AP Human Geography Unit 1 Review (Everything You NEED to Know!)

Summary

This AP Human Geography unit summary video covers key concepts from Unit 1, including map projections, types of maps, geographic data collection, and analysis. It introduces various projections like Mercator and Gall-Peters, explaining their distortions and uses. The video also discusses reference and thematic maps, absolute vs. relative distance and direction, and geographic data collection methods. It further explores qualitative and quantitative data, the importance of scale in analysis, and the impact of technology on spatial interaction. The study guide provided with the video ensures comprehensive understanding and preparation for exams.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Maps are distorted images of the globe, with every projection having some form of distortion in direction, shape, area, or distance.
• 🗺️ Key map projections for AP Human Geography include Mercator, Goode Homolosine, Robinson, and Gall-Peters, each with its own strengths and distortions.
• 🏞️ Reference maps provide general information, while thematic maps display spatial patterns and quantitative data for specific topics.
• 📏 Understanding concepts of absolute and relative distance and direction is crucial for geographic analysis.
• 🔍 Thematic maps include chloropleth, dot density, graduated symbol, isoline, cartogram, and flowline maps, each showing data differently.
• 🌐 Geographic data is collected through remote sensing, field observations, personal interviews, media reports, government documents, travel narratives, landscape analysis, and photo analysis.
• 📊 Data can be qualitative, subjective, and open to interpretation, or quantitative, objective, and concrete.
• 🌐 Geographic data is used by governments, businesses, and individuals at various scales to make informed decisions and understand spatial patterns.
• 📍 Concepts of absolute and relative location, sense of place, and placelessness are important for understanding human interactions with the environment.
• 🌿 Human-environment interaction involves societies impacting the environment and being influenced by it, with concepts like environmental determinism and possibilism explaining this relationship.
• 🏡 Land use patterns, such as agricultural, industrial, commercial, residential, recreational, and transportational, reflect a society's values and needs.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Unit 1 in AP Human Geography?

The primary focus of Unit 1 in AP Human Geography is understanding maps, including different map projections, types of maps, and the concept of distortion inherent in all maps.

Why is it impossible to create a perfect map projection?

It is impossible to create a perfect map projection because when projecting a three-dimensional globe onto a two-dimensional surface, there will always be distortion in at least one aspect: direction, shape, area, or distance.

What are the four main types of map projections mentioned in the script?

The four main types of map projections mentioned are the Mercator, the Goode Homolosine, the Robinson, and the Gall-Peters projections.

How does the Mercator map projection distort the size of land masses?

The Mercator map projection significantly distorts the size of land masses, especially near the poles, making areas like Greenland appear larger than they actually are compared to the equatorial regions.

What are the two broad categories of maps discussed in the script?

The two broad categories of maps discussed are reference maps and thematic maps. Reference maps provide general information about geographic features, while thematic maps display spatial patterns and use quantitative data for specific topics.

What is the difference between absolute and relative distance?

Absolute distance is the exact measurement in miles or kilometers between two places, whereas relative distance is an approximate measurement that gives a general idea of the travel time or effort required to move between two locations.

How does a dot density map represent data?

A dot density map represents data by placing points on a map where the data is occurring, allowing the reader to see the spatial distribution of data, which can become confusing if the data points are clustered together.

What is remote sensing and how is it used in geography?

Remote sensing is a process of collecting information about the world from satellites orbiting the Earth. It helps understand changes over time and is used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to create thematic maps that show spatial patterns.

What are the two main categories of geographic data?

The two main categories of geographic data are qualitative data, which is subjective and often in word form, and quantitative data, which is objective, concrete, and often in numerical form.

How does changing the scale of a map affect the level of detail and generalizations used?

Changing the scale of a map affects the level of detail and generalizations by allowing more detailed views with less generalization at larger scales (zoomed in) and broader, more generalized views at smaller scales (zoomed out).

What is the concept of time-space compression in the context of geography?

Time-space compression is the phenomenon where advancements in technology, transportation, and communication make the world feel smaller by making it easier to interact with places and people across the globe, reducing the impact of distance decay.

What are the three main types of regions in geography?

The three main types of regions in geography are formal regions, which have common attributes; functional regions, which are organized around a central point or node; and perceptual regions, which are based on people's opinions and feelings about an area.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ Map Projections and Types of Maps

This section introduces the concept of map projections, explaining that every map is a distorted representation of the Earth due to the impossibility of perfectly projecting a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional surface. It mentions several projections, including the Mercator, which is good for direction but distorts size, and the Goode Homolosine, which shows true area but distorts distance. The Robinson and Gall-Peters projections are also mentioned for their respective approaches to distortion. The paragraph then differentiates between reference maps, which provide general information, and thematic maps, which display specific data. Reference maps can include topographic maps, while thematic maps can utilize various techniques like chloropleth, dot density, graduated symbol, isoline, cartogram, and flowline maps.

05:02

🌍 Understanding Geographic Data

This part discusses how geographers collect and categorize geographic data. Remote sensing, using satellites to gather information about Earth, is highlighted as a method that aids in understanding spatial patterns over time. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are introduced as tools for analyzing and displaying layered maps. The use of GPS for absolute location is also mentioned. Other data collection methods include field observations, personal interviews, media reports, government documents, travel narratives, landscape analysis, and photo analysis. The paragraph distinguishes between qualitative and quantitative data, explaining that qualitative data is subjective and open to interpretation, while quantitative data is objective and concrete.

10:06

🔍 Scale and Geographic Data Application

The focus here is on how geographic data is applied at different scales, from local to global. It emphasizes that changing the scale of analysis provides different insights into data. Local governments might use data for zoning and planning, while national governments might create laws and programs based on regional data. Global organizations like the UN use data to address worldwide issues. Businesses use geospatial data for market analysis and operational decisions, and individuals use it for navigation and understanding local conditions. The importance of understanding spatial patterns and generalizations at different scales is stressed.

15:06

🏞️ Place and Environmental Interaction

This section delves into the characteristics that define a place, including both physical features like rivers and climate, and human features like language and culture. It introduces the concept of 'sense of place,' which is the emotional connection to a location, and contrasts it with 'placelessness,' where a location lacks identity. The spatial associations within a place, such as concentration, density, and patterns, are discussed as a way to understand the flow, use, and culture of an area. The paragraph also touches on how advancements in technology have led to 'time-space compression,' making the world feel smaller and reducing the impact of distance decay, a concept that describes the decreased likelihood of interaction with increased distance.

20:08

🌱 Human-Environment Interaction and Land Use

This part examines how society interacts with the environment, discussing the historical concept of environmental determinism, which posits that the environment dictates societal success, and its critique leading to the concept of environmental possibilism, which allows for human adaptation and influence on the environment. It outlines different types of land use, including agricultural, industrial, commercial, residential, recreational, and transportational. The importance of sustainable policies in using natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, is emphasized to ensure the needs of the present are met without compromising the future.

25:09

🌐 Scale of Analysis and Regional Analysis

The final section explains the concept of scale in mapping and analysis, distinguishing between global, national, regional, and local scales. It clarifies that as the scale becomes smaller (more local), more details are visible, and as it becomes larger (more global), the information becomes more generalized. The section also introduces the idea of regions defined by unique characteristics or activities, including formal regions, functional regions, and perceptual regions. It notes that regions can change, overlap, and become contested, especially when viewed at different scales.

Keywords

💡Map Projections

Map projections are methods used to represent the Earth's surface on a flat plane. They are crucial in geography as they help in visualizing the world despite distortions introduced by the transformation from a three-dimensional globe to a two-dimensional map. The script mentions several projections, such as the Mercator, Goode Homolosine, and Gall-Peters, each with specific distortions and uses. For instance, the Mercator projection is great for showing accurate direction but distorts the size of landmasses, making Greenland appear larger than Africa.

💡Distortion

Distortion in cartography refers to the inevitable discrepancies that arise when projecting a three-dimensional Earth onto a two-dimensional map. The script explains that every map projection distorts either direction, shape, area, or distance. Understanding distortion is key to interpreting maps accurately, as it affects how we perceive geographical relationships and the relative sizes of countries or features.

💡Reference Maps

Reference maps are a type of map designed to provide detailed information about geographical features, boundaries, and other spatial data. They are often used for navigation or to display specific geographic attributes. The script mentions that reference maps include topographic maps, which use contour lines to depict terrain and elevation, and are vital for understanding the physical landscape.

💡Thematic Maps

Thematic maps are specialized maps that display spatial patterns of specific data sets, such as population density or climate zones. They use various symbols, colors, or shadings to represent different quantities or types of information. The script discusses different types of thematic maps, including chloropleth maps, dot density maps, and isopleth maps, which help in visualizing complex data geographically.

💡Geospatial Technologies

Geospatial technologies encompass tools and systems that capture, analyze, and visualize geographic data. The script highlights remote sensing, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and GPS (Global Positioning System) as key components of geospatial technologies. These technologies are crucial for collecting and interpreting geographic data, which can be used for a variety of applications, from urban planning to environmental monitoring.

💡Spatial Analysis

Spatial analysis is the process of examining and interpreting patterns, relationships, and trends in geographic data. The script refers to spatial analysis in the context of understanding how data is clustered or dispersed across geographic areas. This analysis is essential for identifying trends, making predictions, and informing decisions in fields such as urban planning, environmental management, and public health.

💡Qualitative Data

Qualitative data consists of non-numerical information that is often subjective and based on observations, interviews, or personal experiences. The script contrasts qualitative data with quantitative data, noting that qualitative data is open to interpretation and varies based on who collects it. An example given is the approval rating of school lunch food, which would be subjective and vary from person to person.

💡Quantitative Data

Quantitative data is numerical information that provides concrete, objective measurements. It is used to make definitive statements about a population or phenomenon. The script mentions that quantitative data might come from a country's census, providing demographic details such as age, education level, and housing status. This type of data is valuable for statistical analysis and evidence-based decision making.

💡Scale

In geography, scale refers to the level of detail or the geographic scope being analyzed. The script discusses different scales, from global to local, and how changing the scale affects the type and detail of information that can be observed. For example, a global scale might show broad patterns of population distribution, while a local scale might detail specific land use patterns within a city.

💡Regional Analysis

Regional analysis involves studying geographic areas defined by certain characteristics or activities. The script introduces three types of regions: formal regions, functional regions, and perceptual regions. Understanding regional analysis is important for grasping how places are interconnected and how they function within larger geographic contexts. For example, a functional region might be defined by the catchment area of a major airport, illustrating how economic activities can shape geographic understanding.

💡Place

In the context of the script, 'place' refers to a location with unique physical and human characteristics that give it a sense of identity. The script discusses how places can evoke a sense of place, an emotional connection to a location, which is influenced by its unique features and memories associated with it. Placelessness, on the other hand, refers to locations lacking distinctive features or identity, which can be a subject of geographical study.

Highlights

Introduction to AP Human Geography Unit 1 summary video

Study guide available for download to accompany the video

Importance of understanding map projections and their distortions

Explanation of Mercator, Goode's Homolosine, and Robinson map projections

Discussion on Gall-Peters projection for accurate land mass representation

Differentiation between reference maps and thematic maps

Description of topographic maps and their use in displaying terrain

Explanation of absolute and relative distance and direction

Use of chloropleth, dot density, and graduated symbol maps in thematic mapping

Introduction to isoline and cartogram maps for displaying data

Importance of understanding how to read different types of maps

Collection of geographic data through remote sensing and GIS

Use of GPS for absolute location and navigation

Different methods of data collection by geographers

Explanation of qualitative and quantitative data in geography

Impact of changing scale on geographic data insights

Use of geographic data by governments for planning and decision-making

Business applications of geospatial data for market understanding

Individual use of geographic data in daily life for navigation and decision-making

Concept of absolute and relative location in geography

Importance of place and the development of sense of place

Discussion on placelessness and its causes

Observation of spatial associations within a place

Impact of time-space compression on the interconnectedness of the world

Concept of distance decay and its diminishing effect due to technology

Interaction between humans and the environment in land use

Different types of land use and their societal implications

Importance of sustainability in the consumption of natural resources

Explanation of scale and scale of analysis in geography

Types of regions and their characteristics

Conclusion of Unit 1 and preparation for Unit 2

Transcripts

Hello there geographers and welcome to the first  unit summary video for AP Human Geography in this  

video we will be reviewing all of the major  Concepts that you need to know from unit 1 of  

AP Human Geography now before we get started I  need you to click the link in the description of  

this video to get the study guide that goes along  with the video the study guide can be found in my  

Ultimate Review Packet it goes along with this  video and will make sure that you remember all  

of the major concepts in this unit. When you get  the study guide don't forget to check out the rest  

of the packet as well the packet has unit review  videos for each unit practice quizzes study guides  

answer keys full practice AP exams FRQ resources  important vocab lists exclusive videos and other  

resources to help you get not only an A in your  class but a five on the national exam. So now that  

you have your study guide out and you are ready  to go let's review unit one. Now the first part of  

this unit is all about maps and right away we need  to remember that whenever we are looking at a map  

we are looking at a distorted image of the globe.  Every map projection has distortion in either  

the direction shape area or distance. This happens  because you can't take a three-dimensional object  

such as a globe and perfectly project it onto a  two-dimensional surface. There are hundreds and  

hundreds of different map projections and each  of them have different uses. But for AP Human  

Geography you only have to be familiar with a  few. The Mercator map projection is a conformal  

projection and is excellent at showing accurate  direction, which is one of the reasons why it was  

used for naval expedition. But this projection has  significant distortion in the size and location  

of land Maps which we can clearly see when looking  at Greenland and Africa the map gives the illusion  

that Greenland is larger than Africa when in  reality Africa is more than 14 times larger than  

Greenland the good homo scene projection is an  equal area pseudo-cylindrical projection it does  

a great job at showing the true size and shape of  land masses but has Distortion in distances near  

the edges of the map it is not helpful for  direction since it is is an interrupted man  

remember interrupted Maps try to remove Distortion  by removing parts of the globe while uninterrupted  

Maps do not remove any parts of the globe which  may cause more Distortion in some areas of the  

map the Robinson projection has more Distortion  near the poles which helps preserve the size and  

shape of land map but in its effort to minimize  Distortion it ends up spreading the Distortion  

out across the entire map for all areas next is  the gall Peters projection which is one of the  

more accurate map projections at showing the  true size of the earth's land mass but at the  

same time this projection does have significant  Distortion with the shape of land masses and  

also Direction remember the fundamental problem  that every map has is Distortion moving on from  

map projections to types of maps we can see their  two broad categories reference maps and thematic  

Maps reference maps are informational Maps these  Maps show boundaries the toponym and geographic  

features of a play reference maps are often used  for Direct actions to display property lines  

political boundaries elevation changes public  transportation routes or to show key features  

of a place one type of reference map you'll want  to be familiar with is a topographic map these  

Maps use contour lines to display the terrain  and elevation changes in an area the closer the  

lines are together the steeper the train is the  more space there is between the lines the less  

elevation is changing now before we move on to  thematic Maps I want to quickly review absolute  

and relative distance and also Direction absolute  direction is the exact Direction you are heading  

for example if you are traveling south the compass  would be at 180 degrees while relative Direction  

depends on the surrounding area for example here  you can see that the yellow circle is north of  

the blue circle notice the direction depends on  the location of the other circle now absolute  

distance is the exact distance between two places  it's normally measured in miles or kilometers and  

relative distance is the approximate measurement  between two places for example if you want to  

drive from Minneapolis to Orlando it would take  about 23 hours next we have thematic Maps which  

display spatial patterns of places and use  quantitative data to display specific topics  

throughout AP Human Geography you will see a  variety of different thematic maps chloropluff  

maps display data by using different colors or  different shades of color with each color or  

shade of a color showing a different quantity of  the data set dot density Maps show data by placing  

points on a map where the data is occurring this  allows the reader to see the spatial distribution  

of data but can be confusing if the data is  clustered together remember when we are using  

spatial analysis we will come across information  that is clustered together for example notice on  

the screen right now these circles have little  space between them the circles here are packed  

together but if we spread the circles out over a  geographic area we can see that now the circles  

are dispersed you will hear these terms come up  throughout the entire year so make sure you are  

familiar with them for example when looking at  this dot density map of the United States we can  

see that people are more clustered together  in the east coast and are more dispersed in  

areas such as the Dakotas or States like Wyoming  Montana or Nebraska going on to our next thematic  

map we have a graduated symbol map which uses  shapes items or symbols to show the location  

and the amount of data these Maps can be very  visual but sometimes can be confusing due to the  

overlapping information isoline Maps use lines  to connect different areas that have similar or  

equal amounts of data a common example of this  would be a weather map that shows areas with  

similar temperature then there is a cartograph  map which shows data in a dynamic way with the  

greatest value represented by the largest area for  example we can see in this cartogram that China  

and India have larger populations than Canada and  Bahrain lastly there are flowline maps which are  

great at showing the movement of different Goods  people animals services or ideas between different  

places now while being able to identify these  Maps is one thing it's more important that you  

understand how to read so once you're done with  this video go back to my ultimate review packet  

and take the map quiz once you finish the quiz  you can also check out my video breaking down  

each question we've been talking about maps and  looking at different ways they can be used but  

we need to also go over Geographic data how it  is collected and also how it is categorized one  

of the ways in which geographers can collect data  is through remote sensing which is a process of  

collecting information about the world from  satellites that are orbiting the Earth this  

information can help us better understand  changes that occur in different places over  

time and can be used in geographic information  systems to create thematic Maps which help us  

better understand spatial patterns remember a GIS  is a computer system that can collect analyze and  

display Geographic data it creates layered Maps  which gives geographers insight into the spatial  

associations and patterns of a place satellites  are also helpful at providing an absolute location  

through the global positioning system or GPS for  sure today people use GPS to help navigate between  

different places or to find specific spots on the  Earth's surface these three different Technologies  

are all known as geospatial Technologies and they  allow different businesses people governments and  

also organizations to locate places and visualize  Geographic data but those are not the only ways  

in which geographers collect data there are also  field observations which are done by having people  

visit a place in the real world and record their  first-hand observation which is great at getting  

accurate data but can also be costly and sometimes  hard to get another in person or sometimes digital  

approach to Gathering data is through personal  interviews here geographers can learn about a  

place and collect individuals unique perspectives  by asking different questions to gain insight into  

an area media reports can also be used to better  understand what people in an area are experiencing  

and what is happening to that area newspapers  online line articles or local news stations all  

give different insights into a place or data can  be collected by looking at government documents  

the laws that are put in place in an area show  cultural values and priority they also provide  

insight into the different systems that govern a  place which can help geographers better understand  

what happened at a place what is happening now  and what might happen in the future then there  

are travel narratives which unlike government  documents or media reports show a more personal  

perspective here geographers can gain insight  into individuals experiences and observations of  

places while they were visiting or living in the  area lastly we can see data be acquired through  

landscape analysis and photo analysis this helps  geographers better understand changes to an area  

and can show the impact humans may have had on  the environment this is done by studying images  

captured by geospatial technology looking at  photographs or observing video recordings of  

a play your geographers can look at Wildlife  vegetation the geography and other physical  

elements of a place photo analysis is a skill you  will definitely want to be familiar with for both  

your class and for the national exam now before  we go on to talk about different types of data I  

want to make sure you're comfortable with doing  photo analysis pause this video and complete the  

table in your study guide once you're done with  the video you'll be able to go and check the  

answer key in the ultimate review packet to make  sure that you're understanding these contents all  

right so when we look at data we can see there  are two main categories of data qualitative  

data and quantitative data qualitative data is  information that is often in word form and is up  

for interpretation debate and discussion this data  is subjective and will differ depending on who has  

collecting it and how it is being collected  this type of data is often collected through  

observations and interviews an example of this  data would be the approval rating of your school's  

lunch food notice here that the information will  differ every time you conduct your survey well  

on the other hand quantitative data is often  in number form and is not up for debate this  

information is concrete and is objective not  subjective this information may be collected by  

a country's census which is an official count of a  population which includes a variety of demographic  

data such as age education level housing status  sex and more an example of this data would be the  

demographic breakdown of India where we could look  at the population pyramid to better understand how  

many people are in each age called if you do  need more help with practicing qualitative and  

quantitative data you can also find exclusive  videos and resources in the ultimate review  

packet to help you practice these Concepts Okay so  we've covered now how to collect Geographic data  

but now we need to talk about what we can use that  Geographic data for to start we have to remember  

that when we change our scale we gain different  insight into Geographic data which makes sense  

if I'm looking at a local scale I'm not seeing  much of the Earth's surface but I'm able to see  

lots of details of an area this would be great  for understanding exactly where data points are  

occurring but if I change my scale to a national  scale I lose some of the finer details however I  

am now able to see different spatial relationships  occurring within a country's boundary lastly if we  

use a small scale map and look at a global scale  we are able to see even more patterns but also end  

up relying more on generalization governments  use Geographic data to better understand their  

constituents needs and to better understand how  to plan for the future we look at the local level  

we can see City governments use quantitative and  qualitative data to make decisions about zoning to  

plan for the future growth of their settlement to  do this they will look at data such as population  

changes to understand the needs of their residents  for example if the population is very young they  

will need to get funding for a new school or if  the population is older they will invest more in  

health care services if we change our scale to  a regional scale we can see Regional governments  

such as state governments in the United States  that will use data to allocate State funds for  

infrastructure projects social services and pass  laws for the region to reflect the needs and  

wants of the people nationally we can see Federal  governments who use data to decide what federal  

laws and programs should be created and kept in  place oftentimes National governments will look at  

what Regional governments have done to see if it  would work on a national scale on a global scale  

we can look at supernational organizations such  as the United Nations which looks at the current  

state of the world these organizations look  at geospatial data to help counter Roar famine  

epidemics and conflicts between different nations  all to help make the world a better place and it  

isn't just governments that use data businesses do  as well businesses use geospatial data to not only  

understand the needs and wants of their customers  but also their operation on a local scale  

businesses may use information that is organized  by census tracts to better understand the median  

income of an area this will allow them to open  stores in neighborhoods where their customers  

are located on a regional scale businesses can  compare different store sales to look for areas  

that are more favorable for the business such as  regions that have a lower tax rate for businesses  

or a higher percentage of of workers with the  skills that are desirable nationally businesses  

look to see how different stores and offices are  performing around the country to better identify  

good company policy businesses will also look  for trends that are occurring nationally which  

could be used to increase productivity and sales  of regional branches if we change our scale to  

the global scale we can see that businesses will  look for new sources of resources workers ideas  

and markets to expand their business too they will  use Geographic data to understand changes in the  

global market to look for developing economy for  either the production of goods or possibly new  

markets to sell their goods lastly individuals  use Geographic data in their lives as well on a  

local scale we can see people use geospatial data  to help get them from place a to place B by using  

their GPS individuals looking to move into a new  house might use thematic maps to look at crime  

rates in a neighborhood commute times or check to  see what services exist in an area on a regional  

scale we can see individuals look at different  opportunities in an area and compare them to  

the surrounding region for example in the United  States the 50 states often have similar laws and  

systems in place but each state does differ in  their legislative policies which allows people  

to compare the performance of each state to  see which policies work the best on a national  

scale individuals will look at how their country  performs economically and socially when trying  

to decide which individuals to vote for oftentimes  individuals look at different data and information  

to inform themselves on the type of leadership  they want for their country lastly we could look  

at the global scale where individuals look at  geospatial data to better understand the world  

in which they live compare different countries and  to gain insight into the different Global Systems  

that impact them notice how each time we change  our scale we gain different levels of insight into  

the data and the more that we start to zoom out  the more General the data become now we've been  

talking for a while now about different Geographic  data and how it can show different spatial  

patterns but let's dive deeper into some some of  these spatial Concepts we've been talking about to  

start you want to make sure that you remember the  difference between absolute and relative location  

and notice that I said location not direction  or distance we already talked about those terms  

earlier in this video absolute location is an  exact location on the Earth's surface it uses  

longitude and latitude think about your phone  and GPS the name of a location may change over  

time but those coordinates will always remain the  same relative location on the other hand is the  

relation a place has to the surrounding area for  example if I was to describe my location using  

the different buildings around me or geographic  features of the area it's not exact like absolute  

location but it can still help you with figuring  out a person's location so when talking about a  

place we're talking about its physical and human  characteristics physical characteristics are  

things like rivers mountains vegetation or climate  of an area whereas the human characteristics would  

be things such as the languages spoken in an  area the religions that are practiced the amount  

of people living in a place the culture that are  present in the area or other General demographic  

data both physical and human characteristics  provide a location a sense of place this is an  

emotional response that helps form a person's  perception of a play the more unique a place  

is or the more memories you have of a place the  stronger the sense of place now sometimes certain  

locations do not invoke any strong feelings  from people and they lack the unique features  

that help the location stand out this could cause  the location to have placelessness which is when  

a play seems to lack in identity one of the ways  we can gain insight into a place is by observing  

the spatial associations that exist within a  place when looking at a place geographers will  

look at the spatial distribution of the plate  which consists of density concentration and  

any patterns that may be present concentration  looks at how things are spread out objects may  

be clustered together or dispersed density looks  at the amount of objects or people in an area  

for example urban areas are often more densely  populated since more people live there compared  

to rural areas lastly pattern is the arrangement  of things in an area such as if objects are in a  

grid formation or a linear pattern when we observe  different spatial distributions of a place we can  

gain a better understanding of the flow the use  the purpose and culture of that place for example  

look around your classroom the next time you are  in it how are the desks arranged are they spaced  

out facing the front of the room or are they  clustered together in pots each of these different  

Arrangements tells you something about how the  classroom will be used if the desks are all in  

a line facing the front of the room with space  between the desks odds are you'll be listening  

to the teacher more and talking with your peers a  lot but if your deaths are clustered together you  

will probably be talking with your peers working  on group projects or having more interactions with  

other students so we can see that we can learn  a lot about a place just from observing it but  

in order to truly understand a place we also need  to understand its connections with other places  

the world today is more connected than ever  before thanks to advancements in technology  

apology and communication it's easier than ever  to travel communicate trade and interact with  

places and people all over the world all of these  connections make the world feel that much smaller  

this phenomenon is known as time space compression  traditionally places and people were impacted more  

by distance Decay which is a geographic concept  that looks at How likely a person or place is to  

interact with another person or play the farther  the people or places are apart the less likely  

they are to interact this is why you're more  likely to hang out with people that attend your  

school instead of a school on the other side  of town or why you are more likely to shop at  

stores near you instead of in another city but  thanks to the advancements in technology the  

impact of distance Decay has decreased as it's  become easier than ever to interact with other  

places and people around the world Okay so we've  been talking about how places interact with other  

places but now we need to talk about how places  interact with the environment when looking at  

human environment interaction we can see that  society and impacts the environment and the  

environment in turn impacts Society the idea  of environmental determinism looked at this  

relationship between the environment and society  and while it is no longer as widely accepted it  

still provides us insight into the role of the  environment and Society determinism believes that  

the environment dictates the success of a society  certain environments allow for a society to thrive  

and succeed while other environments restrict  a society over time people started to criticize  

environmental determinism for promoting European  imperialism and for discounting the role of humans  

and their ability to adapt to adversity the day  many people believe in environmental possibilism  

which is the idea that the environment puts a  limits on a society but people have the ability to  

adjust the physical environment and create their  own success remember environmental determinism  

believes that the environment determines the  culture and possibilism believes that the  

environment and culture both influence each other  one of the ways in which we can see society today  

change their local environment is by repurposing  their land for specific purposes this is known as  

land land that is used for agricultural use  is utilized for the production of different  

agricultural products both for human consumption  and animal consumption land used for industrial  

land consists of factories and Manufacturing  facilities that produce different products for  

society land designated for commercial use is for  businesses and stores to sell their final goods  

and services then there is residential land use  which is a land that is designated for people to  

live on and build homes recreational land use is  land that's been set aside for people in society  

to relax and unwind such as land dedicated  to football stadiums Parks or campsites and  

lastly there is transportational land use which  is the land that is designated for roads railroads  

airports ports or public transportation such  as Subway this is what allows people and goods  

to get around a society by understanding the  society's land use patterns we gain insight  

into what industries they prioritize what cultural  values they have and how Society designates their  

land to meet the different wants and needs of  their people now when societies seek to meet  

their wants and needs they will consume natural  resources which are resources that are produced  

in nature natural resources consist of renewable  resources such as crops and trees these resources  

can be used multiple times without running out  then there is non-renewable resources such as  

oil and natural gas once the resources used it's  gone it's important that societies around the  

world create sustainable policies to help their  society become more sustainable when societies are  

sustainable they ensure that they use the Earth's  natural resources in a manner that allows them to  

meet their wants and needs without compromising  future Generations from doing the same Okay  

so we've talked about the environment places  spatial associations and data but now we need  

to talk about scale and scale of analysis remember  scale is the distance on a map in relation to the  

corresponding distance on the Earth's surface  there is a global scale national scale Regional  

scale and local scale and if we want to get even  more detailed with our scale we can also look  

at categories such as the sub-national scale or  sub-state scale which is below the national scale  

this would include looking at a map of a city  county region or even a census tract which is one  

of the smallest classifications of a geographic  area now in talking about scales of analysis we  

will still use global national regional and local  scale but with scales of analysis we're trying to  

understand how the information and data is being  organized and presented a global scale of analysis  

does not use country's boundaries to present  the information instead it shows Global pattern  

the information here is not connected to any one  country making this map here a global scale map  

and a global scale of analysis a national scale  of analysis has the data and information organized  

by the country here we can see we have a global  scale map but notice how the data is organized  

by each country since the data is connected to  specific countries it makes us a national scale  

of analysis or Regional scale of analysis can  be displayed in a variety of different ways but  

here we can see that we have a national scale map  however the information is being organized into  

different Federal Reserve Districts making this  a regional scale of analysis lastly here we can  

see we have a local scale of analysis notice how  the information that is being presented in this  

map is organized by the different counties in the  United States one thing you'll want to notice is  

that as we change our scale from a global scale to  a local scale you're able to get more details in  

the information small scale Maps such as this one  use more generalizations to present the data since  

the maps are more zoomed out while large-scale  Maps such as this one have more details and use  

less generalization since the maps are zoomed  in oftentimes students get confused with small  

and large-scale Maps remember small scale maps  are zoomed out and large-scale maps are zoomed  

in whenever we change our scale we can observe  different spatial associations patterns and gain  

insight into different Geographic areas scale and  scale of analysis can be confusing for students so  

what I want you to do now is complete the table  in your study guide if you need help completing  

the table you can also check out my exclusive  videos and practice problems in the ultimate  

review packet to help you make sure that you're  understanding everything all right now moving on  

from scale of analysis to Regional analysis we  can see that we have three main different types  

of regions remember a region is a geographic  area that is defined by one or more unique  

characteristics or certain patterns of activity  there are formal regions also known as uniform  

regions these are Geographic areas that have  common attributes and are traditionally defined  

by economic political social or environmental  characteristics for example political boundaries  

in Latin America create formal regions that are  State or the Rocky Mountains create a formal  

physical region in the United States functional  regions also known as nodal regions are Geographic  

areas that are organized around a node or Center  Point oftentimes the node or Center Point is based  

around a specific economic activity travel or  communication airports radio stations power  

plants or subway stations all create functional  regions lastly there are perceptual regions also  

known as vernacular regions these are Geographic  areas that are linked together due to people's  

opinions attitudes feelings or beliefs on the  region these regions exist in people's minds and  

do not have a perfect definition these regions  will differ depending on who you talk to for  

example the Middle East is a perceptual region  depending on who you talk to each person has a  

different idea of what countries are part of the  Middle East one general rule of thumb to remember  

is that if a region is based on the cardinal  directions it is most likely a perceptual  

region since when using cardinal directions we  are looking at relative location and direction  

over time we see regions change overlap and become  contested this is especially true if we change our  

scale of our information and there you have it  geographers we are done with unit one now don't  

forget to check your answers to the study guide  in the answer key in my ultimate review pack and  

also take the unit one practice quiz to make sure  you're ready for your unit one test remember if  

you found value in this video and you want to see  more human geography content then also make sure  

to subscribe and join me for unit 2. as always  I'm Mr. Sinn and I will see you next time online