Download The Five Themes of Geography

The Five Themes of
Geography
What is Geography?
► Geography-Greek
“geographia”=to describe
the Earth
► Geography -study of the distribution and
interactions of physical and human features
on earth
► Geographer -people who study geography
 Maps, photos, charts, graphs, tables, and the
five themes of geography
5 Themes of Geography
► Theme:
Location-”How do I get there?”
 Absolute Location -exact place on Earth
 Relative Location -describing a place according
to its surroundings
►Describing
where a city, building, river is located
Absolute Location
► Hemisphere
-one half of the globe
 Equator -imaginary line that divides the north
and south half of the earth
►Latitude
equator
lines -imaginary lines that run parallel to the
 North latitude and south latitude line
 Prime Meridian -imaginary line that divides the
eastern and western half of the earth
►Longitude
lines -imaginary lines that run parallel to
the prime meridian
 East and west longitude lines
5 Themes of Geography
► Theme:
Place-”What is it like to live there?”
 Physical characteristics
►Climate,
landforms, vegetation
 Cultural characteristics
►Housing,
transportation, clothing
5 Themes of Geography
► Theme:
Regions -is an area of the earth’s
surface with similar characteristics
►“How are places similar or different?”
 Physical, political, economic, cultural, etc..
 Three types:
►Formal
►Functional
►Perceptual
Regions
► Formal
 Continents, or parts of continents
►Ex.
Latin America, Africa, South Asia, North America
► Functional
 Interaction and connections between places
►Ex.
Nile River Valley, Greater Milwaukee Area
► Perceptual
 Perceive characteristics of individuals as the same
►Middle
East, Midwest of America
5 Themes of Geography
► Theme:
Human-Environment Interaction
”How do people relate to the land?”
 Use the environment to meet peoples needs
 May use same land resource in different ways
►Ex.
► DAM
Water resources
Interaction
►Depend on it (survive)
►Adapt to it (change ourselves to meet conditions)
►Modify it (change/destroy it for our needs)
5 Themes of Geography
► Theme:
Movement-”How are people, goods,
and ideas into and out of this place?”
► PIG (People, Ideas, Goods)
► Liner Distance
 Distance people, goods, or ideas to travel
► Time
Distance
 Time it takes people, goods, or ideas to travel
► Psychological
Distance
 The way people view distance
►ex.
Industrialized nation v. a non-industrialized nation