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Chapter 1
How Geographers See the World
Globes and Maps
 globe – a scale model of the earth.
 Map – a symbolic representation of all or part of the planet.
 Cartographer – mapmaker
 Great circle route – the shortest distance between any two
places
Projections
 Planar Projection – most accurate at its center. Often used
for maps of the poles.
 Cylindrical Projection – projecting the globe onto a cylinder.
Most accurate near the Equator. Shapes and distances are
distorted near the poles.
 Conic Projection – comes from placing a cone over part of a
globe. Best sutied for showing limited east-west areas that are
not too far from the equator.
Common Map Projections
 Winkel Tripel Projection
 Goode’s Interrupted Equal-Area Projection
 Robinson Projection
 Mercator Projection
Determining Location
 Location – tool for answering the question where?
 Grid system – lines on globes and maps that provide
information that can help you locate places. Lines cross each
other forming a grid.
 Hemisphere – one of the halves into which the Earth is
divided.
Latitude
 Latitude – lines which circle the earth parallel to the Equator
and measure the distance north or south of the equator in
degrees
 Equator – 0 degrees latitude
Longitude
 Longitude – lines which circle the earth from Pole to Pole.
These lines measure distance east or west of the Prime
Meridian.
 Prime Meridian – 0 degrees longitude.
Global Grid
 Absolute Location – the latitude and longitude that cross
exactly at that place
Northern and Southern Hemispheres
 Northern Hemisphere – everything north of the equator
 Southern Hemisphere – everything south of the equator
Eastern and Western Hemispheres
 Eastern Hemisphere – everything east of the Prime Meridian
for 180 degrees, or half way around the earth
 Western Hemisphere – everything west of the Prime
Meridian for 180 degrees
Reading a Map
 Title – tells you what kind of information the map is showing
 Key – lists and explains the symbols, colors, and lines used
on the map. Sometimes called the legend.
 Scale Bar – shows the relationship between map
measurements and actual distances on the Earth.
 Compass Rose – indicates directions
 Cardinal directions – north, south, east and west
 Intermediate directions – northeast, northwest, southeast
and southwest
 Cities – represented by a dot
 Capitals – often represented by a star within a circle
 Boundary Lines – highlight the borders between different
countries and states
Using Scale
 Scale – a consistent proportional relationship between the
measurements shown on the map and measurement of the
Earth’s surface.
 Small – Scale maps – can show a large area but little detail
 Large – Scale maps – can show a small areas with a great
amount of detail
Absolute and Relative Location
 Relative location – location of one place in relation to
another.
Physical Maps
 Physical Maps – show the location and shape of the earth’s
physical features
 Topography – shape of the earth
Political Maps
 Political map – shows the boundaries and location of political
units such as countries, states, countries, cities and towns.
 Many features on a political map are human made, or
determined by humans rather than by nature.
Thematic Maps
 Thematic Maps – maps that emphasize a single idea or a
particular kind of information
Examples: climate, vegetation , population, economic activities.
Qualitative Maps: use colors, symbols, lines of dots to show
information related to a specific idea. Often used to depict
historical info.
Flow – Line Maps – Maps that illustrate of something, such as
people, animals, goods, hurricanes, etc.
Geographic Information Systems
 Most modern cartographers use software programs called
GIS to quickly and easily produce maps and change them.
2. The Geographer’s Craft
The Elements of Geography
 Geographers study the location of people and places on
Earth’s surface and the patterns in which they are arranged.
The World in Spatial Terms
 Spatial relationships – links people and places have to one
another because of their location
 Site – specific location of a place, including it’s physical
setting.
 Situation – refers to the geographic position of a place in
relation to other places and its connections to other regions.
Places and Regions
 Place – particular space with physical and human meaning.
 Region – areas with similar characteristics
 Formal Region – defined by a common characteristic, such as
a product produced there. Ex. Corn Belt
 Functional Region – a central place and the surrounding area
linked to it.
 Perceptual Region – defined by popular feelings and images
rather than by objective data. Ex. Heartland
Physical Systems and Human Systems
 Physical Geography – focuses on the study of earth’s physical
features.
 Human Geography – study of human activities and their
relationship to the cultural and physical environment
 Ecosystem – a community of plants and animals that depend
upon one another and their surroundings for survival
 Movement – a recurring theme in geography tracking the
movement of people, goods and ideas.
Environment and Society
 Human Environment Interaction – study of the relationship
between people and their physical environment.
 Geographers examine the ways people use their
environment, how and why they change it, and what
consequences result form these changes.
Research Methods
 Direct Observation – observing the earth to study the
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patterns of human activities that take place on its surface.
Mapping – show location, features, patterns and relationships
of people, place and things.
Interviewing – choosing a paritcular group of people for
study, asking questions.
Analyzing Statistics – some information geographers use is
numerical and must be analyzed to find patterns and trends.
Using Technology – geographers often use scientific
instruments in their work, including GI
S.
Geography and Other Subjects
 Geography is related to other subject areas such as history
and economics.
Past Environments and Politics
 Geographers use historical perspectives to understand what
places could have looked like in the past.
 Geographers study political patterns to see how people in
different places are governed.
Society and Culture
 Geographers seek to understand cultures around the world.
 They study the relationships between physical environment
and social structures.
Economies
 Geographers study economics to understand how the
locations of resources affect the ways people make, transport
and use goods.
 Geographers are also interested in the interdependent of
people's economic activities around the world.