WGU C255 Introduction to Geography Study Guide

WGU C255 Introduction to Geography Study Guide The 5 themes of Geography Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, Region Location a concept that refers to the physical presence of a geographic place or feature on the surface of the Earth. Absolute Location Exact location of a place on the earth described by global coordinates Relative Location The position of a place in relation to another place Place a concept that refers to the wide range of human activities and human-environment interactions that occur in a particular location. Human Environment Interaction the study of the interrelationship between people and their physical environment Movement a concept that refers to the core idea that human beings and all animal life are always in motion. Region a concept that examines the multiple ways that we divide and organize our world. Formal Region A region with clearly defined boundaries that define what is both inside and outside of that region. Crossing from one state or country to another. Functional Region consist of the web of places and territory bound together by a particular process or purpose. Crossing from one city to another. Perceptual (vernacular) region consist of the 'regions in our mind' - the areas that we think of as having a distinct identity that sets it apart from neighboring regions and people. Visiting an ethnic neighborhood. Population Density the number of people living in each unit of area. Usually expressed as a number per square kilometer or square mile. Population Distribution its position, placement, or arrangement throughout space. The pattern of where people live Population Redistribution Effects of Migration as a Whole Population Concentration The distribution of a phenomenon within a given area where all the occurrences are found in close proximity Population Pattern Refers to the geometric arrangement of objects within an area Diffusion The process of an item or a feature spreading through time Relocation Diffusion the spread of an idea through the movement of people Contiguous (or Contagious) Diffusion distance-controlled spreading of an idea Hierarchical Diffusion Diffusion that occurs downward or upward through an organizational hierarchy; when mapped, it shows up as a network of spots Latitude 0 to 90 degrees North and South of the Equator Longitude 0 to 180 degrees West and East of the Prime Meridean Prime Meridian The meridian passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, from which longitude is measured. 0 degrees East/West Equator An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. 0 degrees North/South International Date Line An imaginary line on Earth's surface where, by international agreement, subtract a day going east, add a day going west. The line follows the 180° meridian, but deviates for political and economic convenience Hemisphere half of a sphere Cartography The study of maps and making Arctic Circle 66.5 degrees North Antarctic Circle 66.5 degrees South Angle