example/Illustration:
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35. Cultural Landscape
 Definition: the
visible imprint of human activity
and culture on the landscape (how humans use,
alter and manipulate the landscape to express
their identity)
 Example/Illustration:
 Architecture
of buildings
 Methods of tilling the soil
 Means of transportation
 Clothing
 Sights, sounds, and smells of a place