Introduction to AP Human Geography & Understanding Maps

Introduction

• Presenter: Steve Heimler
• Course: AP Human Geography
• Objective: Understanding the importance of maps in human geography

Importance of Maps

• Maps as tools: Depict spatial patterns
• Spatial patterns: How and where geographic features occur on Earth’s surface

Types of Spatial Patterns

1. Absolute Distance
   • Measured in feet, miles, kilometers
   • Example: 954 miles between Yosemite National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park
2. Relative Distance
   • Social, cultural, political differences between locations
   • Example: Income disparity in Brooklyn, NY
3. Absolute Direction
   • Cardinal directions: North, South, East, West
4. Relative Direction
   • Directions in reference to another location
   • Example: Directions from a teacher
5. Clustering and Dispersal
   • Clustering: Items close together (e.g., apartment buildings in NYC)
   • Dispersal: Items far apart (e.g., farms in the Midwest)
6. Elevation
   • Height of geographic features relative to sea level

Common Features of Maps

1. Map Scale
   • Relates distance on the map to distance in the real world
   • Represented as a ratio or a bar
2. Direction
   • Usually depicted by a compass rose
3. Scale of the Map
   • Large scale: High detail, zoomed into a particular area
   • Small scale: Less detail, shows national or global view

Categories of Maps

1. Reference Maps
   • Display specific geographic locations (e.g., road maps, political maps)
2. Thematic Maps
   • Display geographic information (specific kinds of data)
   • Types of Thematic Maps:
     1. Choropleth Map
        • Visualizes data with different colors
        • Example: Distribution of Anglicans in Australia
     2. Cartogram
        • Distorts size of geographic shapes to display data differences
        • Example: Countries’ resources devoted to organic farming
     3. Graduated Symbol Map (Proportional Map)
        • Symbols grow in proportion to data
        • Example: Wealth distribution in Europe
     4. Dot Distribution Map
        • Uses dots to visualize data points
        • Example: Cholera outbreak map in London
     5. Isoline Map
        • Uses lines to depict changes in data
        • Example: Maps showing changes in elevation

Map Projections

• Issue: Distortion when representing a 3D Earth on a 2D map

1. Mercator Projection
   • Latitude and longitude lines meet at right angles
   • Good for direction
   • Distortion near poles
2. Peters Projection
   • Accurate size of land masses
   • Distorted shapes
3. Goode-Homolosine Projection
   • Accurate land shapes
   • Oceans are divided
4. Polar Projection
   • View from North or South Pole
   • Accurate near center; distorted further out
5. Robinson Projection
   • Compromise projection
   • Balanced distortion; minimal when compared to others

Final Thoughts

• Conclusion: All maps are selective and have some distortion
• Encouragement: Review unit for better understanding and exam preparation