CULTURAL PATTERNS & PROCESSES
1. Cultural Traits – "Traits = Traditions" → A single element of culture (e.g., handshake).
2. Cultural Complex – "Complex = Combo" → Group of related cultural traits.
3. Culture Hearth – "Hearth = Home of Culture" → Origin point of a culture.
4. Diffuse – "Spread like perfume" → Spread of an idea or innovation.
5. Taboos – "Taboo = Totally banned" → Socially unacceptable behavior.
6. Folk Culture – "Folk = Farm and Family" → Traditions practiced by small, isolated groups.
7. Popular Culture – "Pop = Popular, Everywhere" → Widespread, changes quickly.
8. Placelessness – "No place identity" → Loss of unique cultural identity (e.g., same stores everywhere).
9. Cultural Landscape – "Landscape = Land + Culture" → Visible imprint of culture on the land.
10. Ethnic Enclave – "Enclave = Enclosed Ethnicity" → Area with high concentration of a specific ethnicity.
11. Shinto – "Shinto = Shrines in Japan" → Japanese ethnic religion based on kami (spirits).
12. Ethnicity – "Ethnic = Inherited" → Identity with a group sharing cultural traditions.
13. Nationality – "Nation = Legal identity" → Identity tied to country of citizenship.
14. Centripetal Force – "Pulls people together" → Promotes unity (e.g., flags, holidays).
15. Centrifugal Force – "Flings people apart" → Creates division (e.g., ethnic conflict).
16. Sharia – "Sharia = Strict Islamic law" → Islamic legal system based on the Quran.
17. Blue Laws – "Blue = Ban on booze" → Laws restricting activities on Sundays.
18. Fundamentalism – "Fundamentals = Strict basics" → Literal interpretation of a religion.
19. Theocracies – "Theo = God + cracy = rule" → Government run by religious leaders.
20. Ethnocentric – "Ethno = Culture, Centric = Centered" → Judging others based on your culture.
21. Cultural Relativism – "Relativity = Respect" → Understanding cultures on their own terms.
22. Cultural Appropriation – "Take without respect" → Borrowing culture without understanding.
23. Relocation Diffusion – "Relocate = Move" → People move and bring ideas with them.
24. Expansion Diffusion – "Expands in place" → Idea spreads outward, stays strong at origin.
25. Contagious Diffusion – "Contagious = Like a cold" → Rapid, widespread spread (e.g., memes).
26. Hierarchical Diffusion – "Hierarchy = From top down" → Spread from influential people or places.
27. Stimulus Diffusion – "Stimulus = Spark" → Idea spreads, but gets changed.
28. Imperialism – "Empire = Take control" → Dominating another country politically/economically.
29. Lingua Franca – "Language bridge" → Common language for communication between speakers of different native tongues.
30. Pidgin Language – "Patchwork language" → Simplified mix of two languages.
31. Creole Language – "Pidgin grown up" → When a pidgin becomes a native language.
32. Cultural Convergence – "Cultures Connect" → Becoming more alike.
33. Cultural Divergence – "Cultures Divide" → Staying different on purpose.
34. Ethnic Religion – "Ethnic = Local, born into" → Tied to one group/region (e.g., Judaism).
35. Universal Religion – "Universal = Everyone invited" → Seeks converts (e.g., Christianity).
36. Sikhism – "Sikh = Sword + Spirituality" → Monotheistic religion from India blending Hindu & Islam.
37. Acculturation – "A = Add new culture" → Minor cultural changes from interaction.
38. Assimilation – "Assimilate = Absorb" → Minority group fully adopts dominant culture.
39. Syncretism – "Sync = Blend" → Combining two belief systems.
40. Multiculturalism – "Multi = Many cultures together" → Presence and acceptance of diverse cultures.
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POPULATION & MIGRATION
1. Age Cohort – "Cohort = Crowd by Age" → Group of people born around the same time.
2. Agricultural Density – "Farmers per farmland" → Ratio of farmers to arable land.
3. Anti-natalism – "Against births" → Policies discouraging childbirth (e.g., China's one-child policy).
4. Arithmetic Density – "People per land" → Total population divided by total land area.
5. Asylum-Seeker – "Seeking safety" → Someone applying for protection in another country.
6. Brain Drain/Gain – "Brains move = Drain for some, gain for others" → Emigration of educated workers.
7. Carrying Capacity – "Carry = Max support" → Max population an environment can support.
8. Center of Population – "Pop center = Average location" → Geographic point that describes population distribution.
9. Chain Migration – "Linking migrants" → Migration due to family or community connections.
10. Cornucopian – "Corn = Plenty" → Belief that innovation will solve resource problems.
11. Crude Birth Rate (CBR) – "Crude = Basic" → Number of births per 1,000 people.
12. Crude Death Rate (CDR) – "Crude = Basic" → Number of deaths per 1,000 people.
13. Demographic Momentum – "Momentum = Keep going" → Population keeps growing even after fertility declines.
14. Demographics – "Demo = People stats" → Statistical study of populations.
15. Diaspora – "Spread out" → People scattered from their homeland (e.g., Jewish diaspora).
16. Doubling Time – "Double = 2x people" → Time it takes for a population to double.
17. Elderly Support Ratio – "Elders per worker" → Ratio of working-age people to older people.
18. Epidemiological Transition – "Disease shift" → Pattern of disease changes as countries develop.
19. Guest Worker – "Temporary labor" → Someone who works temporarily in another country.
20. Internal Migration – "Move within borders" → Migration within one country.
21. Internally Displaced Person (IDP) – "Displaced inside country" → Forced to move but stays within borders.
22. International Migration – "Crossing countries" → Migration between countries.
23. Interregional Migration – "Between regions" → Movement from one region to another.
24. Intervening Obstacle/Opportunity – "Stops or helps you move" → Barrier or bonus along a migration path.
25. Intraregional Migration – "Within a region" → Movement inside one region (e.g., city to suburb).
26. J-Curve – "J = Sudden growth" → Population grows rapidly (exponential).
27. Life Expectancy – "How long you live" → Average number of years a person is expected to live.
28. Malthus, Thomas – "Food vs. People" → Believed population would outgrow food supply.
29. Migration Selectivity – "Not all migrate" → Some people are more likely to migrate than others.
30. Natural Disaster – "Nature's threat" → Environmental events that impact population.
31. Naturalization – "Become a citizen" → Legal process of becoming a citizen.
32. Neo-Malthusian – "Modern Malthus" → Worry about overpopulation and scarce resources.
33. Overpopulation – "Too many people" → Population exceeds the environment’s capacity.
34. Physiological Density – "People per farmland" → Number of people per unit of arable land.
35. Population Aging ("Greying") – "More old than young" → Rising average age of population.
36. Population Pyramid – "Age-sex graph" → Graph showing age and gender distribution.
37. Pronatalism – "Pro-baby" → Policies encouraging births (e.g., France).
38. Pull Factor – "Pull = Attract" → Reasons to go somewhere (e.g., jobs).
39. Push Factor – "Push = Leave" → Reasons to leave a place (e.g., war).
40. Ravenstein’s Laws – "Rules of moving" → General patterns of migration.
41. Redistricting – "New lines" → Changing political boundaries based on population shifts.
42. Refugee – "Fleeing danger" → Person who escapes war or disaster.
43. Replacement Fertility – "Replace parents" → TFR needed to keep population stable (2.1).
44. S-Curve – "Slow-fast-slow" → Population growth stabilizes after rapid rise.
45. Sex Ratio – "Male to female" → Number of males per 100 females.
46. Step Migration – "In stages" → Moving in small steps toward a final destination.
47. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – "Babies per woman" → Average number of children per woman.
48. Transhumance – "Seasonal herd move" → Moving livestock seasonally.
49. Undocumented Migrant – "No legal papers" → Person living in a country without legal permission.
50. Zero Population Growth – "Births = Deaths" → Population remains stable.
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MAPPING & GEOGRAPHIC MODELS
1. Absolute Location – "Exact spot (latitude/longitude)" → Precise coordinates on Earth.
2. Relative Location – "Near something else" → Location in relation to other places.
3. Choropleth Map – "Color map" → Uses colors/shading to show data.
4. Dot Distribution Map – "Dots = Data points" → Dots show occurrence or frequency.
5. Isoline Map – "Lines = Elevation/temperature" → Lines connect equal values.
6. Cartogram – "Map with distorted size" → Resizes areas based on data (e.g., population).
7. Proportional Symbol Map – "Bigger symbol = More data" → Symbols change size with data.
8. Map Scale – "Map to reality ratio" → Shows the relationship between map distance and real-world distance.
9. Projection – "Flat Earth problem" → Way to show the 3D Earth on 2D maps, often causes distortion.
10. Distance Decay – "Farther = less interaction" → Interaction decreases with distance.
11. Time-Space Compression – "Closer through tech" → Technology makes distant places feel closer.
12. GPS (Global Positioning System) – "Find me with satellites" → Pinpoints location using satellites.
13. GIS (Geographic Information System) – "Maps with layers" → Analyzes and displays spatial data.
14. Remote Sensing – "Satellites take data" → Getting data about Earth from far away.
15. Map Distortion – "Maps lie a little" → Shape, size, or distance can be off.
16. Mercator Projection – "Good direction, bad size" → Useful for navigation, but distorts poles.
17. Robinson Projection – "Balanced view" → Compromise map with minimal distortion.
18. Fieldwork – "Go outside and study" → Collecting data on location.
19. Census – "Population count" → Official count of population, typically every 10 years.
20. Qualitative Data – "Descriptions" → Data with qualities, not numbers (e.g., interviews).
21. Quantitative Data – "Numbers" → Data with measurable values.
22. Geospatial Data – "Location info" → Data tied to places.
23. Spatial Perspective – "Where & why there" → Looking at patterns across space.
24. Map Types – "Different ways to see data" → Includes reference maps, thematic maps, etc.
25. Formal Region – "Uniform trait" → Everyone shares a characteristic (e.g., a country).
26. Functional Region – "Centered on node" → Organized around a central point (e.g., city metro area).
27. Perceptual/Vernacular Region – "People’s idea of area" → Based on feelings or opinions (e.g., "The South").
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POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. Nation – "Nation = Shared culture" → A group with common culture and history.
2. State – "State = Country" → Political unit with borders, government, population, and sovereignty.
3. Nation-State – "Nation = State" → Country where nation and state boundaries match (e.g., Japan).
4. Multinational State – "Many nations, one state" → State with multiple ethnic groups (e.g., Russia).
5. Stateless Nation – "Nation, no country" → A cultural group without its own state (e.g., Kurds).
6. Multistate Nation – "One nation, many states" → Nation in more than one country (e.g., Koreans).
7. Sovereignty – "Self-rule" → Ability of a state to govern itself.
8. Self-determination – "Decide your nationhood" → People’s right to choose their sovereignty.
9. Colonialism – "Control abroad" → One country controls another area.
10. Imperialism – "Empire building" → Domination of foreign territory.
11. Devolution – "Divide powers" → Transfer of power from central to regional governments.
12. Balkanization – "Break into bits" → Fragmentation into hostile units.
13. Shatterbelt – "Tension zone" → Region caught between conflict (e.g., Eastern Europe).
14. Choke Point – "Narrow passage" → Strategic narrow route (e.g., Strait of Hormuz).
15. Territoriality – "Own the space" → Connection of people to land.
16. Boundary – "Border line" → Dividing line between political areas.
17. Antecedent Boundary – "Before people" → Drawn before major settlement (e.g., U.S.-Canada).
18. Subsequent Boundary – "After people" → Drawn after settlement, considers culture.
19. Consequent Boundary – "Follows culture" → Border that reflects cultural divisions.
20. Superimposed Boundary – "Forced on people" → Drawn by outsiders (e.g., Africa by Europeans).
21. Relic Boundary – "No longer functions, still seen" → Old boundary still visible (e.g., Berlin Wall).
22. Geometric Boundary – "Straight lines" → Based on grid system (e.g., U.S.-Canada west).
23. Definitional Boundary Dispute – "What is it?" → Disagreement about the legal terms.
24. Locational Boundary Dispute – "Where is it?" → Dispute about the actual location.
25. Operational Boundary Dispute – "How to manage it?" → Disagreement on function of border.
26. Allocational Boundary Dispute – "Resources fight" → Conflict over natural resources near borders.
27. Territorial Sea – "Coastal control zone" → Area 12 nautical miles from shore.
28. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – "200 miles of resources" → Country controls marine resources.
29. Gerrymandering – "Redraw to win" → Manipulating political boundaries for advantage.
30. Redistricting – "New lines, same state" → Redrawing voting districts after a census.
31. Unitary State – "Strong central rule" → Power concentrated in one government.
32. Federal State – "Shared powers" → Power divided between national and local levels.
33. Compact State – "Circle-ish country" → Small, centralized (e.g., Poland).
34. Elongated State – "Long and thin" → Stretched state (e.g., Chile).
35. Fragmented State – "Pieces scattered" → Disconnected parts (e.g., Indonesia).
36. Prorupted State – "Has a tail" → Compact state with an extension (e.g., Thailand).
37. Perforated State – "Has a hole" → Country that surrounds another (e.g., South Africa).
38. Supranationalism – "Above nations" → Countries cooperate politically/economically (e.g., EU).
39. United Nations (UN) – "Global peacekeeper" → International organization of nearly all states.
40. European Union (EU) – "European alliance" → Political and economic union of European countries.
41. NAFTA/USMCA – "North American trade pact" → Economic agreement between U.S., Canada, Mexico.
42. ASEAN – "Southeast Asian group" → Economic and political alliance in Southeast Asia.
43. Centripetal Force – "Unites a country" → Brings people together (e.g., shared language).
44. Centrifugal Force – "Breaks a country" → Pulls people apart (e.g., civil war).
45. Irredentism – "Claim lost territory" → Belief a state should control land with same culture.
46. Ethnonationalism – "Nation = Ethnic pride" → Nationalism based on ethnicity.
47. Terrorism – "Violence for fear" → Use of violence to create political change.
48. Colonial Legacy – "Past still matters" → Long-term effects of colonization.
49. Cold War Politics – "Capitalism vs. Communism" → U.S. and Soviet competition shaped global alliances.
50. Heartland Theory – "Who controls center, rules world" → Eurasia key to power.
51. Rimland Theory – "Edges rule" → Control of coasts = power.
52. World-Systems Theory (Wallerstein) – "Core = rich, Periphery = poor" → Global inequality.
53. Dependency Theory – "Poor depend on rich" → Underdevelopment due to colonial ties.
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