Barron's AP Human Geography Chapter 6 Vocab

Economic Concepts and Models

• Agglomeration: Refers to clustering of firms in the same industry, promoting resource sharing and infrastructure use.
• Ancillary Activities: Supportive economic activities linked to large industries, e.g., shipping and food services.
• Core-Periphery Model: Describes development disparities, highlighting that underdeveloped regions depend on developed core areas.
• Deindustrialization: Represents a decline in industrial activity, often leading to economic loss in a region.
• Rostow's Stages of Development: A model outlining five stages of economic growth from least-developed to most-developed.
• World-Systems Theory: Explains global economic structures involving core, periphery, and semi-periphery regions historically.

Types of Economic Activities

• Cottage Industry: Home-based production, contrasting with factory-based manufacturing.
• Quaternary Economic Activities: Involve research and administration, focusing on information and knowledge management.
• Primary Economic Activities: Concern the extraction and utilization of natural resources, including agriculture and mining.
• Tertiary Economic Activities: Encompass service-oriented functions that connect consumers and service providers.
• Secondary Economic Activities: Involve manufacturing and construction, focused on processing raw materials.

Economic Measurements

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Total economic value of goods/services produced within a country's borders annually.
• Gross National Product (GNP): Total value of goods/services produced by a nation's residents, including foreign income.
• Human Development Index (HDI): Measures development based on human welfare rather than economic output, incorporating life expectancy and education.
• Purchasing Power Parity (PPP): A monetary metric assessing the relative purchasing power in different countries.

Industry and Manufacturing

• Bulk-Gaining Industry: Final products weigh more than raw materials, necessitating proximity to markets.
• Bulk-Reducing Industry: Final products weigh less than raw materials, often located near resource supplies.
• Fordism: Standardized mass production system pioneered by Henry Ford, elevating manufacturing efficiency.
• Maquiladoras: U.S. factories located just outside the Mexican border, benefiting from low labor costs.

Globalization and Investment

• Globalization: Increasing global interconnectedness affecting political and economic structures, making smaller scales more obsolete.
• Foreign Investment: Overseas financial investments by private businesses, often seeking growth in emerging markets.
• Transnational Corporation (TNC): Companies operating across multiple countries, often producing and selling in various markets.
• Outsourcing: Transferring production and business processes to external locations, often for cost savings.

Environmental and Sustainable Practices

• Ecotourism: Tourism focused on nature, aimed at promoting sustainable practices and environmental preservation.
• Sustainable Development: Balances meeting current needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs.
• Renewable Resources: Resources that can replenish naturally within a human lifespan, supporting sustainability.

Economic Disparities

• Economic Backwaters: Regions that do not benefit from national economic growth, often experiencing stagnation.
• Least-Developed Countries (LDCs): Nations with low economic productivity and standards of living, prevalent in parts of Africa and Asia.
• Industrialized Countries: Advanced economies, including the U.S., Germany, and Japan, recognized for high production levels.
• Semi-Periphery: New industrialized countries with median living standards, such as Brazil and India.

Regional and Spatial Dynamics

• Rust Belt: Region in the U.S. marked by industrial decline and relocation of manufacturing to countries with cheaper labor.
• Export-Processing Zone: Areas established to attract export-oriented industries with favorable economic conditions.
• Fast World vs. Slow World: Contrast between economically connected regions with advanced technologies (Fast World) and developing areas lacking such benefits (Slow World).
• Spatially Fixed vs. Variable Costs: Discusses costs in manufacturing, where fixed costs remain constant and variable costs fluctuate significantly based on location.

Corporate Structure

• Conglomerate Corporation: A large company composed of multiple smaller firms across different industries.
• Footloose Firms: Manufacturing businesses not significantly tied to specific locations due to low transport costs.
• Service-Based Economies: Economies centered on services rather than manufacturing, including tourism and telecommunications.

Test your knowledge with this flashcard quiz on Chapter 6 vocabulary from Barron's AP Human Geography. This quiz covers important terms and concepts that are vital for understanding human geography. Perfect for students preparing for the AP exam.