Absolute Location
Exact position on Earth using a coordinate system such as latitude and longitude.
Geographic ConceptsRelative Location
Position of a place in relation to other places or features.
Geographic ConceptsSense of Place
Subjective feelings and emotional attachments people have toward a location.
Place & SpaceRegion
Area sharing one or more common characteristics — formal, functional, or vernacular.
Geographic ConceptsFormal Region
Area defined by a uniform, measurable characteristic such as language, climate, or political boundary.
RegionsFunctional Region
Area organized around a central node or focal point, such as a city's commuting zone or media market.
RegionsPerceptual (Vernacular) Region
Area defined by people's subjective feelings or perceptions, not hard data (e.g., 'the South', 'the Midwest').
RegionsScale of Analysis
The level — local, national, global — at which geographic phenomena are examined; changes what patterns are visible.
Geographic ToolsGIS (Geographic Information System)
Computer system for storing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data in layered maps.
Geographic ToolsRemote Sensing
Collecting data about Earth's surface from satellites or aircraft without direct contact.
Geographic ToolsGPS (Global Positioning System)
Satellite-based navigation system that provides precise location data.
Geographic ToolsSpatial Distribution
The arrangement of phenomena across Earth's surface; described by density, concentration, and pattern.
Spatial ConceptsDistance Decay
The decrease in interaction between two places as the distance between them increases.
Spatial ConceptsSpace-Time Compression
The perceived shrinking of distance due to faster transportation and communication technology.
Spatial ConceptsFriction of Distance
The cost (time, money, effort) imposed by distance that reduces the likelihood of movement or interaction.
Spatial ConceptsDiffusion
The spread of an idea, innovation, or cultural practice from its hearth to other locations.
DiffusionContagious Diffusion
Rapid, widespread spread of a trait from a source in all directions through direct contact.
DiffusionHierarchical Diffusion
Spread of a trait from large places or elite groups to smaller places or the general population.
DiffusionStimulus Diffusion
Spread of an underlying principle even when the specific trait is rejected or adapted.
DiffusionRelocation Diffusion
Spread of culture through the physical movement of people from one place to another.
DiffusionEnvironmental Determinism
Discredited theory that the physical environment controls human behavior and development.
TheoriesPossibilism
Theory that the environment limits but does not determine human action — humans adapt and choose.
TheoriesCartogram
Map that distorts geographic area proportionally to a variable such as population or GDP.
Map TypesChoropleth Map
Thematic map using color shading to represent statistical data across geographic areas.
Map TypesSite vs. Situation
Site = physical characteristics of a place (terrain, climate). Situation = its location relative to other places.
Geographic Concepts