Unit 1 - thinking like a geographer Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
What are the two central concepts in human geography that are considered most important?
A
Space and Place
2
Q
How do geographers define ‘space’?
A
The geometric surface of the Earth, viewed as an abstract concept
3
Q
What does ‘activity space’ refer to?
A
An area where activity occurs on a daily basis
4
Q
What is meant by ‘thinking spatially’?
A
Understanding patterns and distribution of objects and analyzing their relationships
5
Q
How is the concept of ‘place’ defined in human geography?
A
An area of bounded space of human importance
6
Q
What is a ‘toponym’?
A
A place-name assigned to a location based on human importance
7
Q
What do place-names reveal?
A
The historical interrelatedness of locations
8
Q
What is ‘scale’ in the context of geography?
A
The relationship between distance on a map and the actual distance on the ground
9
Q
What does relative scale refer to?
A
Different scales of analysis, from local to global
10
Q
What does the term ‘glocal’ refer to?
A
The interaction between global and local scales
11
Q
What is the significance of understanding scale in geography?
A
It modifies the interpretation of data and discussions about locations
12
Q
Fill in the blank: An area of bounded space of some human importance is referred to as a _______.
A
[place]
13
Q
True or False: Geographers consider space and place to be less important than other scientific fields.
A
False
14
Q
What is the focus of the first part of the chapter?
A
Central concepts encompassing six areas of human geography
15
Q
What types of geographic technologies are reviewed in this chapter?
A
Maps, map types, and map scale
16
Q
What does the concept of place allow individuals to have?
A
A sense of place, even in uninhabited areas
17
Q
What do the attributes of a location contribute to?
A
A place’s historical and modern developments
18
Q
A
19
Q
A
20
Q
What is an area of bounded space?
A
An area of bounded space could be somewhere small, such as a room, or as large as a continent.
21
Q
What are the types of places mentioned?
A
- Urban places
- Places of work
- Resource locations
- Transportation nodes
22
Q
Why is it important to consider the significance of a location?
A
It is necessary to consider why does this place matter.
23
Q
What is sequent occupancy?
A
The succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a place’s history.
24
Q
What contributes to a place-specific culture?
A
Historical layers that contribute to culture, society, local politics, and economy.
25
Give an example of a place with complex cultural influences.
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
26
What is scale in geography?
The relationship of an object or place to the Earth as a whole.
27
What are the two ways to think about scale?
* Map scale
* Relative scale (scale of analysis)
28
What does map scale describe?
The ratio of distance on a map to distance in the real world in absolute terms.
29
What is relative scale?
The level of aggregation, or the level at which you group things together for examination.
30
List the different scales that can be examined.
* Individual
* Local
* City
* County
* State
* Regional
* National
* Continental
* International
* Global
31
What does the term 'glocal' express?
The importance of both local and global scales.
32
Why is it important to specify scale in free-response questions?
Specifying the scale may earn you points for detail or example material.
33
What is a common error regarding relative scale?
It is erroneous to compare different scales of analysis or places at different scales.
34
True or False: It is correct to assume the rest of Georgia has the same characteristics as Atlanta.
False.
35
What are the three categories of regions?
* Formal
* Functional
* Vernacular
36
Can a single place exist in multiple regions?
Yes, a single place can exist in several regions simultaneously.
37
Provide an example of a place that exists in multiple regions.
The Everglades in Florida.
38
What types of regions can the Everglades be considered?
* Southern U.S. region
* Wetland region
39
What should one keep in mind about regions?
Regions exist at many different scales and can overlap.
40
41
What is a formal region?
An area of bounded space that possesses some homogeneous characteristic or uniformity.
42
What is an example of a simple homogeneous characteristic in a formal region?
A common language.
43
How do the United States and Australia relate in terms of linguistic regions?
Both are in the same linguistic region but share little else in culture, economy, or landscape.
44
What factors define the American South as a region?
* Dialect
* Vocabulary
* Food
* Architecture
* Climate
* Ethnicity
* Religion
45
What is the nature of boundaries in cultural regions?
Cultural regions tend to have fuzzy borders.
46
How are political region boundaries described?
Finite and well-defined.
47
What are some characteristics of porous political boundaries?
They allow more movement across them, such as between Canada and the United States.
48
What defines a protected political boundary?
It restricts movement, such as the boundary between the United States and Mexico.
49
What is an ecotone?
The environmental transition zone between two bioregions or biomes.
50
What is an example of an ecotone?
The Sahel, which is the dry grassland region between the Sahara Desert and the tropical savanna of Africa.
51
What is a functional region?
An area that has a central place, or node, that expresses some practical purpose.
52
What happens to the influence of a central node in a functional region as distance increases?
The strength of influence diminishes.
53
What is a market area in the context of functional regions?
The strongest influence of a professional sports team is closest to its home city.
54
What is an intervening opportunity?
An attraction at a shorter distance that takes precedence over an attraction that is farther away.
55
Fill in the blank: An outlet mall has a _____ market area effect on consumers.
single
56
True or False: Functional regions are defined solely by physical characteristics.
False
57
58
What is a vernacular region?
A vernacular region is based upon the perception or collective mental map of the region's residents.
## Footnote
The concept can vary within the region due to personal or group variations.
59
What are some defining characteristics of the American South (Dixie) as a vernacular region?
Defining characteristics may include:
* Location of country music bands or fans
* Numbers of Southern Baptist church congregations
* NASCAR races
* Historical context of the Civil War-era Confederacy
* Weather patterns, such as infrequent snow
## Footnote
Residents may have different perceptions of what defines the region.
60
What is the difference between absolute and relative location?
Absolute location defines a point or place on the map using coordinates, while relative location refers to the location of a place compared to a known place or geographic feature.
## Footnote
Absolute location uses latitude and longitude.
61
How is absolute location commonly determined?
Absolute location is commonly determined using latitude and longitude coordinates.
## Footnote
Other technical coordinate systems include Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM).
62
What do lines of latitude measure?
Lines of latitude measure distance, in degrees, north or south of the equator.
## Footnote
A mnemonic to remember this is 'latitude = ladder'.
63
What do lines of longitude measure?
Lines of longitude measure distance, in degrees, east or west of the Prime Meridian.
## Footnote
A mnemonic to remember this is 'longitude = how long the ladder is'.
64
True or False: Lines of longitude are the longest lines on the globe.
True.
## Footnote
They go all the way from pole to pole.
65
66
What is the format for absolute location?
Latitude first, then longitude, each with a cardinal direction and separated by a comma
67
What is an example of absolute location?
38° 53' 23.2980" N, 77° 0' 32.6016" W
68
What is the latitude of the Equator?
0° latitude
69
What are the latitudes of the North and South Poles?
90° latitude
70
What is the longitude of the Prime Meridian?
0° longitude
71
What is located at the opposite side of the Earth from the Prime Meridian?
180° line of longitude
72
What is the significance of the International Date Line?
It meanders around a number of international boundaries
73
Who developed the means to accurately calculate longitude at sea?
The British Royal Navy
74
What invention by John Harrison in 1785 helped determine longitude at sea?
The chronometer
75
Where was the Prime Meridian officially fixed?
Royal Naval Observatory at Greenwich in London
76
When was the Prime Meridian officially adopted as 0 degrees longitude?
1884 International Meridian Conference
77
How are time zones divided?
In 15-degree-wide longitudinal zones
78
What is the calculation behind the 15-degree time zone division?
360° divided by 24 hours
79
What is a notable exception to the 15-degree time zone rule?
China established one time zone for the entire country
80
Why were time zones created?
To standardize time across long east-west train lines
81
What is relative location?
Based upon a place's relationship to other known geographic features or places
82
Give an example of how someone might express their relative location.
A person from Arlington, Virginia, might say they are from Washington, D.C.
83
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86
87
How do geographers define “space”?
Space refers to the geometric surface of the Earth where objects are located and separated by distance.
88
What are the two most important concepts in human geography?
space and place
89
What is “activity space”?
An area where activity occurs on a daily basis.
90
What does thinking spatially involve?
Understanding the pattern, distribution, relationships, movement, growth, and change of objects across space and time.
91
How is “place” different from “space” in geography?
Place refers to an area of bounded space with human importance, while space is an abstract concept of Earth’s surface.
92
Does a place need to have people living in it to be considered a place?
No, a place can still have human importance even if no one lives there, like a desert or ocean.
93
What is a “toponym”?
A place-name assigned to a location, often revealing historical connections between places.
94
How big can an area of bounded space be?
It can be as small as a room or as large as a continent.
95
What are some examples of different types of places?
Urban places, places of work, resource locations, and transportation nodes.
96
What is an important question to ask when considering a place’s significance?
Why does this place matter?”
97
What is sequent occupancy?
The succession of different groups and cultural influences throughout a place’s history.
98
How does sequent occupancy affect a place?
It creates layers of historical influence that shape a place’s culture, politics, and economy.
99
What is an example of sequent occupancy?
Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has Indigenous, Spanish colonial, and modern American influences.
100
What is scale in geography?
The relationship of an object or place to the Earth as a whole.
101
What is map scale?
