Absolute Location
Exact location of a place on the earth described by global (mathematical) coordinates.
Cartography
The science of map making.
Climate
The long-term average weather condition at a particular location.
Choropleth Map
A map that uses differences in shading, coloring, or the placing of symbols within predefined areas to indicate the average values of a property or quantity in those areas.
Clustered
If the objects in an area are close together, a centralized patter.
Concentration
The spreading of something over a given area.
Dispersed
If objects in an area are relatively far apart, a scattered settlement pattern.
Distance Decay
The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.
Distortion
On a map or image, the misrepresentation of shape, area, distance, or direction of or between geographic features when compared to their true measurements on the curved surface of the earth.
Eratosthenes
Coined the name geography: geo meaning "the earth" and graphene meaning "to write." He is noted for devising a system of latitude and longitude.
Equator
The imaginary great circle around the earth's surface, it divides the earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
Formal (Uniform) Region
An area in which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
Friction of Distance
A measure of how much absolute distance affects the interaction between two points.
Functional Region
An area organized around a node or focal point.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.
Globalization
A set of processes that are increasing interactions, interpendence without regard to country borders.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The time in that zone encompassing the prime meridian.
Hecataeus
Geographer known for creatng the first Geography book, Mediterranean sea center, and genealogies.
Idrisi
An eleventh century Arabian geographer, who worked for the king of Sicily to collect geographical information into a remarkably accurate representation of the world.
International Date Line
An arc that for the most part follows 180 degrees.
Isoline Maps
Map line that connects points of equal or very similar values.
Immanuel Kant
Geographer known for defining Geography as the study of interrelated spatial patterns.
Latitude
The angular distance north or south of the equator, defined by parallels.
Linear Pattern
Patterns along a straight line.
Location
The position of anything on Earth's surface.
Longitude
The angular distance east or west of the prime meridian, defined by meridians.
Map Projection
A mathematical method that involves transferring the earth's sphere onto a flat surface.
Map Scale
The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.
George Perkins Marsh
Author of Man and Nature (1864)-First systematic analysis of humanity's destructive impact on natural environment.
Mental Map
A representation of a portion of the Earth's surface based on a person's perspective.
Mercator Projections
A true conformal cylindrical map projection, it is particularly useful for navigation because it maintains accurate direction.
Pattern
The geometric arrangement of something in a study area.
Peters Projections
Projection where the sizes are accurate but the shape of the continents and direction are distorted.
Place
A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic.
Prime Meridian
A meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.
Ptolemy
Roman geographer-astronomer and author of Guide to Geography which included maps containing a grid system of latitude and longitude.
Region
An area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features.
Relative Location
The regional position or situation of a place relative to the position of other places.
Relocation Diffusion
The spread of a trend through physical movement of people from one location to another.
Remote Sensing
The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet.
Robinson Projection
A map projection that attempts to balance several possible projection errors. It does attempt to minimize the errors of area, shape, distance or direction that are commonly found on all maps.
Carl Sauer
Geography who defined the concept of cultural landscape as the fundamental unit of geographical analysis.
Scale
The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole.
Site
The physical character of a place.
Situation
The location of a place relative to another place.
Space
The physical interval between two objects.
Time-Space Compression
The idea that distance between some places is actually shrinking as technology enables more rapid communication and increased interaction between those places.
Toponym (Place Names)
The name given to a portion of Earth's surface.
Vernacular (Perceptual) Region
An area that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
Rectilinear
Patterned along a grid.
Multinational Corporations
Corporations that operate out of countries all over the world.
Physical Geography
This area of study focuses only on the natural environment and not on humans interactions.
Human Geography
This study focuses on people, it often overlaps other social sciences.
Carl Sauer
20th century geographer who argued that cultural landscapes should be the main focus of geographic study
Space-Time Continuum
The changes that rapid connections among places and region, due to faster transportation, communication, and new technologies.
Spatial Perspective
The location of places, people, and events and their connections.
Core
An area of a region that is most distinct.
Greenwich Mean Time
From which all time zones are created.
Local Global Continuum
Interaction of a phenomena at one scale influencing those at other scales.