| Word | Definition |
| Cartography | the science of map making |
| Toponym | A name given to a place on earth |
| Scale | the relationship to a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on earth |
| Fractional Scale | numerical ratio 1:24,000 |
| Written Scale | description in words “1 inch equals 1 mile” |
| Graphic Scale | bar line showing distance I------I |
| Site | physical characteristic of a place |
| Situation | The relative location of a place |
| Meridian | Lines of longitude running in the north-south direction ending at the poles |
| Parrallel | lines of latitude parallel to the equator |
| Greenwich Mean Time | The time at the prime meridian |
| International Date Line | 180 degrees from Prime Meridian – 24 hours |
| Telling time from longitude | From Prime Meridian going west loose 1 hour/15 degrees – east gain 1 hour/15 degrees |
| Formal Region | Everyone shared distinct characteristics |
| Functional Region | Area organized around a focal point |
| Vernacular Region | A perceptual region – beliefs and cultural identity |
| Spatial Association | the distribution of one phenomenon that is scientifically related to the location of another phenomenon |
| Spacial Distribution | arrangement of phenomenon across the earth’s surface |
| Concentration | the spread of something over a given area |
| Clustered Concentartion | close together |
| Dispersed Concentraton | far apart |
| Density | the frequency of which something occurs |
| Arithmetic Density | the total number of people in a given area |
| Physiological Density | the number of persons per unit area of suitable agricultural land |
| Agricultural Density | number of farmers per area of farmland |
| Distribution | the arrangement of a feature in a space - a. Three types – density, concentration, pattern |
| Pattern | the arrangement of objects in space |
| Culture | customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a group of people in tradition |
| Hearth | where an idea originates |
| Acculturation | the spread of cultural traits from one society to another |
| Diffusion | spreading of a feature or trend from one place to another |
| Relocation Diffusion | spreading through physical movement |
| Expansion Diffusion | Spreading in a snowballing process |
| Contagious Diffusion | rapid widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population – example - influenza |
| Stimulus Diffusion | the spread of an underlying principal though the characteristic itself might diffuse – example – principals from Apple computer though the company diffused. |
| Hierarchical Diffusion | The spread from authority or power to other people – example – political leaders or hip hop music |
| Environmental Determinism | physical environment dictates the social environment |
| Possibilism | Humans have the ability to adjust to the environment |
