Human Geography Final Exam Study Guide

acculturation

the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture

adherents

believers, followers

agricultural density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture.

arithmetic density

The total number of people divided by the total land area.

balkanization

Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

compact state

A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.

concentration

The spread of something over a given area.

elongated state

A state with a long, narrow shape.

fractional scale

A way of representing scale on a map with a fraction or ratio. Eg: 1/24,000 or 1:24,000 The left handed side represents distance on the map. The right handed side represents distance on the Earth.

fragmented state

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.

Germanic language

a branch of the Indo-European family of languages

indo- european language

the most commonly used language in the world

unitary state

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials