Unit 1
globalization
actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.
aritmetic population density
the total number of people divided by the total land area, least accurate
Food Taboos
social customs prohibit the use of certain edible resources as food
Anocracy
A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather displays a mix of the two types.
Law of the Sea
Law establishing states rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources.
types of diffusion
expansion, hierarchal, relocation, contagious and stimulus
ecumene
parts of the earth that have been inhabited
Assimilation
the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another
A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
Unitary State
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials
means that the further away different places are from a place of origin, the less likely interaction will be with the original place
demographic transition model
a sequence of demographic changes in which a country moved from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates through time
lingua franca
A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages
Frontier
A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.
Balance of Power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.
possibilism
theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.
dependency ratio
The number of people under age 15 and over age 64 compared to the number of people active in the labor force
Isogloss
A boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate.
Gerrymandering
Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
physical boundary
Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers.
functional region
areas that have a central place (or node) that is a focus or point of origin that expresses some practical purpose, the influence of this point is strongest in the areas close to the center, and the strength of influence diminishes as distance increases from that point
Malthusian Theory
Starvation is the inevitable result of population growth, because the population increases at a geometric rate while food supply can only increase arithmetically
ethnic religion
A religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated.
Sovereignty
Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.
Disputed States
An area that is in the middle of a disagreement over who controls that land.