AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ENTIRE YEAR-
ALL UNITS EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Absolute Distance - Answer-A distance that is measured with a standard unit of length,
such as mile or kilometer (usually pertaining to coordinates)
Accessibility - Answer-The relative ease in which a destination may be reached from
some other place
Concentration - Answer-Where things are gathered within a specific space; the spread
of something over a given area
Connectivity - Answer-The degree of economic, social, cultural or political connection
between two places
Density - Answer-How many of a certain thing are within a specific area; the frequency
with which something exists within a given unit of an area
Distribution - Answer-The arrangement of something across earth's surface
Relative Distance - Answer-A measure of distance that includes the costs of
overcoming the friction of absolute distance separating two places. Relative distance
often describes the amount of social, cultural, or economic connectivity between two
places. Distance in terms of cost and time
Dispersion - Answer-The pattern of spacing among individuals within geographic
population boundaries
Field Study - Answer-Studies geographers conduct by being in the real world
Friction of Distance - Answer-The friction of distance is a measure of the difficulty
associated with movement or communication between places
Functional (or Nodal) Region - Answer-An area organized around a node or focal point.
The characteristic chosen to define a functional region dominates at a central focus and
diminishes in importance outward.
ex: Post offices, radio stations
Location - Answer-The position of anything on earth's surface
Map - Answer-A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion
of it
,Mental Map - Answer-An internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on
what individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a
place and where places are located
Model - Answer-A simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify casual
relationships and to help geographers explain patterms , make decisions and predict
future behaviors
Networks - Answer-A real pattern of sets of places and the routes (links) connecting
them along which movement can take place
Node - Answer-The center of a place; the nucleus
Nodal Region - Answer-Area organized around a node or focal point/place where there
is a central focus that diminishes in importance outward. Used to display information
about economic areas.
Pattern - Answer-The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area
Perception - Answer-Your view and idea of a place
Perspective - Answer-The way in which you see something (how you percieve things)
Place - Answer-A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character
Projection - Answer-The process of transferring data from a spherical reference to a flat
reference. A mathematical method that involves transferring the earth's sphere onto a
flat surface. This term can also be used to describe the type of map that results from the
process of projecting.
Distortion in Projection - Answer-There are 4 types of distortion that can occur in
projection:
1. Shape
2. Distance
3. Size
4. Direction
Formal (or uniform or homogenous) Region - Answer-An area in which everyone shares
in one or more distinctive characteristics (can be universal or predominant--
majority)...can explain patterns
ex: language, corn farmers
Sequent Occupance - Answer-The notion that successive societies leave their cultural
imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape. This is an
important concept in geography because it symbolizes how humans interact with their
surroundings. [Changing attribute of a place]
, Site - Answer-The physical characters of a place. Can include: soil, vegetation, latitude,
elevation, etc
Situation - Answer-The location of a place relative to other places (valuable in indicating
location)
Size - Answer-How big something is
Space - Answer-The physical gap or interval between two objects
Spatial - Answer-Of or pertaining to space on or near Earth's surface. Often a synonym
for geographical and used as an adjective to describe specific geographic concepts or
processes
System - Answer-An assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by the way of
some driving force; a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in
particular
Themes - Answer-A general topic that a map could be themed on (income, race, etc)
Traditions in Geography - Answer-4 Traditions in Geography:
Spatial
Manland
Earth Science
Area
Linear Distance - Answer-How far from one point to another point (similar to absolute
distance, but pertaining less to coordinates)
Time Distance - Answer-How long it takes to get to a location
Time-Space Convergence - Answer-The idea that distance between some places is
actually shrinking as technology enables more rapid communication and increased
interaction between those places
Vernacular (or Perceptual) Region - Answer-A place that people believe exists as part
of their cultural identity; "view point"
ex: football fans, the south
Relocation Diffusion - Answer-The spread of an idea through physical movement of
people from one place to another.
ex: spread of HIV/AIDS, spread of Dutch Euros to England
Expansion Diffusion - Answer-The spread of a feature from one place to another in a
snowballing process. Three types of expansion diffusion:
ALL UNITS EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Absolute Distance - Answer-A distance that is measured with a standard unit of length,
such as mile or kilometer (usually pertaining to coordinates)
Accessibility - Answer-The relative ease in which a destination may be reached from
some other place
Concentration - Answer-Where things are gathered within a specific space; the spread
of something over a given area
Connectivity - Answer-The degree of economic, social, cultural or political connection
between two places
Density - Answer-How many of a certain thing are within a specific area; the frequency
with which something exists within a given unit of an area
Distribution - Answer-The arrangement of something across earth's surface
Relative Distance - Answer-A measure of distance that includes the costs of
overcoming the friction of absolute distance separating two places. Relative distance
often describes the amount of social, cultural, or economic connectivity between two
places. Distance in terms of cost and time
Dispersion - Answer-The pattern of spacing among individuals within geographic
population boundaries
Field Study - Answer-Studies geographers conduct by being in the real world
Friction of Distance - Answer-The friction of distance is a measure of the difficulty
associated with movement or communication between places
Functional (or Nodal) Region - Answer-An area organized around a node or focal point.
The characteristic chosen to define a functional region dominates at a central focus and
diminishes in importance outward.
ex: Post offices, radio stations
Location - Answer-The position of anything on earth's surface
Map - Answer-A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion
of it
,Mental Map - Answer-An internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on
what individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a
place and where places are located
Model - Answer-A simplified abstraction of reality, structured to clarify casual
relationships and to help geographers explain patterms , make decisions and predict
future behaviors
Networks - Answer-A real pattern of sets of places and the routes (links) connecting
them along which movement can take place
Node - Answer-The center of a place; the nucleus
Nodal Region - Answer-Area organized around a node or focal point/place where there
is a central focus that diminishes in importance outward. Used to display information
about economic areas.
Pattern - Answer-The geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area
Perception - Answer-Your view and idea of a place
Perspective - Answer-The way in which you see something (how you percieve things)
Place - Answer-A specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular character
Projection - Answer-The process of transferring data from a spherical reference to a flat
reference. A mathematical method that involves transferring the earth's sphere onto a
flat surface. This term can also be used to describe the type of map that results from the
process of projecting.
Distortion in Projection - Answer-There are 4 types of distortion that can occur in
projection:
1. Shape
2. Distance
3. Size
4. Direction
Formal (or uniform or homogenous) Region - Answer-An area in which everyone shares
in one or more distinctive characteristics (can be universal or predominant--
majority)...can explain patterns
ex: language, corn farmers
Sequent Occupance - Answer-The notion that successive societies leave their cultural
imprints on a place, each contributing to the cumulative cultural landscape. This is an
important concept in geography because it symbolizes how humans interact with their
surroundings. [Changing attribute of a place]
, Site - Answer-The physical characters of a place. Can include: soil, vegetation, latitude,
elevation, etc
Situation - Answer-The location of a place relative to other places (valuable in indicating
location)
Size - Answer-How big something is
Space - Answer-The physical gap or interval between two objects
Spatial - Answer-Of or pertaining to space on or near Earth's surface. Often a synonym
for geographical and used as an adjective to describe specific geographic concepts or
processes
System - Answer-An assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by the way of
some driving force; a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in
particular
Themes - Answer-A general topic that a map could be themed on (income, race, etc)
Traditions in Geography - Answer-4 Traditions in Geography:
Spatial
Manland
Earth Science
Area
Linear Distance - Answer-How far from one point to another point (similar to absolute
distance, but pertaining less to coordinates)
Time Distance - Answer-How long it takes to get to a location
Time-Space Convergence - Answer-The idea that distance between some places is
actually shrinking as technology enables more rapid communication and increased
interaction between those places
Vernacular (or Perceptual) Region - Answer-A place that people believe exists as part
of their cultural identity; "view point"
ex: football fans, the south
Relocation Diffusion - Answer-The spread of an idea through physical movement of
people from one place to another.
ex: spread of HIV/AIDS, spread of Dutch Euros to England
Expansion Diffusion - Answer-The spread of a feature from one place to another in a
snowballing process. Three types of expansion diffusion:
