AP Human Geography Flashcards: Cities Across the World
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: June 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
Where are megacities and metacities increasingly located?
Megacities and metacities are increasingly located in countries of the periphery and semi-periphery as these regions experience rapid urbanization.
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Where are megacities and metacities increasingly located?
Megacities and metacities are increasingly located in countries of the periphery and semi-periphery as these regions experience rapid urbanization.
The rapid growth of a large residential city 30 miles from a major downtown, which lacks a dense core but has over 100,000 people, is an example of what land-use form?
This describes a boomburb, a distinct land-use form created by the processes of suburbanization and sprawl.
What are the primary processes that initiate and drive suburbanization?
Suburbanization is driven by the movement of people from dense urban cores to the surrounding, less-dense residential areas, often facilitated by transportation advances and a desire for more space.
Define Megacity.
A megacity is a very large urban center with a population of over 10 million people, representing a significant spatial outcome of urbanization.
What is an exurb?
An exurb is a residential area beyond the suburbs, often inhabited by affluent communities who commute long distances. It is a product of sprawl and decentralization.
What is a boomburb?
A boomburb is a rapidly growing suburban municipality that has a large population but maintains a suburban character without a dense, urban core.
What are the primary processes that initiate and drive urbanization?
Urbanization is initiated and driven by the movement of populations from rural to urban areas, typically in search of economic opportunities, education, and services.
What three processes have created new land-use forms like edge cities and boomburbs?
The processes of suburbanization, sprawl (the expansion of low-density development), and decentralization (the movement of activities away from the city center) have created these new forms.
Define Metacity.
A metacity is a massive urban agglomeration with more than 20 million people, often consisting of a network of interconnected cities and towns.
What is an edge city?
An edge city is a concentration of businesses, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown, created by suburbanization and decentralization.