ap human geography cheat sheet

2 min read 01-02-2025

Conquering the AP Human Geography exam requires a strategic approach to mastering a broad range of concepts. This cheat sheet provides a concise overview of key topics, designed to help you focus your study efforts and boost your exam score. Remember, this is a cheat sheet – a supplement to your textbook and class notes, not a replacement.

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

Geography's Core Concepts: Location (absolute & relative), place (sense of place, perception of place), human-environment interaction (environmental determinism vs. possibilism), region (formal, functional, perceptual), and spatial interaction (distance decay, diffusion). Understanding these foundational concepts is crucial for analyzing geographic patterns.
Geographic Tools: Maps (various projections and their limitations), GIS (Geographic Information Systems), GPS (Global Positioning Systems), remote sensing. Knowing how these tools are used to collect, analyze, and represent geographic data is essential.
Types of Maps: Choropleth (shaded areas representing data), dot distribution (dots show density), isoline (lines connect points of equal value), cartograms (size of areas reflect data), etc. Be able to interpret and analyze different map types.

Unit 2: Population and Migration

Population Distribution: Factors influencing population distribution (climate, resources, topography). Understand global patterns and regional variations.
Population Density: Arithmetic, physiological, and agricultural density – know their differences and significance.
Demographic Transition Model (DTM): Stages, characteristics of each stage, and limitations of the model. Be able to analyze countries at different stages.
Malthusian Theory: Understand the core arguments and criticisms of Malthus's predictions about population growth exceeding resource availability.
Epidemiological Transition Model: Stages of disease and mortality; connection to the DTM.
Migration Patterns: Ravenstein's Laws of Migration, push and pull factors, types of migration (internal vs. international, voluntary vs. forced).

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

Culture: Definition, elements of culture (language, religion, ethnicity), cultural diffusion (expansion diffusion – hierarchical, contagious, stimulus; relocation diffusion).
Language Families: Major language families and their global distribution. Understand the impact of language on culture and identity.
Religions: Major world religions (origins, distribution, branches), religious landscapes (sacred sites, architecture). Analyze the spatial distribution and influence of religion.
Ethnicity: Ethnicities, ethnic enclaves, and ethnic conflicts. Understand the geographic patterns of ethnicity and its impact on social and political landscapes.

Unit 4: Political Organization of Space

States: Definition, characteristics of a state (territory, population, sovereignty, government). Understand the concepts of nation and nation-state.
Geopolitics: Influence of geography on political power, territorial disputes, and international relations.
Political Systems: Types of government (democracy, authoritarianism, etc.), electoral geography (gerrymandering, redistricting).
Supranational Organizations: Examples (UN, EU, NATO), functions, and impacts. Understand how these organizations shape global politics.
Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces: Factors that unify or divide states.

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land Use

Agricultural Revolutions: First, Second, and Third Agricultural Revolutions – their impacts on food production and society.
Agricultural Systems: Subsistence vs. commercial agriculture, types of agricultural practices (intensive, extensive), Von Thünen's model.
Rural Land Use: Factors influencing land use patterns, challenges in rural areas.

Unit 6: Industrialization and Economic Development

Industrial Revolution: Origins, diffusion, and impact on global economies.
Industrial Location Theories: Weber's model, locational factors for industries.
Economic Development: Indicators of economic development (GDP, GNI, HDI), development models (Rostow's stages of growth, Wallerstein's world-systems theory). Understand the disparities in economic development across the globe.

Unit 7: Cities and Urban Land Use

Urbanization: Processes of urban growth, factors contributing to urbanization.
Models of Urban Structure: Concentric zone model, sector model, multiple nuclei model, galactic city model. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each model.
Urban Challenges: Poverty, housing, transportation, environmental issues in urban areas.

This cheat sheet offers a condensed overview. For a thorough understanding, consult your textbook, class notes, and practice past AP Human Geography exams. Good luck!