hgap

• Reference maps


  Designed for people to refer to for general information about places
• Political maps


  One of the two main types of reference maps
• Physical maps


  One of the two main types of reference maps
• Thematic maps

  Used as a communications tool - tell us how human activities are distributed
• Cartogram


  A type of thematic map
• Choropleth


  A type of thematic map
• Dot Density


  A type of thematic map
• Isoline (Isopleth)


  A type of thematic map
• Proportional Symbol

  A type of thematic map
• Spatial Patterns Represented on a Map

  • Absolute and relative distance
  • Absolute and relative location
  • Clustering: Grouped/bunched together
  • Dispersal: appears to be distributed over a wide area
  • Elevation: using levels of how high/low something is located on the land
• Map Projections

  Distortion in shape, size, distance, and direction
• Mercator Map

  • Shape and directions of countries are fairly accurate
  • Greatly distorted toward poles
• Robinson Map


  • Everything is distorted in small amounts
  • Keeps the curvature of the earth
• Goode

  • Continent sizes are accurately portrayed
  • Directions and distant aren't accurate
• Gall Peters

  • Shape of countries especially near the equator are distorted
• Geospatial Data


  All information including physical features and human activities
• Geographic information system (GIS)


  A computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface
• GPS


  Geographic Positioning System: This system uses data from satellites to pin-point a location on earth and help people find their way to a destination
• Remote sensing


  The process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from satellites (or, earlier, airplanes) to provide a greater understanding of the Earth's geography over large distances
• Sources of spatial information

  • Written accounts in the form of field observations
  • Media reports
  • Travel narratives
  • Policy documents
  • Personal interviews
  • Landscape analysis
  • Photographic interpretation
• Census data


  An official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10 years)
• Absolute location


  The precise spot where something is located
• Relative Location


  Where something is in relation to other things
• Space


  The extent of an area and can be in a relative and absolute sense
• Place


  The specific human and physical characteristics of a location
• Distance Decay


  A geographical term which describes the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions
• Time-Space Compression


  The increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be bringing people closer together even though their distances are the same
• Pattern


  The geometric or regular arrangement of something in an area
• 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
• Natural Resources


  A physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value
• Environmental Determinism


  How the physical environment caused (determined) social development
• Possibilism


  The physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to their environment
• 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 (Global (Globalization), Regional, National, State, and Local)
• Scale of Analysis


  How zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data
• Region


  A place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped together because of a measurable or perceived common feature
• Formal Region


  A region that is based quantitative data (that can be documented or measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government (Example: Wisconsin)
• Functional Region

  A region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this (example: Radio station broadcast area, DC metro)
• Vernacular (Perceptual) Region

  An area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region (example: midwest)
• Ecumene

  A term used by geographers to mean where people are settled on the earth (along rivers, fertile land, coast, etc)
• Factors influencing population distribution

  • Physical Factors: People avoid areas too dry, too wet, too cold, too high
  • Cultural Factors: Populations will be concentrated in areas that have access to Education, health care, and entertainment opportunities
  • Historical Factors: Areas where human flourished and survived