Ap Human Geography

• Regions


  A type of place
• Map Scale


  Describes the ratio of distance on map and the distance in the real world on absolute terms
• Formal Region


  An area of bounded space that possesses some homogeneous characteristic or uniformity
• Homogenous Characteristic


  This means that across the region there is at least one thing that is the same everywhere within the regional boundary
• Political Regions


  Finite and well-defined
• Bio-regions (biomes)


  A region defined by characteristics of the natural environment rather than by man-made divisions
• Nodal Regions


  Areas that have central place or node that is a focus or point of origin that expresses some practical purpose
• Market Area

  A type of functional region
• Area of Influence


  How far a place influences it surroundings, like how people come from longer distances but make a smaller number of trips
• Mental Map


  The cognitive image of landscape in the human mind
• Longitude


  Measures distance, in degrees, east or west of the Prime Meridian
• Prime Meridian


  0 degree longitude
• International Date Line


  Meanders around a number of international boundaries
• Royal Naval Observatory


  A landmark through which the Prime Meridian runs in Greenwich, England.
• Site


  Refers to the physical characteristics of a place
• Distance


  Measured absolutely
• Friction of Distance


  When the length of distance becomes a factor that inhibits the interaction between two points
• Central Places


  Can be thought of as any node of human activity
• Agglomeration


  When clustering occurs purposefully around a central point or an economic growth pole
• Sinuous Pattern


  A pattern that appears as a wavy line (like a the pattern of heartbeats on a monitor)
• Long-Shot Patterns


  These have a narrow frontage along a road or waterway with a very long lot shape behind
• Agricultural Density


  Refers to the number of people per square unit of land actively used for farming
• Expansion Diffusion


  The pattern originates in a central place and then expands in all directions to other locations
• Chloropleth Maps


  Expresses the geographic variability of a particular theme using color variations
• Dot Density Maps


  Uses dots to express the volume and density of a particular geographic feature
• Flow-Line Maps


  Uses lines of varying thickness to show the direction and volume of a particular geographic movement pattern
• Projections


  Methods of mapping Earth on a flat surface
• Equal-Area Projections


  Attempt to maintain the relative spatial science and the areas on the map
• Conformal Projections


  Attempt to maintain the shape of polygons on the map, but also cause the distortion of the relative area from one part of the map to the other
• Distortion


  A change in the shape, size, or position of a place when it is shown on a map
• Robinson Projection


  Projection that attempts to balance several possible projection errors
• Goode's Homolosine Projection


  A pseudo-cylindrical, equal-area, composite map projection used for world maps.
• Spatial Model


  Attempt to show the commonalities in pattern among similar landscapes
• Epidemiological Transition Model


  Describes changing patterns of population age distributions, mortality, fertility, life expectancy, and causes of death.
• Bid-Rent Curve


  Explains why land prices are relatively low in suburban areas, but exponentially higher in the central business district
• agriculture


  (Learning Topic 5.1) domestication of plants and animals. Taking a wild plants and animals and specifically training it for human use
• Arable


  (Learning Topic 5.1) suitable for growing crops
• Fallow


  (Learning Topic 5.1) plowed but not sowed; uncultivated. Allows the land to replenish nutrients
• A climate


  (Learning Topic 5.1) Tropical climate located along the equator, unsuitable for farming because once the forests are cleared away, the high levels of precipitation wash away the fertile soil
• B climate


  (Learning Topic 5.1) dry climate, caused by cold ocean currents, rain shadow effect, or continentality