Chapter 1 and 2 Test Review Flashcards
space-time compression
describes the reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place
technology has accelerated the process of cultural diffusion
cartogram
a map in which some thematic mapping variable – such as travel time, population, or Gross National Product – is substituted for land area or distance
Mercator projection
scale is true at the equator or at two standard parallels equidistant from the equator: used for navigation; distorts the poles; direction is consistent, map is rectangular
map distortion
a change in shape, size, or position of a place when it’s shown on a map
Robinson projection
scale is true only on the central meridian and the parallels;
used in countries with larger north-south than east-west;
distances measured from center are true;
distortion increases away from center point
indigenous
culture group that constitutes original inhabitants of a territory, distinct from the dominant culture which is often derived from colonial occupation
place
another word for location; used to connote the subjective, ideographic, humanistic, culturally oriented type of geography that seeks to understand the unique character of individual regions
space
term used to connote the objective, theoretical, model-based economics-oriented geography that seeks to understand spatial systems
Prime Meridian
the meridian that passes through Greenwich, England; is the meridian at 0 degrees
scale
refers to the relationship of a feature size on a map to the actual size on Earth
longitude
number system used to determine the location of each meridian
globalization
increasing interconnection of all regions in the world through politics, communication, transportation, marketing, manufacturing, and social and cultural processes
placelessness
spatial standardization;
no special relationship to particular location;
examples: roadside strip shopping malls, gas/petrol stations and convenience stores, fast food chains, and chain department stores
possibilism
school of thought based on the belief that humans are the primary active force; humans decide what to do
mechanistic view of nature
view that humans are not integrated with nature
environmental perception
belief that culture depends on what people perceive; the environment is colored by culture
latitude
number system to indicate the location of a parallel on Earth
environmental determinism
belief that cultures are directly or indirectly shaped by the physical environment
time-distance decay
the decrease in acceptance of a cultural innovation with increasing time and distance from its origin
density
the frequency with which something occurs in space
dispersion
the movement of people, ideas, or things from one location to other locations
independent innovation
cultural innovation that is developed in two or more locations by individuals or groups working independently
indigenous technical knowledge
the knowledge that a particular community acquired from their personal experience which they gain from ancestors over a long period of time;
place based and developed through trial and error
absorbing barrier
barrier that complete halts diffusion of innovations and blocks the spread of cultural elements
