Overview
This lecture covers the core concepts of Unit 1 in AP Human Geography, focusing on map types, geographic data collection, spatial analysis, and regional classifications.
Map Projections and Types
- All map projections distort direction, shape, area, or distance due to representing a 3D globe on a 2D surface.
- Mercator projection preserves direction but distorts size, especially near the poles.
- Goode Homolosine projection preserves area and shape but distorts distance and is an interrupted map.
- Robinson projection spreads distortion to minimize extremes but still distorts shape and area.
- Gall-Peters projection accurately shows land area but distorts shape and direction.
- Maps are categorized as reference maps (showing boundaries and physical features) or thematic maps (displaying spatial patterns using data).
- Common thematic maps:
- choropleth (color/shade)
- dot density (points)
- graduated symbol (shapes/sizes)
- isoline (lines for equal values)
- cartogram (area represents value)
- flowline (movement).
Geographic Data Collection and Types
- Geographic data can be collected through remote sensing, GIS, GPS (geospatial technologies), field observations, interviews, media reports, government documents, travel narratives, and landscape/photo analysis.
- Qualitative data is descriptive, subjective, and open to interpretation (e.g., interviews).
- Quantitative data is numerical, objective, and not open to interpretation (e.g., census data).
Scale and Spatial Analysis
- Scale refers to the relationship between the distance on a map and on Earth: local, regional, national, and global.
- Scale of analysis concerns how data is grouped (e.g., by country for national, by region for regional).
- Changing scales reveals different patterns and levels of detail; small scale = zoomed out, large scale = zoomed in.
Spatial Concepts and Associations
- Absolute location uses latitude and longitude; relative location uses relationships to other places.
- Place is defined by physical (natural) and human (cultural) characteristics.
- Sense of place is the emotional connection people have with a location; placelessness is the lack of unique identity.
- concentration (clustered/dispersed)
- Time-space compression describes how technology reduces the impact of distance on interaction.
- Distance decay means interaction decreases as distance increases, but this has less impact today.
Human-Environment Interaction and Land Use
- Environmental determinism argues the environment shapes society, while possibilism states humans can adapt and modify their environment.
- Land is used for agriculture, industry, commerce, residence, recreation, and transportation.
- Resources are renewable (can be replenished) or non-renewable (finite); sustainability means meeting needs without harming future generations.
Regions and Regional Analysis
- Formal (uniform) regions share common characteristics (e.g., political boundaries).
- Functional (nodal) regions are organized around a central point (e.g., metropolitan area).
- Perceptual (vernacular) regions are defined by people’s beliefs or perceptions (e.g., “the South”).
- Regions can change, overlap, and be contested, especially when scales change.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Distortion — Inaccuracy in map shape, area, direction, or distance caused by projecting a globe onto a flat map.
- GIS (Geographic Information System) — A computer system for collecting, analyzing, and displaying geographic data in layers.
- GPS (Global Positioning System) — Satellite system providing precise absolute location.
- Remote Sensing — Collecting data from satellites or aerial imagery.
- Scale — Relationship between map distance and real-world distance.
- Distribution — The arrangement of objects across Earth’s surface.
- Time-space Compression — Reduction in time it takes to interact across space due to improved technology.
- Environmental Determinism — Theory that environment dictates societal development.
- Possibilism — Theory that humans can modify the environment to suit needs.
- Sustainability — Using resources to meet current needs without compromising future generations.
- Absolute distance — distance that can be measured using a standard unit of length.
- Absolute direction — use the cardinal direction (NORTH,EAST,SOUTH,WEST)
- Relative distance —measured in terms of other criteria such as time or money
- Relative direction — based on people's perceptions and use terms (LEFT,RIGHT,UP,DOWN,FRONT, & BEHIND)
- Census — an official count of number of people in a defined area
- Thematic map — Maps that are focused on a particular topic or theme
- Topography — the shape and features of land surfaces
- Map scale — relationship between the size of a map and the part of real world it shows.
- Reference map — Generalized sources of geographic data and focus on location**.**
- Friction of distance — the concept of distance requires time, effort, and cost to overcome
- Distance decay — farther away one thing is from another, the less interaction the two things will have (long-distance relationships)
- Globalization — the expansion of economic,cultural, and political processes on a worldwide scale
- Physical Geography — The study of natural process and distribution of features in environments.
- Human Geography — the study of events and process that shaped humans understand,use, and alter
- Site — refers to a places absolute location and physical characteristics. (Landforms, climate, & resources)
- Situation — refers to a places connections to other places (transportation routes, political associations, cultural and economic ties)
- Spatial perspective — refers to where things are located and why they are located there
- Sustainable development — development that meets the need of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs
- Theory — a system of ideas intended to explain something
- World System Theory — a theory that views the world as a complex system of dependent upon one another
- Ecological perspective — refers the relationships between living things and their environments.
- Flow — the movement of people,goods, and information from one place to another.
- Mental Map — an personalize representatioj of a place. (School, neighborhood, town)
- Model — a simplified representation of reality that helps explain and predict spatial relationships and patterns
- Node — a central point in a network
- Pattern — how things are arranged in a particular space
- Location — the position that a point or object occupies on Earth
- Space — refers to the area between two or more things on earths surface
- Density — the number of things in people, animals, object in a specific area
- Cartographer — a person who creates maps