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History and Social SciencesHuman Geography

AP Human Geography

Use maps, data, spatial reasoning, and geographic models to explain how people, cultures, political systems, cities, agriculture, and economies organize space.

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Unit 1Thinking Geographically7 topics

Learn to read maps and geographic data, reason across scales, identify spatial patterns, and analyze regions and human–environment relationships.

  1. 1.1Introduction to Maps
  2. 1.2Geographic Data
  3. 1.3The Power of Geographic Data
  4. 1.4Spatial Concepts
  5. 1.5Human–Environmental Interaction
  6. 1.6Scales of Analysis
  7. 1.7Regional Analysis

Unit 2Population and Migration Patterns and Processes12 topics

Explain where populations are located, how they change, why people migrate, and how demographic patterns affect places and policy.

  1. 2.1Population Distribution
  2. 2.2Consequences of Population Distribution
  3. 2.3Population Composition
  4. 2.4Population Dynamics
  5. 2.5The Demographic Transition Model
  6. 2.6Malthusian Theory
  7. 2.7Population Policies
  8. 2.8Women and Demographic Change
  9. 2.9Aging Populations
  10. 2.10Causes of Migration
  11. 2.11Forced and Voluntary Migration
  12. 2.12Effects of Migration

Unit 3Cultural Patterns and Processes8 topics

Investigate cultural landscapes, identity, diffusion, religion, and language to explain how culture changes across space and time.

  1. 3.1Introduction to Culture
  2. 3.2Cultural Landscapes
  3. 3.3Cultural Patterns
  4. 3.4Types of Diffusion
  5. 3.5Historical Causes of Diffusion
  6. 3.6Contemporary Causes of Diffusion
  7. 3.7Diffusion of Religion and Language
  8. 3.8Effects of Diffusion

Unit 4Political Patterns and Processes10 topics

Connect territoriality, borders, governance, devolution, sovereignty, and centripetal and centrifugal forces to the political organization of space.

  1. 4.1Introduction to Political Geography
  2. 4.2Political Processes
  3. 4.3Political Power and Territoriality
  4. 4.4Defining Political Boundaries
  5. 4.5The Function of Political Boundaries
  6. 4.6Internal Boundaries
  7. 4.7Forms of Governance
  8. 4.8Defining Devolutionary Factors
  9. 4.9Challenges to Sovereignty
  10. 4.10Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces

Unit 5Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes12 topics

Trace agricultural origins, diffusion, production systems, land-use models, environmental consequences, and contemporary challenges.

  1. 5.1Introduction to Agriculture
  2. 5.2Settlement Patterns and Survey Methods
  3. 5.3Agricultural Origins and Diffusions
  4. 5.4The Second Agricultural Revolution
  5. 5.5The Green Revolution
  6. 5.6Agricultural Production Regions
  7. 5.7Spatial Organization of Agriculture
  8. 5.8Von Thünen Model
  9. 5.9The Global System of Agriculture
  10. 5.10Consequences of Agricultural Practices
  11. 5.11Challenges of Contemporary Agriculture
  12. 5.12Women in Agriculture

Unit 6Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes11 topics

Analyze urbanization, city networks, internal structure, land use, infrastructure, sustainability, and the data used to understand urban change.

  1. 6.1The Origin and Influences of Urbanization
  2. 6.2Cities Across the World
  3. 6.3Cities and Globalization
  4. 6.4The Size and Distribution of Cities
  5. 6.5The Internal Structure of Cities
  6. 6.6Density and Land Use
  7. 6.7Infrastructure
  8. 6.8Urban Sustainability
  9. 6.9Urban Data
  10. 6.10Challenges of Urban Changes
  11. 6.11Challenges of Urban Sustainability

Unit 7Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes8 topics

Use measures and theories of development to explain industrialization, economic sectors, trade, gendered outcomes, and sustainable development.

  1. 7.1The Industrial Revolution
  2. 7.2Economic Sectors and Patterns
  3. 7.3Measures of Development
  4. 7.4Women and Economic Development
  5. 7.5Theories of Development
  6. 7.6Trade and the World Economy
  7. 7.7Changes as a Result of the World Economy
  8. 7.8Sustainable Development