AP Human Geography Review

Welcome, geographers, to an accelerated review of AP Human Geography's seven units. The aim is to highlight the main concepts and prepare you for the AP test or final exam. The detailed study materials are available in the ultimate review packet and topic review videos.

Unit 1: Geography - Its Nature and Perspectives

Key Concepts:

• Maps and Projections:

  • Thematic and reference maps
  • Distortion in map projections (e.g., Mercator)
  • GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

• Geographic Data:

  • Quantitative (e.g., census data) vs. Qualitative data
  • Use of data in decision-making by governments and businesses

• Spatial Concepts:

  • Distance decay and technological impacts
  • Cultural landscapes and environmental sustainability (environmental determinism vs. possibilism)

• Scale:

  • Scale of analysis (national vs. local)
  • Small vs. large scale maps

• Types of Regions:

  • Functional, perceptual, and formal regions

Unit 2: Population and Migration

Key Concepts:

• Population Distribution and Density:

  • Factors affecting living locations (economic, social opportunities)
  • Arithmetic, physiological, and agricultural densities

• Population Metrics:

  • CBR, CDR, NIR, growth rates, sex ratios, dependency ratios
  • Population pyramids and demographic transition model (DTM)

• Migration Patterns:

  • Push and pull factors
  • Forced vs. voluntary migration
  • Diffusion, acculturation, assimilation

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Key Concepts:

• Culture Concepts:

  • Cultural relativism vs. ethnocentrism
  • Cultural landscape
  • Centripetal and centrifugal forces in culture

• Diffusion Types:

  • Relocation, expansion (hierarchical, contagious, stimulus)

• Religions and Languages:

  • Universalizing vs. ethnic religions
  • Language families, dialects, diffusion impacts

Unit 4: Political Organization of Space

Key Concepts:

• States and Nations:

  • Nation vs. state, nation-state, multinational state
  • Self-determination, colonialism, imperialism

• Political Boundaries:

  • Types of boundaries (relic, antecedent, subsequent)
  • Gerrymandering and voting districts

• Political Power:

  • Unitary vs. federal states
  • State sovereignty and supranational organizations

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land Use

Key Concepts:

• Agricultural Practices:

  • Intensive vs. extensive practices
  • Subsistence vs. commercial agriculture

• Agricultural Revolutions:

  • First, second (industrial), and Green Revolution

• Modern Agricultural Issues:

  • GMOs, organic farming, local food movements
  • Role of women in agriculture

• Models:

  • Von Thunen's model, bid rent theory

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land Use

Key Concepts:

• Settlement Patterns:

  • Connectivity, central place theory, rank-size/primate city rule

• Urban Models:

  • Concentric zone, sector, multiple nuclei, galactic, Latin American, African, Southeast Asian

• Urban Challenges:

  • Infrastructure, urban sprawl, gentrification, redlining
  • Sustainability: smart growth, new urbanism

Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development

Key Concepts:

• Economic Sectors:

  • Primary, secondary, tertiary (quaternary, quinary)

• Globalization and Trade:

  • Formal vs. informal economies
  • Free trade agreements and their impact

• Economic Theories:

  • Rostow's stages, Wallerstein's world-systems theory

• Development Indicators:

  • GDP, GNI, HDI, gender inequality index

This concludes the comprehensive review of AP Human Geography. For deeper dives, refer to the topic review videos and consider the ultimate review packet for additional resources.