Unit 1 Vocab

relating to space

the precise point where a place is located on Earth

the science of making maps

where a place is located in relation to another place

a computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data

distance north or south of the equator

the imaginary center line of latitude that divides the northern and southern hemispheres

distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

imaginary line drawn from the North Pole through Greenwich, England, to the South Pole

specific human and physical characteristics of a location

a group of places on Earth with similar human and/or physical features

the characteristics of a place (immediate location), Ex: soil type, climate, labor force, human structures

the location of a place relative to other places and its surroundings

place name

the shrinking of time distance between locations because of improved methods of transportation

decline of activity or function with increasing distance from its point of origin

number of something in a specifically defined area Ex: population density is the number of people per square mile

connection and exchange between humans and the natural world

beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

the idea that human behavior is controlled by the physical environment

a view that acknowledges limits on the effect of the natural environment and focuses more on the role that human culture plays

the ratio between the size of things in the real world and the size of those same things on a map

the system used to transfer locations from Earth's surface to a flat map

the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time

an area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics

a system that determines accurately the precise position of something on Earth through satellites, tracking stations, and receivers

the position of anything on Earth's surface

an act of changing physical location or position or of having this changed

process of gathering data about Earth from instruments far above the planet's surface

the analysis of geographic data about a certain place

one of the two major divisions of systematic geography; the spatial analysis of the structure, processes, and location ex: of items studied: climate, soil, plants, animals, and topography

one of the two major divisions of Geography; the spatial analysis of human population, its cultures, activities, and landscapes

how well two locations are tied together by roads or other links (often used when describing relative location)

the feeling that an area has a distinct and meaningful character

when things are farther apart, they tend to be less well connected

the arrangement of something across Earth's surface

the task of defining and describing landscape

all of the information that can be tied to a specific locations

part of the physical landscape that represents material culture; the landscape created by humans ex: buildings, roads, signs, fences etc.

the visible imprint of human activity on the landscape

the amount of territory that a map represents ex: global scale means the entire planet

maps designed for people to refer to for general information about places

a map that shows natural features such as mountains, rivers and deserts

uses various colors, shades of one color, or patterns to show the location and distribution of data

a map that shows a particular theme, or topic ex: choropleth, dot distribution, graduated symbol, isoline

a map where dots are used to demonstrate the frequency or intensity of a particular phenomena

a thematic map with lines that connect points of equal value

the sizes of countries are shown to some specific statistic

a projection of a map of the world onto a cylinder in such a way that all the parallels of latitude have the same length as the equator, EX: used especially for marine charts and certain climatological maps.

focuses on keeping landmasses equal in area. As a result, the shapes are distorted, and the map looks unfamiliar to viewers

projection that attempts to balance several possible projection errors (does not maintain completely accurate area, shape, distance, or direction, but it minimizes errors in each)

maps that people create in their minds based on their experience and knowledge

the loss of uniqueness of place in the cultural landscape so that one place looks like the next ex: Walmart- everyone of them looks the same

process by which specific regions acquire characteristics that differentiate them from others within the same country; certain economic activities may dominate in particular regions

a map that shows the surface features of Earth

pictures of Earth’s surface from satellites to provide a greater understanding of the Earth’s geography over large distances

a social or economic function that occurs between a node or focal point and the surrounding areas

feelings and prejudices that may or may not be true (based off of perspective)

maintains shape but distorts other properties