APHG-Unit 1 Vocabulary

The distance on a map in relation to distance in actual space; for example, 1 inch on a map might indicate a distance of 100 miles

• Map scale

• Map legend

• Map key

• Map projection

Corresponds to the direction on a compass: north, south, east, west, and combinations such as northeast and southwest

• absolute direction

• relative direction

• cardinal direction

• geographical direction

A map that distorts the geographic shape of an area in order to show the size of a specific variable; the larger the area on a cartogram, the larger the value of the underlying variable

• Cartogram

• Choropleth

• Topographic Map

• Geographic Information System

A geographical unit based on one or more common characteristics or functions

• Region

• Country

• City

• Continent

A software application for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions, on Earth's surface; allows the rapid manipulation of geospatial data for problem-solving and research

• Geographic Information System (GIS)

• Data Management System (DMS)

• Spatial Data Analyzer (SDA)

• Geospatial Data Framework (GDF)

A method for representing the surface of Earth or a celestial sphere on a plane surface; all distort some aspect of Earth's surface

• Map projection

• Geographic Information System (GIS)

• Topographic map

• Satellite imagery

The zero-degree longitude line that runs through Greenwich, England

• Prime Meridian

• Equator

• Tropic of Cancer

• International Date Line

Distance that can be measured with a standard unit of length, such as a foot, yard, mile, or kilometer

• Relative distance

• Absolute distance

• Perceived distance

• Measured distance

A person who makes maps

• Cartographer

• Geographer

• Surveyor

• Artist

Occurs when ideas or practices spread throughout a population, from area to area, in a snowballing process, so that the total number of knowers or users and the areas of occurrence increase

• Expansion diffusion

• Relocation diffusion

• Contagious diffusion

• Hierarchical diffusion