AP EXAM

TERMS THAT COME UP A LOT

AGGLOMERATION• Grouping together of firms from the same industry in a single

area for collective or cooperative use of infrastructure and sharing of labor resources (ex. Computer industry in Silicon Valley, Fashion industry in Paris or Milan)– Deglomeration – dispersal of a previously agglomerated industry

(when cost of living became too high some high tech firms left Silicon Valley, San Francisco area)

CONGLOMERATE CORPORATION• A firm that is comprised of many smaller firms that serve

several different functions (ex. General Motors – automobile)

ANCILLARY• Economic activities that surround and support

large-scale industries such as shipping and food service

INTERNATIONAL/SUPERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION• Alliance of 2 or more countries seeking

cooperation with each other without giving up autonomy/self-determination (ex. UN, NAFTA)

SUPRANATIONAL ORGANIZATION• Organization of 3 or more states to promote

shared objectives; member countries give up some level of sovereignty (ex. European Union)

MEDIAN LINE PRINCIPLE• Creating a boundary/political border halfway

between two points (ex. lines in bodies of water)

BOUNDARIESSUBSEQUENT• Boundaries drawn after an area is populated and respect existing spatial patterns of certain, social, cultural,

and ethnic (ex.

SUPERIMPOSED• Boundaries drawn after a population has been settled in an area and do not pay much attention to the social,

cultural, and ethnic composition of the populations they divide (U.S. States in relation to Native Americans)

RELIC• Boundary that no longer exists but has cultural, economic….significance (ex. Roman empire) ANTECEDENT• A boundary line established before an areas is populated (ex. western boundary between U.S. and Canada by

treaty in 1846)

CONSEQUENT• Boundary line that coincides with some existing cultural aspect such as religion or language (ex. Basque region,

N. Ireland)

MEGALOPOLIS• Several metropolitan areas that were originally separate but

that have joined together to for a large, sprawling urban complex (ex. Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Baltimore-D.C.; Tokyo-Osaka)

MEGACITY• A city, mostly characteristic of the developing world, where

high population growth and migration have caused them to explode in population since WW II. All megacities are plagued by chaotic and unplanned growth, terrible pollution, and widespread poverty (ex. Lagos)