AP Human Geography Final Exam Review 2025

Map Projections

• Mercator Projection: Distorts land sizes.
• Why Maps are Distorted: Cannot display a 3D shape on a 2D object.

Geographic Tools

• Absolute Location: Precise coordinates of a point.
• GPS: Global Positioning System.
• GIS: Geographic Information System, geographically referenced information.

Types of Maps

• Choropleth Map: Thematic map using color variations.
• Cartogram: Shows diagrammatic statistics.

Demographics and Population

• Arithmetic Density: Number of people in a specific area.
• Population Pyramids Interpretation: Narrow base indicates low birth rate.
• Fertility Rates and Societal Advancement: Fertility rates increase with advances in medicine and technology.

Cultural Geography

• Ethnocentrism: Belief in the superiority of one's own cultural or ethnic group.
• Cultural Landscape: Associations and uses that evoke a sense of history, e.g., rice terraces of Philippine Cordilleras.
• Primary Religions:
  • South America: Catholic
  • Middle East: Judaism and Christianity
  • Asia: Buddhists
• Cultural Diffusion: Spread of cultural trends across locations.

Forces and Boundaries

• Centrifugal Force: Outward force on a mass when it is rotated.
• Centripetal Force: Unifies people and enhances support for a state.
• Superimposed Boundary: Imposed by external authority, disregarding existing divisions.
• Relict Boundary: Former boundary, significant economically or culturally.

Historical and Political Geography

• Berlin Conference Effect: Legal claim by Europeans to occupy Africa.
• Gerrymandering: Manipulation of electoral districts for electoral advantage.

Physical Geography

• Tropics Location: Between Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S).

Agricultural Practices

• Extensive Agriculture: Cultivation using small amounts of labor and capital.
• Township-and-Range Survey System: Facilitated orderly settlement and sale of land in the U.S.
• Corn Domestication: First domesticated in Southwest Mexico.
• Green Revolution: Introduction of new crop varieties, boosting production.

Urban Geography

• Site: Specific physical characteristics of a place.
• Situation: Surrounding features, both human-made and natural.
• Megacities: Urban areas with over 10 million people.
• Central Place Theory: Number, size, and range of market services in a commercial system.

City Models

• Southeast Asian City Model (McGee Model): Diverse residential areas, cultural influences, and historical context.
• Latin American City Model: Urban structure emphasizing spatial organization and social stratification.

Economic Activities

• Primary Economic Activities: Agricultural and animal products, forestry, logging, mining, oil, and gas extraction.
• Industrial Location Consideration: Early models focusing on urban land use and social dynamics.

Development and Industrialization

• Human Development Index (HDI) Score: Value between 0 and 1, higher value indicates higher development.
• Deindustrialization: Decline in manufacturing output and employment, occurred in the Core.