AP Human Geography Exam Review

Key Terms in AP Human Geography

• Absolute location: The specific geographic coordinates of a place on Earth's surface.

• Acculturation: Cultural change resulting from the adoption of practices from another culture.

• Agglomeration effects: Cost benefits gained by businesses through proximity to similar industries, leading to external economies.

• Agribusiness: Large-scale commercial agriculture operated by corporations, focusing on profitability across production stages.

• Agricultural density: The ratio of the rural population to the available agricultural land.

• Alliance: A formal arrangement among nations for collective defense or trade purposes.

• Animism: A belief system that ascribes spiritual essence to natural objects and phenomena.

• Antecedent boundary: A border established before significant cultural development occurred in the region.

• Artifact: Physical objects representing material culture, significant for historical understanding.

• Assimilation: The process where immigrants fully adopt the customs and culture of the host society.

• Backwash effect: Negative consequences for a region as resources (labor, capital) are drawn towards a more prosperous area.

• Basic sector: Industries producing goods and services primarily for external markets, outside the urban area.

• Bid-rent curve: A model illustrating how land value varies in concentric zones from the city center based on demand.

• Biotechnology: The use of scientific methods to alter and enhance the properties of biological entities like crops and livestock.

• Built environment: The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity.

• Carrying capacity: The maximum population an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading.

• Central business district (CBD): The primary commercial area at the core of older cities.

• Central place theory: Proposed by Walter Christaller, explaining urban settlements' formation based on economic functions and the need for goods and services.

• Centrifugal force: Factors that lead to division and conflict within a country, such as ethnic or religious disparities.

• Centripetal force: Elements that unify a nation, such as shared culture and leadership.

• Chain migration: Subsequent waves of migrants moving to areas their relatives or friends previously settled.

• Channelized migration: Non-familial and repetitive migration patterns, exemplified by older adults relocating to warmer regions.

• Charter group: The initial settlers who establish a distinct culture and society in a new area.

• Compact state: A state with a nearly round shape, which can facilitate easier governance and infrastructure.

• Colonialism: The practice of a country exerting control over foreign territories for political and economic domination.

• Commodity chain: A sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a product.

• Concentric zone model: A framework for urban land use depicting the social stratification and growth of cities through concentric circles.

• Confederation: A union of states or regions created for mutual support while often retaining individual governance.

• Congregation: The clustering of ethnic groups in specific urban areas to foster community support.

• Consequent boundary: A boundary created based on pre-existing cultural or linguistic criteria.

• Conservation agriculture: Farming practices aimed at increasing crop productivity while preserving environmental health.

Prepare for the AP Human Geography exam with this comprehensive set of flashcards. Each card contains key terms and definitions to help you understand essential concepts such as absolute location, acculturation, and agglomeration effects. Perfect for quick revision and exam preparation.