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Final
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87
Geography
Undergraduate 1
12/09/2008

Additional Geography Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
definition of politics and political geography
Definition
social/cultural rules and institutions for the control and administration of people and resources (includes land). two main concepts: territory and politics.
Term
territory
Definition
territorialization of Earth's surface. practiced by all humans. attempt by humans to identify with, control, claim, administrate their land/water.
Term
land disputes and war
Definition
invented (and actual) countries exist mostly in the minds of its citizens. must get others to recognize it and its legitimacy (you are a country if others recognize you as one). Disputes over territory are main/only cause of war.
Term
territorial control of Antarctica
Definition
Term
microstate of Sealand
Definition
Prince Roy took over an abandoned WWII bunker. 6 miles off the coast of England, population of about 5 people. outside of british national water.
Term
electoral geography
Definition
how voting patterns are related to demographic patterns in a particular region or space.
Term
voting demographics
Definition
electoral districts are types of administrative regions. who does this elected official represent? who gets to vote for them?
Term
redistricting
Definition
when population changes, must change districts aka redistricting. changes size, shape, location. way of redistricting makes big difference.
Term
gerrymandering
Definition
a type of redistricting done intentionally to try to control the outcome of an election (like salamander). 1812: Elbridge Gerry signed into law a redistricting plan, gave majority to self. highly irregular shaped voting districts. CA has highly gerrymandered districts (Lois Capps- dems have gerrymandered, texas has republican gerrymandering.
Term
ethnic/racial "majority-minority" districts
Definition
racial gerrymandering. an attempt to ensure minority representation (usually african americans). an attempt to create majority-minority districts on the assumption that african americans will vote differently than non-african americans.
Term
compactness of electoral districts
Definition
region is as close to rest of region as possible (most compact shape: circle). should naturally occur as a result of distance decay. compactness is good, but also need to "represent smaller-group minorities" so, conflicts w/ compactness sometimes.
Term
geopolitics
Definition
the effects of the location/spatial properties of a place on its political situation.
Term
state as administrative region
Definition
same as a country. internationally recognized, under own sovereign control. about 200 in world right now. a bounded territory.
Term
nation as thematic region and as cognitive region
Definition
nation: a group with a common ancestry, cultural identity. if they have land, can form a thematic region. (not synonymous with state/country). a group who self-identifies with a nation. common belief= cognitive. many nations do not have own territory. may have current/ cultural claim to a homeland. there are around 5000 nations.
Term
sovereignty
Definition
complete independence in self-government. complete power/rule over state.
Term
combinations of states and nations
Definition
nation-state: "the idea"- all the people living there are of the same cultural background. boundaries of nation and state are same. (ex. japan, sweden). multinational state: many cultures in one state(ex. US). part-nation state: Arab nation- common cultural identity but live in multiple states (ex. Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, etc.). stateless nation: cultural identifying people with no state- live spread out all over. (ex. Kurdish- all over Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc. )
Term
centripetal and centrifugal forces in political states
Definition
Term
autonomous nationalism
Definition
Term
terrorism
Definition
Term
multi-state (supranational) organizations
Definition
two or more countries. ex: United Nations, European Unions, NATO
Term
United Nations
Definition
designed mid 20th century. created after League of Nations failed (created by President Woodrow Wilson but US didn't join)
Term
European Union
Definition
use similar currencies (euro/pound). similar financial systems.
Term
NAFTA and CAFTA
Definition
Term
NATO
Definition
Term
internal administrative regions
Definition
administrative regions smaller than those of entire countries. within countries, in provinces, states, counties, etc. school, sewage, electrical districts. mostly tracked through GIS. includes cadastral regions.
Term
cadastral regions
Definition
private property and real estate parcel boundary lines. legal geography deals w/ border disputes.
Term
largest and smallest states
Definition
largest: Russia, 6.6 million square miles. 11% of Earth's land surface. then Canada, China, USA with very similar land sizes, about 1/2 size of Russia. smallest countries: 1. Vatican City inside Rome ( .2 square miles, smaller than IV), 2. Monaco (6/10 sq. mi) and Nauru (island republic, 8 sq. mi.)
Term
characteristic state shapes
Definition
elongated (Norway, Chile), compact (Zimbabwe), prorupt (Thailand, compact w/ tail) fragmented (Hawaii, Phillipines) perforated (South American with lethoro, country completely inside another). remoteness of some shapes make it inefficient to control/monitor and keep country together (fragmented or elongated). more compact maximizes chances of staying productive. relationship between physical shape and chances of being successful.
Term
enclaves and exclaves
Definition
Term
landlocked states
Definition
no access to ocean, no seaports (sweden, paraguay). "geographically disadvantaged states" named by United Nations.
Term
cores and capitals of states
Definition
IN TEXTBOOK. capital: head administrative region. frequently not most "important" region, or largest, or most popular. if in a major city, more expensive, hard to pay rent, parking. more efficient administration in a smaller city. spread of power.
Term
administrative boundaries (borders)
Definition
can be made very precise. like 1 dimentional. in past, boundaries were thick, vague (borders = the extent of a country's ability to control its territory in past). borders are often contested. cause disputes, especially when resources are at stake, cultural/racial differences.
Term
frontier zones
Definition
Term
natural (physical) vs. artificial (geometric) boundaries
Definition
often correspond to natural features (natural/physical boundaries) like mountains,rivers. can also not follow natural borders- lines drawn by humans. also: rivers change, riverbed moves. if define border as edge of river & river moves, what happens? lose/gain land
Term
antecedent vs. subsequent boundaries
Definition
Term
consequent vs. superimposed subsequent boundaries
Definition
Term
maritime boundaries
Definition
countries extended out into sea. normally 3 mi. extended out into sea is country's territory (in past: how far cannons could be shot). UNCLOS
Term
UNCLOS
Definition
United Nations Convention on Laws Of the Sea. 1982: created 3 maritime zones. territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and high seas.
Term
continental shelf
Definition
land underneath shallow water. still part of continent.
Term
territorial waters
Definition
12 nautical miles out from ocean boundary.
Term
contiguous zone
Definition
24 additional nautical miles out to sea from territorial waters.
Term
exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
Definition
200 nautical miles out to sea. includes territorial sea and contiguous zone.
Term
high seas (international waters)
Definition
past 200 miles out to see. no-man's-land.
Term
natural vs. anthropogenic (built) environment
Definition
natural: unmodified/untouched by humans, as opposed to human made. anthropogenic: human made.
Term
nature as "constructed"
Definition
aren't humans "natural"? can humans "make" nature? is nature good? humans vs. nature.
Term
geography and the natural environment
Definition
specify natural environment vs. human environment.
Term
environmental determinism
Definition
env--> culture. idea that the environment determines the nature of human culture.
Term
cultural determinism
Definition
(autonomy) env<--culture. idea that cultures impact the natural world but cultures themselves are autonomous- only constraints are other humans, human body.
Term
culture-environment interationism
Definition
env<--> culture. medium between other two terms/extremes. can't eat fish if don't live near water, if live in wet climate develop different types of agriculture. environmental possibleism/probablism instead of determinism. (resource/land use, appreciation of nature, tourism, deforestation, desertification, pollution)
Term
environmental hazards
Definition
old form of geography. extreme vs. hazard events.
Term
extreme events vs. hazard events
Definition
extreme: events of unusual magnitude. MAY OR MAY NOT be hazardous to people. hazard: an extreme event that IS hazardous to humans.
Term
physical magnitude vs. hazard magnitude
Definition
Richter Scale for earthquakes- hazard meter in terms of how many people feel it and how much gets broken as well as physical. as human beings, we really care about hazard magnitude.
Term
classifying hazards as natural or anthropogenic
Definition
no hazardous event is ever completely due to nature. ex. fire: lightning, arson. AIDS: caused by virus, spread by humans. hunger: governments & crops. humans always involved: start, spread, are threatened by factors, etc. so: not really anything that is truly, solely a natural hazard. same with blaming solely on human activity.
Term
types of natural hazards
Definition
meteorological, geomorphilogical, biological hazards. (includes geophysical: meteorological (blizzard, snow, fire, ice) and geomorphic ( erosion, avalanche, earthquake, and then biological: floral ( fungal, disease, weeds, athletes foot) and faunal ( malaria, rabies, termites, plague).
Term
types of anthropogenic hazards
Definition
technological and social ( nuclear bombs, air pollution, deforestation, waste/dumps, climate change.
Term
cause of hazards in nature, society, and technology
Definition
Term
classifying hazards by space-time parameters
Definition
frequency, duration, area/extent, speed of onset, spatial exertion, temporal space.
Term
pervasive-intensive continuum for hazards
Definition
Term
historical trends in hazard outcomes during 20th century
Definition
more people living in hazardous areas, more economic development. loss of life due to hazards has declined because of better warning wywtems, evacuation plans, predictive models, storm drains. economic loss due to hazards has increased- rescue attempts, damage, loss of tourism, cost of prevention measures.
Term
hurricanes in the US since 1900
Definition
ON WEBSITE. top 10 deadliest before 1950, top 10 costliest after 1950.
Term
Santa Barbara earthquake of 1925
Definition
Term
San Francisco earthquake of 1906
Definition
Term
hazard perception
Definition
people's beliefs and attitudes about hazards- likelihood they will occur, consequences, preparation, expectation.
Term
risk perception vs. risk assessment
Definition
perception: lay person's perception of risk. assessment: use of statistical data, computational models, reasons/backgrounds/tools that lay people do not have. often very big discordance between perception & assessment. ex: perception: riding in plane is more dangerous than car. not true.
Term
intuitive statistics
Definition
Term
discrediting risks
Definition
causes sub-optimal decision-making. tendency to discredit serious risks. don't take chance of hazards seriously.
Term
decision-making heuristics
Definition
little rules of thumb that people have for decision-making at times of stress/not optimal thinking. for rapid decision making (tiger jumps out at you from a bush).
Term
availability heuristic
Definition
if you have a personal experience with a hazard, have greater perception of risk (house burns down, more aware of fire danger). also: media pushed/influenced.
Term
gambler's fallacy
Definition
the belief in the nonindependence of events that are actually independent. (pull slot machine, pays off person before you, you figure it won't pay out anymore. go to different machine). belief that events are based on previous events. (lightning never strikes twice).
Term
residential inertia
Definition
the desire to remain in one place, live in same house for long time, not move. caused by many factors. can't just pick up and move, even if living in hazard-prone area. ex: live by ocean: hazardous, but benefits: nice shops, climate. house burns down, rebuild in same spot. unwillingness to move.
Term
reciprocal interaction of humans and natural environment
Definition
environments influence humans in good & bad ways. human beings are major cause of species extinction, but also protect them.
Term
resources and hazards reflect human needs and values
Definition
humans effect environment, turn it into resources. humans<--> natural environment.
Term
biosphere: lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere
Definition
Term
biomes
Definition
Term
ecosystems
Definition
Term
greenhouse effect
Definition
Term
acid rain
Definition
Term
ozone in the upper and lower atmosphere
Definition
Term
deforestation
Definition
Term
desertification
Definition
Term
crop rotation
Definition
Term
water availability (figure 13.16)
Definition
Term
hydrologic cycle
Definition
Term
aquifers
Definition
Term
sanitary landfills
Definition
Term
leachate
Definition
Term
Yucca Mountain
Definition
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