Download File

Introduction to Human
Geography
Unit 1
Ch. 1
Section 1: Thinking ‘Bout
Space!
Thinking About Space
• Spatial thinking:
– Knowledge
– Skills
– Habits
– Used to find answers & solutions to problems
History vs. Geography
• History’s concern for time is comparable to
geography’s concern for space.
• Historians ask “when and why”
• Geographers ask:
– Where is it?
– Why is it there?
– How did it get there?
– Where is it going?
Distribution
• Geographers study space in order to
locate the distribution of people and
objects.
• Distribution has 3 main characteristics…
– Density
– Concentration
– Pattern
Density
• Density = the frequency with which something
occurs in space.
• The easiest measurement of density is
arithmetic density… = total objects / area
• Warning…
• Does a high population mean high density?
Concentration: clustered vs.
dispersed
• Concentration = The extent of a feature’s
spread over space.
• If close together, they are clustered.
• If far apart, they are dispersed
• Geographers use concentration to
describe changes in distribution.
Baseball Map Activity
In small groups, you will be given 2 blank
maps of the United States, and a list of
baseball teams from 1952 and today. Map
the locations of the teams on the two blank
maps.
• How have the locations changed.
• Is this an example of density or
concentration?
• Clustered or dispersed?
Pattern
• Pattern – the geometric arrangement of
objects in space.
• Sometimes we see geometric patterns,
sometimes things are irregular.
• Patterns can be linear like along a street
or river.
• Streets can be in a grid pattern, cities can
be square shaped.
Take A Look!
http://www.historicaerials.com/
Maps
• Different types of maps and their uses:
– Robinson Uniterrupted
– Mercator
– Goodes
– Physical
– Political
– Thematic
– Chloropleth
Robinson Uninterrupted
Goode’s Homolosine Equal Area
Projection
Time
Babylonian “World” Map
Ptolemy's “World” Map – 15th century copy of original
Map terms
• Projection: transferring locations on Earth’s
surface to a flat map
• Place: specific point on Earth distinguished by a
characteristic
• Scale: relationship between portion of Earth
being studied and Earth as a whole
Contemporary Map Making
• Earth is well mapped already, new tech
has been created in last 30 years:
• 1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS):
Computer mapping programs.
• 2. “Remote sensing” from satellites, used
to collect data.
• 3. Global positioning systems (GPS)
GPS – Satellites orbiting Earth help you find your exact
position.
GIS – add layers to see detail
Using the reflection of the sun, satellites are able to scan
the Earth’s surface for details as directed by scientists.
Key Issue 2
Thinking About Place
• Location = the position that something
occupies on Earth’s surface.
• There are 4 ways to identify location…
– Place names
– Site
– Situation
– Mathematical location
Toponyms
• Place names – aka toponyms.
• - can be named for a person, religion, history, etc.
• -can tell us a lot about places
• Can you name some toponyms that are unusual or
very telling about the history of that area?
• Link
3 other characteristics
• Site – physical character of a place
• Situation – the location of a place relative
to another place.
• Mathematical Location – “geographic grid”
• Meridian – line drawn from N pole to S
pole. Numbered according to the system
of longitude. 0°-180° East or West
• Parallel – circles drawn around the globe
parallel to the equator
Time
• The Earth is divided into 360° of longitude (180°
E or W).
• 15° E or W is equivelant to 1 hour
– 360°/24 hours=15°
• Earth is divided into 24 time zones.
• The time at the prime meridian (GMT) is Earth’s
master reference time for all points on Earth.
5
4 3
2
1
International Date Line
• When crossing the International Date Line
going west, you go forward 24 hours.
• When going east, you subtract 24 hours
Sunlight
First place to start
new day
Last place to
end old day
Key Issue 3
Thinking About Region
• Region is an area of Earth defined by one or
more unique characteristics.
• Can be cultural (language, religion), economic
(agriculture, industry), etc.
• A region can be larger than a point and smaller
than the planet.
• Usually consists of several countries or
localities.
Warmup:
• Name some regions that come to mind.
Regions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name some regions.
The New World
Middle East
Far East
“downtown”
Midwest
Southwest
New England
The Outback
The Orient
The North
Bible Belt
World Regions as might be taught in
World Regional Geography
TYPES OF REGIONS (3)
• Formal Region (aka uniform region) – an
area within which everyone shares in
common one or more characteristics.
• Common throughout the region.
• South Carolina is a formal region – why?
Functional
• Functional Region – an area organized
around a focal point.
• Reception of a tv station, circulation of a
newspaper, or a school attendance zone.
• Technology is interfering – how?
Functional Regions
of the EPA
DVD Regions
Perceptual
• Vernacular Region (aka perceptual region) – a
place people believe as part of their cultural
identity.
• “The South,” “The Middle East, “The North
Country”
How Geographers Study Culture
• Culture – the body of customary beliefs that tie
people together through tradition.
• Geographers study what makes a culture
distinct.
• The three most important are religion,
language, and ethnicity.
• Geographers are also interested in production
of material wealth.
• Geographers divide the world into More
Developed Countries (MDCs) and Less
Developed Countries (LDCs)
Cultural Ecology
• Cultural Ecology: human-environment
relationships.
• Ex: The climate and/or resources of any area
influences humans.
• How have humans modified areas of the earth?
Key Issue 4
Thinking About Scale
SCALE
• Scale – relation of a feature’s size on a
map and its actual size on Earth.
• It can be written as a fraction (1/24,000), a
ratio (1:24,000) or written (one inch equals
one mile)
Small Scale Vs. Large
• Large scale maps are called so b/c objects
appear large on the maps.
• Small scale maps are the opposite.
Lots of detail (large)!
Large Scale Map of Edinburgh, Scotland
Still pretty large scale…
Small Scale Map
GLOBALIZATION
• Globalization – a force or process that involves the
entire world and results in making something
worldwide in scope.
• “The world is becoming more uniform and
interdependent.”—what does this mean?
In Class Essay… 
• Pick one of the following and write an
essay…
• Globalization is a good thing…
• Globalization is a bad thing…
• Globalization is good in some ways, bad in
others…
Key Issue 5
Thinking About Connections
Space-time Compression
• Space-time compression – the reduction in the
time it takes for something to reach another
place
– What could something be?
• How do people make connections today? How
did they make connections 100 years ago?
Is this an example of space
time?
How about this?
1930
2013, by train
SPATIAL INTERACTION
• Spatial interaction is established through the
movement of people, goods, or ideas.
• How are we connected today?
– Phone
– Internet
– TV
– Letters?
– Any others?
Distance Decay
• The further away a country is, the less
likely you are to interact with it.
• Contact diminishes with distance and
eventually disappears – this is called
distance decay.
Cultural Diversity
• Spatial interaction (interaction in space) may be
limited even among people in close proximity to
one another.
• People segregate voluntarily, why?
– Ex: ethnic neighborhoods, can effect schools,
parks, government composition, etc.
DIFFUSION
• The process by which a characteristic spreads
from one place to another over time.
• The place an innovention originates from is
called a hearth. It diffuses to other places
from there.
• Using some of the examples we just saw,
how do they diffuse over space with
regard to the role of transportation and
communication?
• Our own (American) traditions, including
government, can be traced to the hearth of
England.
TYPES OF DIFFUSION
• Geographers observe two types of diffusion…
Relocation and Expansion Diffusion.
• Relocation: Ideas spread through physical
movement of people from one place to another.
Most languages can be
traced back to W. Europe.
Expansion Diffusion
• The spread of a feature from one place to
another in a snowballing process.
– Happens 1 of 3 ways…
– Hierarchical diffusion – spread from the top-down
– Contagious diffusion – rapid, widespread
– Stimulus: Stimulus diffusion is a genuine invention
sparked by an idea that diffused in from another
culture. “Direct Borrowing”