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Module 1 Vocabulary
Module 1 Thinking Geographically - Vocabulary and Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Absolute distance | describing how far a distance is quantitative units of distance (miles, kilometers, etc.) |
| Projection | a method of taking a 3D object and putting in on a 2D plane |
| Reference Map | maps that emphasizes the location of places (without data attached) |
| Relative distance | describing the distance between locations using qualitative terms or non-traditional measurements of distance (one hour north of) |
| Spatial distribution | arrangement of a phenomenon across the Earth's surface |
| Spatial Interaction | the flow of goods, people, or information among places, in response to localized supply and demand |
| Thematic maps | a map that displays not only locations but maps a topic or theme of information with the location |
| Case study | detailed observations that provide insight into a group of people in a specific area |
| Census | an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10 years) |
| GIS (Geographic Information Systems) | software that captures, manages, analyzes, and displays data that is collected geographically |
| GPS (Global Positioning System) | a system that measures distance from a series of satellites to determine location on the planet |
| Qualitative data | subjective information that is opinion based, is usually descriptive, and often expressed as text |
| Quantitative data | objective data that is fact based, usually measurable and usually expressed in numbers |
| Remote sensing | the science of making measurements of the earth using sensors on airplanes or satellites |
| Geospatial | relating to data that is specific to one location |
| Absolute location | describing where something is using the exact site on an objective coordinate system |
| Distance decay | the idea that the interaction between two places declines as the distance between them increases |
| Friction of distance | a metaphor that explains that effort must be used to overcome distance |
| Relative location | describing the position of a place as compared to (or relative to!) another landmark |
| Time-space compression | the idea that the world feels smaller than it used to because of increased technology in transportation and communication |
| Environmental determinism | the belief that a physical environment is THE reason that some societies are strong while others are weaker |
| Environmental possibilism | the belief that a physical environment plays a role in the development of a society, but is NOT the ONLY factor at work |
| Natural resource | a physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Scale of Analysis | how zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data |
| Formal region | a region that is based quantitative data data (that can be documented or measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government |
| Functional region | a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio broadcasts are an example of this |
| Region | a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped together because of a measurable or perceived common feature |
| Vernacular region (or perceptual region) | an area that shares a common qualitative characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region |
| Density | the number of things divided by the measurement of area |
| Culture | the social heritage of a group or their way of life - major components are language, religion, ethnicity, food, and gender roles |
| Cultural Landscape | the title of our textbook and more importantly, the visible changes that humans make to the enviroment including buildings, crops, and signs |
| Contagious diffusion | when a cultural trend is transmitted from person to person from an original source to numerous others, similar to a virus or viral video |
| Diffusion | a feature or idea that is spread from its originating place, outward - the 3 types are contagious, hierarchical, and stimulus diffusion |
| Expansion diffusion | a trend is spread from its originating place, outward |
| Hierarchical diffusion | the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places |
| Relocation diffusion | the physical spread of a feature or trait by people migrating |
| Stimulus diffusion | when a feature or idea spreads, but is changed by those adopting the idea |
| Globalization | worldwide integration and development which results in the expansion of international cultural, economic, and political activities |
| Hearth | a source of culture (where a culture began) |
| Toponym | a place name |
| Uneven development | unequal distribution of people, resources, and wealth within a region |
| Gravity Model of Spatial Interaction | the most important model in geography - (population1 x population2)/distance squared - the interconnectedness of 2 places depends on their distance and population |
| Infrastructure | the basic facilities and installations that help a government or community run, including roads, schools, phone lines, sewage treatment plants and power generation |
| Temporal | relating to time |
| 3 Types of Distribution | density, concentration, and pattern |
| Capitalism | an economic system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled mainly by private owners for profit, rather than by the state - limited government control of the economy |
| Cartography | the science of drawing maps |
| cold war (lower case) | a state of political hostility between countries characterized by threats short of open warfare |
| Cold War( Upper case) | the state of political hostility that existed between the Soviet Union and the US and their allies from 1945 to 1990 |
| Communism | an economic system in which all (or nearly all) trade and industry are collectively owned by the state and not by individual citizens - near total control of the economy by the government |
| Concentration | how closely packed together objects are |
| Network | a chain of communication, transportation, or ideas that connects places |
| Socialism | an economic system in which trade and industry are partially collectively owned by the state and partially privately owned by individual citizens - partial control of the economy by the government |
| Spatial | it's not as complicated as it sounds - a fancy word for describing how things are organized in space |