Download What is human geography about?

What is humangeography
about?
Taking Nores Copythegraphicorganizer
belowintoyournotebook.
use it to record
information
abouthumangeography.
Main ldeas
. Humanbeingsare members
of socialgroupswith shared
and uniquesets of behaviors
and attitudes.
. Languageand religionare
two very important aspects
of culture.
Places& Terms
- - \lAN PERSPECTIVEIn an article titled "The rooTo American,"
' - '-rLogist Ralph Linton described how a q?ical American, in eat
- -.-ifast, had borrowed from other cultures.
' - -.:. coffee, an Abyssinian plant, with cream and sugar.Both
' I rr.r-restication
of cows and the idea of milking them origi
'.'. i in the Near East,while sugarwas first made ln India. . . .
' - . .ide dish he may have the egg of a speciesof bird domes. .C in Indo China, or thin strips of the flesh of an animal
.
::ticated in EasternAsia.
culture
cultural hearth
society
acculturation
ethnic group
dialect
innovation
religion
diffusion
' -ng from other cultures is common around the world, even if we
- - an,areof iI.
ldning Culture
. nakesus similar to some people in the world
. :-:ierent from most others?The answer is cul
Culturei. rhe total ol knonledge.dltiludcs,dnd
'. :rrs sharedby and passedon by the members
-: .t iic group. ll include:all productrofhuman
. :ld thought. Culture acts as a blueprint for how
-- ,-r of people should behave rf they want to fit in
- :re group. It ties us to one group and separates
' ^' other group\ and helps u" lo *olve the
:..rns that all humans face.Culture involves the
.. :ng factors:
. education
' : lcl and shelter
'::ilglon
. '=i:tinn
qh i n c tn
. security/protection
. political and social
A tribe is made of clans.
rffiiffirtrrtr
Clan2
Clan3
Clan4
Theclanswithinihe tribesharea worldview.
made of
!E
Family2
ctansnare
::niily and others
' :nguage
' creative expression
- iroup that sharesa geographic region, a senseof
. :-tv, and a culture is called a sociew. Sometimes
' : :.rm ethnic grcup is used to refer to a group that
- : :-i a language, customs, and a common heritage.
' .:hnic group has an identity as a separategroup of
-' :le within the region where they live. For example,
. San peoples-known as the Bushmen of the
Jrari Desert in Africa-live in a specific territory
'.-..ktheir own language,and have a social organiza- distinct from other groups in the region.
The individuals
withinthe familysharedailypractices.
As a memberof differentdivisionsof a
society,an individuallearnsits culture.
The Elements of Culture 71
GultureChangeand Exchange
MOVEMENTA
satellite
dishbringsthe
outsideworldto a
Mongolian
familyliving
in thistraditional
housecalleda yurt.
How does this
picture show
acculturation?
Cultures and societies are always in the process of changing. Change
comes very slowly to sbme societies and rapidly to others. It can come
about through innovation or the spread of ideas or behaviors from one
culture to another.
INNOVATION Taking existing technology and resources and creating
something new to meet a need is called innovation. For example, to
solve the need for storage of goods, some societies invented baskets
woven from reeds because reeds were abundant. Other cultures devel
oped clay pots to solve the same problem.
Innovation and invention may happen on purpose or by accident.
History is filled with examples of "accidents" that changed the life of a
society. For example, the first cooked meat may have happened by accident, but it led to the practice of cooking most food rather than eating
lt raw.
DIFFUSION Good ideas or inventions are hard to keep secret-they
spread when people from different
societies, or their ideas and rnventions, come into contact with one
another.This spreadof ideas,inventions, or pal.lerns of behavior is
called diffusion. In an age of elec
tronic technology, diffusion can
happen very quickly. Television and
the Internet speed ideas and facilitate the sale of goods around the
globe. Almost no group of people
can avoid some kind of contact with
other societies.D
A cultural hearth is a site of innovation from which basic ideas,mate
rials, and technology diffuse to many cultures. River civilizations such
as those along the Indus River in South Asia, Huang He in East Asia,
the Nile River in Africa, and the Tigris and Euphrates in Southwest Asia
are the best known cultural hearths.
ACCULTURATION Exposure to an innovation does not guarantee that a
society will accept that innovation. Individuals in the society must
decide whether the innovation is useful and consistent with its basic
principles. Acculturation occurs when a society changes because it
acceptsor adopts an innovation. An example of acculturation might be
wearing jeans instead of traditional garments.
Sometimes individuals or a group adopt innovations that radically
change the society.The resulting changes may have a positive or a neg
ative effect on the society,depending on how the change came about. If
change is forced on a group, it may have negative consequences.On the
other hand, if the individuals or a group accept the change, it may lead
to a better life for everyone. For example, the lives of thousands of people in Somalia were saved when they were persuaded to be vaccinated
for smallpox in the t97os.
72 CHAPTER4
SeeingPattenE
{ In which
locations
would
diffusionhappef'
lessfrequently?
Language
Languageis one of the most important aspectsof culture
becauseit allows the people within a culture to commu
nicate with each other. Language reflects all aspects of
culture, including the physical areaoccupiedby the soci'
ety. For example, a society that lives in the subarctic or
tundra region may have many different words to
describe various forms of snow. However, those words
would be uselessfor a culture in a placewith no snow.
I-ANGUAGEAND IDENTITY Languagehelps establisha
cultural identity. Ir builds a group identity and a scnseof
unity among thosewho speakthe language.If a language
is spoken throughout a political region, a spirit of unity
and sometimesnationalism (a strong feeling of pride in
one's nation) grows. Language can also divide people. If
more than one language is spoken in an area,but one language seems to be favored, then conflict sometimes
results.In Canada,for example,where both English and
French are spoken, French Canadians pressured the government to recognizeboth Frenchand English as official
languages.
I : R O U ND
----___---:-:--1
eograpnlc I
lXl n g { -
ng Pattems
i which
tons woul0
sjon happef
irequently?
. : . - - . mb e r
:
:
rpEd^urr
: - ::fin
w l th a n
' --.: : : c BB 5
: _ !leakers.
MOVEMENT
Spanglish
As moreand moreSpanishspeakingpeoplemovedto the
UnitedStates,a blendedlanguage
developedSpanglish.
The new
languagetakessomeEnglish
wofdsand "Spanishizes"them.
In turn,someSpanlshwordsare
"English-izedl'
Spanglish
frequently
showsup
when a speakerdoesn't know the
correcttermsIn one language.
Takethe phrase,"c ick the mousel'
In Spanglish,
clickmay become
"clickea"or mousemightbe "el
mouse"of "el ratonl'Thefinal
resultmightbe "clickeael faton.'
or "click el moLrsel'
This switchingback and forth
bef,veenlanguagesis called code
switchingand is commonwith
manyforeignlanguagespeakers.
LANGUAGE FAMILIES Geographers estimate that
between 3,ooo and 6,5oo languagesare spoken acrossthe
world today. The languages are categorized by placing
them with other similar languagesin languagefamilies.
(Seepage 74.) Today's languagesevolved from earlier lan
guages. One of the earlier languages, called Nostratic,
developed in the area known today as Turkey. Nostratic is
believed to be the basis of the Indo European languages
that you see on the chart on page 74. Languagesas different
as English, Russian, Hindi, and Greek all developed from the
Indo-European family.
Versionsof a lanpuaueare called dialects.A dialect
reflects changes in speech patterns related to class,region, or other
cultural changes. For example, in the United States, dialects might
include a Southern drawl, a Boston accent)or even street slang.
LANGUAGEDIFFUSION Like other aspectsof culture,languagecan be
diffused in many ways. It may follow trade routes or even be invented.
For example, Swahili developed as a trade languagebetween Arabic
traders and Bantu-speakingtribes on Africa's east coast. Sometimesa
blended language develops to aid communication among groups speaking several languages. In Louisiana, the presence of French, African,
and North American peoples resulted in a blended language called
LouisianaCreole.
A second way diffusion occurs is through migration. As people settle
in new locations, the language they carry with them sometimes takes
hold in the region. For example, colonists from Europe brought the
English, Spanish, French, and Dutch languagesto North and South
America, Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia.
The Elements of Culture 73
[]
!l
nt,on"rut
"
atarc
A u str oAsla tc
ffi 0"".',"
In00 Er r 0pean
ffi
laranese/rorean
.->
# r,.,",,",.n"
I
.
'
]
tuosunu"n
l u,at,
l ott",
ruo
ouru
.t"".,$""s."ds
+"S
-d
S K ILLB U ILD E RInterpr
:
et ingG r aphics
and Maps
Proto-lndoEurcpean
farnily
has
S MOVEMENTWhichlanguage
spreadto everyconttnent?
I
REGIONWhch language
fanrtiesare
spoken
in theUnitedStates?
Religion
An aspect of culture that has a great deal of influence on people's lives
is religion. Religion consists of a belief in a supernatural power or pow
ers that are regarded as the creators and maintainers of the universe.
Religions establishbeliefs and values that define how people worship the
divine being or divine forces and how they behave toward each other.
Traditionally, religions have been categorizedas one of three types:
: I FI ('
' monotheistic, with a belief in one god
' polytheistic, with a belief in many gods
. animistic or traditional, often with a belief in divine forces in nature
I
h/
SPREADOF RELIGION Religionsspreadacrossthe world through dif
fusion and through converts, people who give up their former beliefs
for a new religion. Some religions, such as Christianity, Islam, and
Buddhism, actively seek to convert people to their beliefs. Other reli
gions, such as fudaism and Hinduism, do not. Finally,isolatedpockets
of religions,mostly animist, are found in fapan,CentralAfrica, Oceania,
and among Native Americans of both North and South America. <!
Major Religions
Three major religions of the world began in SouthwestAsia and two in
South Asia. The religions of Southwest Asia-fudaism, Christianity,
and Islam-are monotheistic and sharesimilar basic beliefs,and some
prophets and teachers.Of the South Asian religions,Buddhism representsan adaptationof Hinduism.
w
i
ralaac
'/
lrn
tG r a phi cs
familyhas
lresare
JUDAISM The oldest ofthe SouthwestAsian religions,fudaism is concentrated in Israel. Followers,called |ews, live in lsrael, the United
States,Canada,South America, and many Europeancities.Established
more than 3,2ooyears ago,fudaism is the oldest monotheistic religion.
It is consideredan ethnic religion with a long tradition of faith and cul
ture tied tightly together. The basic laws and teachings come from a
holy book called the Torah. The religious center of fudaism is the city
of Jerusalemin Israel.
CHRISTIANITY Christianity evolved about 2,ooo years ago from the
teachingsof |udaism. It, too, is monotheistic.Christianity is based on
the teachingsof fesusChrist, whom Christiansbelieve was the Son of
God. The teachings of fesus are recorded in the New Testament of the
Bible. The religion spread from ferusalem, first through the work of the
Apostle Paul and, later,by many missionaries.[t is the largestof all the
religions with 2 billion followers. Christians live on every continent.
Christianity has three major groups: Roman Catholic, Protestant,and
EasternOrthodox.
ISLAM The third religion that originated in SouthwestAsia is Islam. lt
is basedon the teachingsofthe ProphetMuhammad, who beganteach
ing around 613 A.D.Its followers are known as Muslims. Islam is a
monotheistic religion in which followers worship God, who is called
Allah in Arabic.The religion has closeties to the prophets and teachers
of judaism and Christianity. The holy book of the Muslims is the
The Elementsof Culture 75
OC E) "
'r],.
1
I
noman
catnotlc
!
snntoism
ffi
r'ot""runr
ffi
euaalism
I
Mixed
Chrlstian
E
Confucianism
[:
Easternorthodox
nnluism
I
rsram
- slnni
ffi
g
luaaism
E
lsla'r shiire
ii-
Tradrtionat
SKILLBUILDER:
InterpretingGmphsand Maps
(l REGIONOnwhichcontinents
aretherelargeareas
o:
Traditional
religion?
oftheworld'spopulation
e REGIONWhatpefcentage
practices
Hinduism,
andwhereareits followers
found?
Qur'an. Islam spread from Southwest Asia to Africa, Central, South,
and SoutheastAsia, and parts ofthe Balkansin Europe.The two major
divisions of Islam are Sunni and Shiite.
HINDUISM One of the world's oldest religions,Hinduism datesback
about 5,oooyears.It is an ethnic religion concentratedin India, but has
followers elsewhere. Hinduism is usually considered polytheistic
because a Hindu may believe in one god or many gods, each of whom
represents an aspect of the divine spirit, Brahman. The religious
requirements of a caste system-levels of fixed social classeswith specific rites and duties-shape many aspectsof Hindus'lives and culture.
BUDDHISM An offshoot of Hinduism, Buddhism developed about
563 B.c. in India, near the Nepal border. Its founder, Siddhartha
Gautama (also called the Buddha or Enlightened One), rejected the
Hindu idea of caste. Buddha's teachings promote the correct way of
76 CHAPTER4
living in order to reach an enlightenedspiritu
al statecalled nirvana. Missionariesspread the
tsuddha's Leaching from India to Soulheast
Asia, China, )apan, and Korea. Buddhism has
several branches, the largest of which are
Theravada,Mahayana,Lamaism,and Zen.
fJT'Fi
f H ASIAI\I PRACTICESIn parts of East
Asia, three belieI systemsare widely practiced.They are Confucianism,
Taoism,and Shinto. Sometimesthose belief systemsare thought of as
religions and somctimcs as philosophiesof life. All of thc:r'rhave specific w:rvs of life and behaviorsassociatedwith them.
CreativeCulturalExpressions
L
3-*--. =.|lir. r': a::erns
:.
_:
a, -_
:le
All cultures have ways of expressing[hcmselvescreatively.The envi
ronment and culture in which an artist lives is reflectedin the artistic
product. Culturesproduce performing arts,visual arts, and literature.
Perfbrming arts developedby a culture often include music, dance,
theater,and film. Music is a cultural aspectfor.rndin all societies.The
instruments on whlch the music is played and the style of music are
unique to eachgroup.
painting, sculpture,and texriles.The
Visual arts includc arcl.ritecture,
style of the visual arts will reflect materialsavailablein the region and
cultural thernes.q{
Oral and written literature,such as poems,fblk tales,and stories,often
illustrateaspectsof the culture such as attitudesand behaviors.They can
also be a reflectlonof the environment in which Lheyare produced.
Throughout this book, you will find discussionsof creativecultural
cxprcssions.As you study them, remind yourself that each culture is
unique-as are the arLislicexpressionsthaL thc people from that cul
ture produce.
H U M AN E N V IR ON M EN T
INTERACTIONThis
Peruvian
boneflute
dates back to sometime
oel o Te / l l (J A D | l o n e
f utesare amongthe
oldestof all musical
instruments.
In what way does
this instrument show
human-environment
interaction?
I :rrffirffiiln
Q :laces & Terms ATaking Notes
: . - the meaningof
- :' the foilowinq
MOVEMENTReviewthe notes
youtookfor this seciion.
@ Main ldeas
a. Whatfactofsmakeup
culture?
b. ln whatwaysis Ianguage
spread?
: - - c gf o u p
. In whatwaysis culturediffused?
ls on
t-G<?siq,F
c, Whatarethe major
religions
of the w0fld?
@ GeographicThinking
DeterminingCauseand
EffectWhatroledo innovation
playin changing
andditfusion
a culture?Think about:
' contactwith othergfoups
' accul turatr on
havespread
'Which religions
fromthe placewheretheywere
founded?
" fFFFTF{$<qtr
select
Chooseoneofthe factorsof culturelistedon paqe71.Then
MAKINGCOMPARISONS
on how eachculturesolvesthe problems
use
the
Internet
to find information
threecountriesassociated
with the factoryou selected.Createa database showingthe resultsof your research.
The Elements of Culture 77
Main ldeas
. People
arenotdistrjbuted
equally
on the earth's
surface.
. Theworld'spopulation
continues
to grow butai
differentratesin different
regrons.
Places& Terms
A HUMAN PERSPECTIVEIn ry99, the world's population reached 6
billion people. To get an idea of how many people that is, consider this:
If you had a million dollars in thousand dollar bills, the stackwould
be 6.3 inches high. If you had a billion dollars in thousand dollar bills,
the stack would be 357 feet high, or about the length of a football field
including the end zones.Now multiply by 6. Six billion dollars would
be almost6 lootballlieldshieh.
At the world's natural gro;th rate in 1999,that 6 billion population
figure was reached by the births of z3o,ooo people each day.
birthrate
fenility rate
population
PYramid
Push-Pull
mortalitvrate
factors
infant
PoPulation
mortalitv
density
rate
rate of natuml caruing
caPac|IY
increase
WorldwidePopulationGrowth
The earth's population hit the one billion mark in
the early r8oos. As the world industrialized,people grew more and better food and improved san
itation methods, and the population of the world
began to soar. As more and more women reached
childbearing age, the number of children added to
the population also increased. As you can see in
the diagram at rhe righr, by r93o two billion people lived on the earth. Notice that the number of
years between each billion mark gets smaller.
BIRTH AND DEATH RATES A population geogra
pher studies aspectsof population such as birth and
death rates,distribution, and density.To understand
population growth, geographers calculate several
different statistics.One is the birthrate, which is the
number of live births per thousand population. In
2ooo, the highest birthrate in the world was more
than 54 per thousand in Niger, and the lowest rate
was about 8 per thousand in Latvia. The world
averagebirthrate is zz per thousand.
Another way to study population is to look at
the fertility rate. The fertility rate shows the aver
age number of children a woman of childbearing
years would have in her lifetime, if she had children at the current rate for her country A fertility
rate of z.r is necessaryjust to replacecurrent pop
ulation. Today, the worldwide averagefertility rate
is about 3.o.
78 CHAPTER
4
SKILLBUILDER:InterpretingGraphs
DATAHowlongdid ittakeforrhepopulation
to
O ANALYZING
reachonebillion?
Howhavethe intervats
o MAKING GENERALIZATIONS
betweenincreases
changed?
n pyramidpresentsa quick picture of a country's
distribution by age and sex. The effects of events
can also be seen.Noticethat anthe year 2000
lE e is a bulge betweenages 35 to 49. This reflects
boom" generationbom after WorldWar ll.
SKILLBUI
LDER:InterpretingGraphs
o ANALYZING DATA How old are the peopteIn the .babv boom"
genefationin the 2000pyramid?
e
DRAWTNGCONCLUSTONSWhywi the numbersfor rhe very
elderly[85+) increaseso much by the year 2050?
r:r
: |lf i
==rfl
UnitedStates:2000
Females
Age
100+
Males
UnitedStates:2050 (lrojected)
Females
Age
Males
100+
95-99
90-94
85-89
80 84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
d
"t
tlllt
h
sry
iE
a.-
95-99
90-94
85-8S
80-84
7n-74
65-69
60-64
55,59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-33
30-34
25-29
20-24
t5-19
l0-r4
5-S
0-4
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
t5 - t9
i0 - 1 4
5-9
0-4
:b 42 002
3003
Popllation (in millions)
Population [in millions)
Bureau
- S C€nsus
t-fieafls
_aa
hif
!t
*
lF
rr\ 1. ,r
The mortalitv rate also called the death rate-is the number of
deaths per thousand people. In general,a society is considered healthy if
it has a low mortality rate. However, some healthy nations have higher
mortality rates becausethey have large numbers of elclerly people.
For ihis reason, geographers also look at infant mortaiity rates in
measuring how healthy the people of a nation are. The infant mortalitv
1q@ shows the number of deaths among infants under age cure per
thousand live births. In the r8oos, the worldwide infant mortality rate
w-as.about 2oo to 3oo deaths per thousand live births. At the beginning
of the zrst century,improved health care and nutrition led to a much
lower rate worldwide. However, some parts of the world still record as
many as r10 infant deaths per thousand. To find the rate at which pop_
ulation is growing, subtract the mortality rate from the birthrate. The
difference is the rate of natural increase, or population growth rate. <iJ
:--a
.*Tj:
t !-
': :-+
!F:-'
|
':::
:
POPULATIONPYRAMID Another way to analyzepopularionsis to use
a population pvramid, a graphic device that shows sex and age distribu
tion of a population. A population pyramicl allows geographersto
examine how events in society, such as wars, famine, or epidemics,
affect the population of a country or region. Study the populatron pyr
amids shown above to learn how to interpret these graphics.
Population Geography 79
PopulationDistribution
The billions of people in the world are not distributed equally acrossthe
earth. Some lands are not suitable for human habitation. In fact, almost
90 percent of the world's population lives in the Northern Hemisphere.
One in four people in the world lives in East Asia, and one of every two
peoplelives in either EastAsia or South Asia. Severalfactors,including
climate, altitude, and accessto water, influence where people live.
HABITABLELANDS Almost two thirds of the world's popularion lives
in the zone between zoo N and 6ooN latitude. Some ot ihe lands in this
zone have suitable climate and vegetation for dense human habitation.
They are warm enough and wet enough to make agriculture possible.
In addition, populations are concentrated along coastal regions and
river valleys. The lightly populated areas are in polar regions, heavily SeeingPatter6
mountainous regions, and desert regions. !i
{ why are
URBAN-RURAL MIX Currently,more than half of the world's popula
tion lives in rural areas, but that number is changing rapidly. More
people are moving into cities particularly cities with populations
of more than one million people. Twenty-six giant cities, called megaci
ties,are home to a total of more than z5o million people.The largestof
these is Tokyo, with more than z8 million inhabitants. These huge cities
struggle with overcrowded conditions and immense demand for water
and sanitation. You'll learn more about cities and their oooulations in
the Urban CeographyrecLionoI this t hapter.
populatrons
concentrated
alongcoastal
regionsand ri\-=valleys?
P A C ] F IC
OC E A .\
80 CHAPTER4
:rs
'@
la$
aac
MIGRATION The large scale migration of people from one location to
another also alters the distribution of population. Reasonsfor migrating
are sometimesreferred to as oush-pull fuctors. Push factors are those that
cause people to leave their homeland and migrate to another region.
Environmental conditions, such as drought or other natural disasters,are
examples of push factors. Other push factors are political, such as war or
the persecution of certain groups of people for ethnic or religious reasons.
For example, more than one million Rwandans left their country for
other parts of Africa in the wake of a civil war there in t994. Pull factors
draw or atlract people to another location. Countries with good econom
ic opportunities and high salariesare the likely destinations for migrants.
favorableclimateis dnotherpull factor.€
PLACENanjing
Road
in Shanghai,
China,is
considered
oneof
the busieststreets
in theworld.
ltrrhatproblems
do peoplein
overcrowded
cities face?
PopulationDensity
, ca . \
To understand how heavily populated an area is, geographersuse a figlre
called oooulation densitv. This figure is the average number of people
who live in a measurable area, such as a square mile. The number is
reached by dividing the number of inhabitants in an area by the total
amount of land they occupy.
Because population is not distributed evenly across the land, the
number may be misleading for an entire nation. Certain areas may be
densely populated, while others are quite thinly populated. For exam
ple, according to the r99o census,the population density of the United
Stateswas 7o.3 people per square mile. But as you can see on the population density table on the next page, Alaska-with its huge land area
and small population-had a density of one person per square mile. On
the other hand, New Jersey,with a small land area and large population,
had a very high density at r,o98 people per square mile. Remember, too,
that population density may change over time.
Population Geography 81
CARRYING CAPACITY Another as
pect of population density statistics
is the ability of the land to support a
LJnited
States
NewJersey 1,098 Alaska 1.10
population. Carrying caoacity is the
andCanada
Nunavut
0.01
number of organisms a piece of land
LatinAmerica Barbados 1,560 French
Guiana6.00
can support. A region with fertile
Europe
Monaco
45,333 lceland
700
land may be able to support far more
Russia
and
Armenia
331 Kazakhstan14.00
people than one with land of poor
the Republics
quality or with little land available
Africa
Rwanda
711. Namibia
6.00
for cultivation.
Southwest
Asia Bahrain
2,594 SaudiArabia 26.00
The level of technology of a group
SouthAsia
Maldives
2,469 Bhutan
48.00
living on the land may affecl carrying
capacity. Improved farming techni
EastAsia
SouthKorea 1,234 Mongblia
4.00
ques,such as irrigation, use of fertilizSoutheast
Asia, Singapore 16,714 Australia
6.q0
ers,and mechanized farm equipment,
Australia,
and
Oceania
will generally increase the carrying
capacity of land.
SOURCET
Population
Reference
Bufeau2000WorldPopulation
Data
In some locations, few if any people make their living by farming.
SKI LLBU ILDER: Interpreting Charts
However, other aspectsof their econ
o ANALYZINGDATAWhichregionseemsto bethe most
omy allow a small area of land to supdenselypopulated?
port a large number of people. Notice
g MAKINGINFERENCES
WhymightKoreabe moredensely
lhe density o[ Singapore:hown in
populated
thanChina,
whichis in thesameregion?
the chart at left. A city state located at
the tip of Malaysia,Singaporeis a cen
ter of international finance and shipping. The wealth these activities
bring allows people to import food. Thus, Singapore is able to support
millions of people even though it has little farmable land. I
In the next section, you'll learn how the world's population forms
Region
HighestDensity
[pefsquaremile]
in tn
n n litir :l
Lowest Density
(persquaremile)
r rni ts
Usingthe Atl6
<! use the ma:
on pages422
to findthe
of Singapore.
Owhatbodiesoi
wateris
located?
6.ot \
.-* .c
Q Places& Terms @ TakingNotes
Explain
the meaningof
eachof the following
rcrms.
PLACE Reviewthe notesyou took
for this section.
b. Whymustthe population
densityfiguresfor a
countrvbe usedwith
'birthrate
. mortalrtyrate
. rate of natural
\
JL
' push-pu\\ lac\o\s
a. How is the rate of natural
increase
determined?
. How does a population pyramid
t\e\p fou u$ders.and popu\a$on
\n a p\ace?
cautaon?
c- Where does the maior'N
ol \he No\\ds loQu\at\on
Making Inferences What
rolehasindustrialization
playedin population
groMh?
Think aboul:
' infani monality.rate
' improvedlivingconditions
H- See S\i \bu\\der
\Ndl
{:-R15:IRGG
Main ldeas
. The world is dividedinto
many politicalregions.
. Local,national,and regional
governmentscontrolaspects
of life within the boundaries
of the unit.
Places& Terms
I'iAN PERSPECTIVEAbdoulaye Sowe, a Senegalesefarmer, chose
build his new house near the Senegalese
border guard'sshack.
eclthe guard shackwas in Senegal.But long time residentsof
'' .-.:-,.told him that, before the shack was built, a guard used to sit
- . ::ee that was consideredthe border marker. The tree was sever
, ' . l:ed feet north of Sowe'shouse.Technically,Sowe now lived in
-rtry of Gambia,not Senegal.Sowe'sdilemma points out the dif..- r: pinpointing borders that createpolitical units.
*
- :'
'.
state
monarchy
nation
dictatorship
nation-state
communism
democracy
landlocked
fuions of the World
E
:- nrentalunits of the world can be describedin either political or
. " - .-rhic terms. Generally,we use the political term slalc to describe
- i:pendent unit that occupiesa specificterritory and has full con
: .ts internal and external affairs.Often the term "country" is used
.i1
:':r-;r€at
Sta t e.
lation refersto a group of peoplewith a common culture living in a
- r and having a strong senseof unity. When a nation and a state
:. the same territory that territory is called a nation-state.Many
::es of the world are nation siates.However, it is possible for a
:-.
not to have a territory. When that happens,the group without a
- ,n' is called a statelessnation. Examples of statelessnations
it Palestinians,Kurds, and Basques.
PLACENational
flagsfly at the
UnitedNations
headquarters
in
NewYofkCity.
-':ES OF GOVERNMENTAll countriesmust choosea type of govern. :. Generally,the tlpe ofgovernment falls into one ofthese categories:
' DemocracvCitizenshold political power, either directly or through
=.ectedrepresentatives.
Example:the United States.
' Monarchy A ruling family headed by a king or queen holds political
':orver and may or may not share the power with citizen bodies.
:rample: the United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia.
'Dictatorship An individual or group holds complete political
rower. Example: North Korea or Afghanistan.
'Communism In thi! povernmenl.and economic >vslem,
rearly all political power and meansof production are held
by the government in the name of all the people.
hateverthe type of government,it must deal with issues
.r have to do with the territorv and neople of the state.
83
GeographicCharacteristicsof Nations
Three geographic characteristics are very important in describing a
country. These characteristics are: 1) size, 2) shape, and 3l relative location. The combination of these characteristics makes each nation
unique. By looking at the map above,you will see how these character
istics helped shape the political geography of the Korean Peninsula.
SIZE You might assumethat the physical size of a country has much
to do with its wealth and power. However, this is not always true.
For example, the political division of the United Kingdom known as
England once controlled a significant empire of colonies around the
globe. Even so, a larger nation, such as the United States, China, or
Russia, has the potential to be more powerful because it has more
resources and people on which to build military or economic power.
SHAPE Countries can be compact, such as Germany, or long like Chile.
Some countries are fragmented, like fapan, which is made up of many
islands.The shapeofa country can have an impact on how easilyit can
Making
be governed, how goods are moved to all areasofthe country, and how Comparisons
it relates to neighboring countries. p
{ whi"h of th.
LOCATION The relative location of a country can be very important. A
landlocked country one surrounded by other land and with no direct
outlet to the sea-must find ways to build connections to the rest of the
world to get goods in and out of the country. Bolivia is an example of a
landlocked country. In contrast, the location of the tiny city state of
84 CHAPTER4
threeshapes
descfibes
the
UnitedStates?
Singapore in SoutheastAsia gives it accessto major shipping lanes
between East Asia and South Asia. The resulting trade brings great
wealth to the port. A nation surroundedby hostile neighborsmust deal
wilh is'ues uI protectiondnd .or uril).
National Boundaries
Boundariesor borders set the limits of the territory controlled by a
state.Within its borders,the statecan do such things as collecttaxes,set
up a legal code,and declarean official language.A state may claim all
of Lhe resourcesfbund within its boundaries.Becauseso much is at
stake,statesare very protectiveof their borclers.The two basic types of
national boundariesare natural and artificial.
hi I :'e a:as
".4
.
,,_at
'.::
' ::-:s
-:
ogra
rftc
ng
'ans{xE
NATURALBOUfiIDARIESA natural boundary is basedon physicalfea
tures of the land, such as rivers,lakcs,or chains of mountains.The Rio
Grande,for example,is a river that forms a natural boundary between
part of Mexico and part of LheUnited States.Natural boundarics may
seem like an easyway to separateone country from another,but they
do present problems.Tradirionally,a river or lake boundary is fixed in
Lhemiddle of the body of water.What if a river shifis its course'lWhich
country gets additional land or losesit? q{
ARTIFICNAL
BOUNDARIES An artificial boundary is a fixed line gener
ally following latitude or longiturlelines.The 49'N latitude line that sep
aratesthe United Statesfiom Canadais an example.These lines are
often formally defined in boundary treaties between countries.
Sometimesa conquering country imposes boundarieson lands it has
taken over.The lines establishedmay not match boundariespreviously
lound in that location,which can lead to internal problemsor even war.
Africa is a good example of how boundary lines can divide groups of
people or put groups that have long been enemies together in one state.
When parts of Africa were divided by Europeancolonial powers in the
r8oos,the boundarylines for Nigeriaincludedthe traditionallandsof the
HausaFulani people, the Yomba people, and Lhe Ibo people. Under
British control, the three qroups were forced to follow British rules.When
MOVEMENT
The
GreatWallof Chinais
an example
of an
artiflcial
boundary.
lt
wasbuiltto stop
invading
armies.
How does the wall
also illustratea type
ol natural boundary?
NA T I ON AL
composed
Size VerylargeLrnits
of manymediumandsmallunits
F
Effect Littledirectcontactwlth
me people
Role Dealswlth issuesaffectingthe entire nation,
such as securityor internationaldiplomaticrelations
Example UnitedStates
Britain left, thcre was controversyover the cott
Lrolof the lands.One group, the lbo, attempted
to withdraw from Nigeria and fot m its own
nation-staLe Biafra. A civil war resultcd, and
lhe,rllcmpl to.plit an av lailed.
RegionalPoliticalSYstems
Countrics often are dividcd into smaller politi
S T A T E /R IG ION AL
cal units to make govcrning more efficient. l'he
Size Largerunitscomposed
lrost common local units of govcrrtlrlent are
units
of manysmaller
citics,towns, and villages.Othcr types of politiElfect More direct contact
cal units might include schooldisLricts.
with the peoplethan nationalunits
Smallerpolitical units often conbine to form
Role Dealswith issuesthat affect all ot the
largcrregionalunits,suchascounties,provinces,
smallerunits,such as licensingdrivers
and states.Here, too, there may be districts for
Example Statesor regionalgroups,such as the
providing a serviceor product to an area that
TennesseeValleyAutho tY
crossesseveralpolitical rrnits. For exanrple,the
LOCAr_
TennesseeValley Authority (TVA) rcgulates
unitsof govemmenl
Size Smaller
water Llsagein a sevenstatereglon.
Effect Verydifectcontactwith the
Countrics may join wlth each other to lornr
people
politir.rl. milil.rrl. or econontir
intcrnalional
thatare
Role Dealswithissues
uni1s.Groups of stateswithin a regional area
narrow in scope,such as streets and sanitatlon
may band together to promote mutual goals.
Example A schooldistrictor town
An example is the European tlnion, which
you'll learn more etboutin Chaptcr 1.1.
is the United Nations,which has nearly zoo
unit
Thc largestpolitical
mcmbers who work to improve political,cullural, and economiccondi
tions acrossthe globe. ln the nert section,you'll lcarn that almost half
of the world's population lives in urban areasthat include political rrnits
B,\cKcRoUND
The TVA built
dams,hydroelec_
tnc plants,and
flood control
projects on the
Rlve_
Tennessee
e:
and its tribLrtar
called citics.
,ar$$ I
---
{
lp Places& Terms g TakingNotes
Explain
the meaningof
eachof the following
terms.
PLACE Reviewthe notesYoutook
for thissection.
' state
' natto n
' nation state
'democracy
. monarchy
. dictatorship
@ Main ldeas
Making InferencesWhich
Howdo the threebasic
wouldmost
geographic
characteristics typeof boundary
greatest
the
likely
cause
affect a nation?
politicalproblems?
Think
Whatis the difference
about:
betweennaturaland
artificialboundaries?
. Whatarethreegeographlc
of countries?
characteristics
. Whatare thfee typesof
@ GeograplricThinking
Whydo localand fegional
politicalsystems
exist?
' typesof naturalborders
' aftificialboundaries
"r| See Skillbuilder
9il Handbook,page R+.
governments?
ExPLoRtNGLocAL GEOGRAPHYUsinga map oJthe UnitedStates,studythe boundariesof
the 50 states.Createa database that showsthe namesof stateswith 1) all artificialboundaries,
yourdata.
sentences
summarizing
Writeseveral
mixedboundaries.
2l all naturalboundaries,3l
86 CHAPTER4
Main ldeas
. Nearlyhalfthe world's
populationlivesin urban
areas.
. Citiesfulfilleconomic,
residential,
and cultural
functionsin differentways.
Places& Terms
urban geography
PERSPECTIVEAround z15ooB.c.in Sumet an ancient coun
"'AN
:rat today is Iraq, the city of Ur was settled.Eventually it grew
:le to as many as 3,1,ooopeople.Archaeologistsbelievethat rt
. rI the first cities in the world. Within the city walls, a broad
:rl up to an immense temple with a roof that loomed 8o feet
'-: ground. Surrounding the temple were private homes and
markets with shops on streetsresembling those in cities of
-n
..t Asia today. Some people lived in two-story houseswith bal.:-cl even had clay lined drains for wasLedisposal.A canal ran
- :h.. city from the river to a harbor built on its northern edop
,- rot an overgrown village,but a real city.
..enturies since,cities have grown so important that geogra
.. e developedthe field of urban geographv the study of how
:t spacein cities.
:r ,,,1hof UrbanAreas
.rchof the nooulation of the world lives in cities.Citiesare not
. - '.\ith large populations they are also centersof businessand
,lties are often the birthplace of innovation and change in a
. r ban lifestylesare different from those of towns, villages,or
- :... When geographersstudy urban areas,they consider loca
i use, and functions of the city.
I I nk rn;
ler
: I', AREAS An urban areadevelopsaround a
:. calledthe central city. The built up area
: : central city may include suburbs,which
.:rl units touching the bordersof the cen
r touching other suburbs that touch the
. - -.uburbsare within commuting distance
:'. Some suburbs are mostly residcntial,
--.rshave a whole range of urban activities.
.: citiesor towns with open land between
. .i the central city are called exurbs. The
- :rLubs,and exurbslink togethereconomiform a functional area called a
-.-':colitan area. A meualootrli.i. lor metl when
-:tropolitan areasgrow together.An exam. ::regalopolisis the corridor in the north
nited Statesincluding Boston,New York,
: ria, Baltimore,and Washington,D.C.
city
suburb
metropolitan area
urbanization
central business district
(cBD)
PLACE Boththe old city and the
new partsof Cairo,Egypt,can be
seen in this view
Why do you think the old parts
of the city were not torn down
and replaced with new
buildings?
u rDa|lar c as
a re c e aryvslle if t hs
sate ilc vie$/of eafth at
nighLThe ll0htb ue
areasare rellective
aleaswth ciilrersnow
pac( or sarlal.
Which regions of the
eanh have few urban
areas?
Thc cl r-artraLiri
c sc i rt the nttnrbcl rl f (i l l cs al rd thc
c h a n s t s i rr l i l c s tvl i . tl rat resrtl l i s cal l eclurbani zati on.The trcncl to l i ve i rl
c i ti e s i rrc l c a s c c lr qri < l i y over-i he l ast l rvo cel )ttl ri cs. A s tttore attd rl torc
p c o p l e rn o v e c l i nto ci l i es to fi ncl rvri rk, the ci ti cs and tl rei r stttrottl l di tl g
sonre ciljcs ar-eeltorrtloLts irt pltvsical area atril havc
irreils g..fc\{.locla1,',
p o p u l a l i o n s e rre erl i l g ro rni l l i orr resi dcttts.A s 1,or.tcatl see abovc, ci tj cs
a re fo rrri rl { )n a l l conl i nents e\cepl A tttari ti (ta.
i 'r"
itt e,-rlrt
t ltar;tcLttLislics
Alouncltlre rvorlcl,citicslravecettaingcogr-aphir:
nlrl. N'lanycitics ate ftxutclin pl;rccstltat allou' goocLIfalrs],,)lt.rtir\ll,
such as or a river,lakc,or coast.Othets arc fotrtrcliir placesrvith eas v
Sacfattlcnto,
California,fol ittslattcc,gtcw
accesslo nalLtLallcsoLttces.
in rE4[i irr ttot-thcenttal CaliIorniu.
rapirily alLcrgold r,r,as
cliscovelccl
rif their geographicaclvantages,
citiessetveas ccottotrticbascs,
LJccause
attra(tingbusincsscsanclpeoltleto rvork in lliosebrtsittesses.
(lities arc ofierrplircesn'hctc gooclsare shilLeclIron orrc fot-ttiof tr;ttr-.
Illinois.is a Iratrs ' al,r the city o{ Clricago,
porlationto irlrothcr.Jlorcxatttple,
':::'': . ,
irr tlre r4rperGrcaLLakesstales.(loorls
portatiol hrrb lor gooclsprocltrcccl
then to the Using the A:
ar-esent by ajr, ttuck, or lrain to Chirago orr Lake Nlichig-arr,
U.S.easl coastarrrlthe rcst of the lr'orltl.
-.."use tn€
--,
ol tlteit of Nonh Ar
ir) cerlairtccotiottticaclivitieslrei:artsc
Ciljcs rnav spei:ialize
rn'llicilis locat o n p a g eAl
lcication.For cxatrrple,thc city of fittsbttfglr, Pennsylvania,
Whatwater
culter'-flle l e a d sfr o m :
becatltea slccl prochrr:ing
erl closctn ir-onore anclcoalsottLccs,
Sritrtetrtbarl arcasr}r.ly GfeatLake. sarneis ttuc Ior tirc cit,vo{ Shctlield irt Ertglarrcl.
ol econortticircLiviticslocateclin the city.Blasilia, ALanticOc:
gror'vor cxparr<llreclrLrse
tlrc capitalof Brazil,has sr ou'rrto r.E lr illioripet4rlesitrcet96o becarisr:
Liortal,
o1 all the govcrnnrerrtageltcicsanil activiliestht'rc.Ctrllrrral,-'clttca
loc.rtiott.
or rnilitaly actir"itiesrnay also attractpcollle to a sPecilic
88 CHI\PfLR ' }
Land Use Patterns
Urban geographers also study land use, the activities that take place in
citieb.Bd5icland u.,epatlernslound in all citiesare:
. residential, including single-family housing and apartment buildings
. industrial, areasreserved for manufacturing of goods
' commercial, used for private business and the buying and selling of
retail products
ler-ns
amrl4 +
{e
-
,l:Enas,:?
The core of a city is almost always based on commercial activity. This
area of the city is called the central business district (CBDI. Business
offices and stores are found in this part of the city. In some cities, very
expensive housing may also be found there. Predictably,the value of the
land in the CBD is very high. In fact, the land is so expensive that sky
scrapers are often built to get the most value from the land.
As vou move away from the CBD, other functions become more
important. For example, residential housing begins to dominate land
use. Generally,the farther you get from the CBD, the lower the value of
the land. Lower land values may lead to less expensive housing. Tucked
into these less expensive areas are industrial activities and retail areas,
such as shopping centers,markets, or bazaars.However, the patterns for
urban activities vary by culture and geography. Study the models below
to learn more about urban land use patterns. €
Sff4t|ers
may use a model to illustratepatternsthey find in the use
f-.
The moclelsbelow are pattern$of land use in urban areas.
a- :.=-ymodelshowedthe CBDas
:_n_:JIs-eye"oftheurbanarea.lt
: :--cundedbyotheractivities.
by E.W Burgess
t|ng
I tl|e
Multiole Nuclei Model
Sector Model
Concentric Zone Model
in wedgesor
Activitiesareconcentrated
sectors,
whichmayfollowtfansportation
linesor naturalfeaturessuchasa river
by H. Holt
in
Districts,
callednuclei,specialize
one urban activity,and are found
throughoutthe urbanarea.
by C. D. Harrisand E.L. Ullman
ie ilr€
.trrA
Ee^ri.oor !E
: LAKES
trc
I
I
and
Middle-income
housing
high-income
;.:.'i? businessdistrict
D
,',':
and light
-=sale
-.: - -'acturing
I
Heavy
manufacturing
I
Outlying
business
district
I
--.:)A-rcome houstng
{"I:': e-incomehousing
I
Outersuburban
housing
t
i':-- ncomehousing
I
Outersuburban
industry
I
-Ja- rcome and
- c-- ncomenousrng
I
zone
High-income
commuter
LDER:InterpretingGraphics
SKILLBUI
(t MAKING
housing
GENERALIZATIONS
Where
islow-income
foundin eachof the models?
Whathashappened
to business
O MAKINGCOMPARISONS
andindustryactivities
in the multiplenucleimodelascompared
to the othertwo models?
Urban Geography 89
The Functionsof Cities
The city is the center of a variety of
functions. The map at the left shows
a portion of the CBD of Chicago,
lllinois. Notice that shopping, entertdinmenl. dnd government services
are located there. Large office build
ings occupy much of the rest of the
RA NN OIP Il
Rllxll3"'m*
f
;-i;,i^ HNss .'
Washington :)
area shown.
Many cities also have educalional
A
and cultural activities such as
VIA D IS C N
libraries or museums located in the
Q shoppins
oo Hi,*iilH"":?"itations
rc FL%".":xilill"^
CBD. The Manhattan section of New
York City, for examPle, is home to
about 7o museums. Other functions
of the city-such as manufacturing,
Maps
Interpreting
SKILLBUILDER:
wholesaling, residential, recreation,
nearthe
is located
building
(t LOCATION
Whatothergovernment
and a variety of religious and social
State of lllinoisCenteP
services-may be located in other
shown?
in
the
area
folrnd
are
O PLACE What ufuan functions
parts of the city.
Cities need a great deal of sPaceto
absoluteaccomplishthesefunctions,which makesgood transportation
ly ess".ttial.Maior cities may have severalforms of mass transit' such
as bus systems, subways, or commuter trains, to move thousands of
oeople to and from the areas of the city where the various functions
iak" plac". In some areas,freeway systemslink peoplein the srlburbsto
the aitivities in the city. Geographersoften study a city's transportation
p
system to understand how well the city is fulfilling its functions
In the next section,you'll learn n'rore about economic geography that
@tn"ut""
6 Ri111'f.'t,"",".""
-o iH3#xJ'sii
""
takes place across the globe.
Q Places& Terms @ TakingNotes
the meaningof
Explain
eachof the following
terms.
LOCATIONReviewthe notesYou
took for this section.
b. Whataresomebasicland
use patternsin cities?
' city
. suburb
. metropolrtan
area
' ur ba n i z a ti o n
. centralbusiness
district(CBDJ
make
a. Whatcomponents
area?
up a metropolitan
c. Whatare somefunctions
of an urbanarea?
are
or activities
' WhatJunctions
locatedawayfrom the CBD?
' In what typesof relative
are manYcitiesfound?
locations
Thinkin$
Making
Comparisons
€ Howare cit,
tmnsportation
differe--systems
fromthoseof
townsor village-.
Making Inferences How
the
doeslandvalueinfluence
activitiesthat take Placeon e
pieceof urbanland?Think
about:
' landusePatterns
' the CBD
'- See Skillbuilder
5l Handbook, page Rrr.
EXPLoR|NGLocALGEoGRAPHYsurveythecBDofthecityyou|iveinoronec|
youseethere.createa sketchmap of yourcBD.Besure
lvlakenotesof the urbanfunctions
theyfill
theurbanfunctions
and
buildings'
or
to labeltheareas
90 CHAPTER4
Main ldeas
. Economicactivitiesdepend
on the resourcesof the land
and how peopleusethem.
. The levelof economic
development
can be
measuredin differentways.
Places& Terms
economy
- - !'1AN PERSPECTIVEOne of the most valuable of natural
- .:-petroleum-y735n'{ always usedas a sourceof energy.Until
: .r beganto run on gasolinepowered machinery,oil was usedfor
, . of purposes.NativeAmericans,for instance,used"rock oil" for
:
.:l purposes. Egyptians used oil as a dressing for wounds.
. : Persianswrapped oil-soakedfibers around arrows, lit them,
'..1 them into the city of Athens in
48o B.c.
.::mes a resourceonly becomesvaluableafter the technologyto
. developed.ln today's world, petroleum is vital to providing
'
' :,r industry, commerce,and transportation.Petroleum plays a
'-- .. role in the economiesof nationsthat supply it and consumeit.
economic system
command economy
market economy
natural resources
infrastructure
per capita income
GN P
GD P
&cnomic Systems
:q)nomy consistsof the production and exchangeof goods and
anlong a group of people. Economies operate on a local,
-:
-.. national, or international level. Geographersstudy economrc
- .:nr by looking at how people in a region support themselves
' ,. economicactivitiesare linked acrossregions.
'
6aE
t=:ai
-.:ia OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMSThe way people produce and
' : .:e goodsand servicesis calledan economicsvstem.In the world
, :rere are four basic types of economic systems:
PLACEA womansellsgoodson a
lvloscowstreei.Russiais changing
froma command
economy
to a
marketeconorny.
ls the activity in this photograph
an exampleof a commandor
market econom)'?
- -:ditional Economy Goods and services are
. .::cl without exchanging money. Also called
nking
fhird(
Command Economy Production of goods and
... .:ces is determined by a central government,
-.ch usually owns the means of production.
:: Luctiondoes not necessarilyreflect the con
- -::-'erdemand.Also calleda planned economy.
tlarket Economy Production of goods and
-.. . ices is determined by the demand fiom
:-:urrers. Also called a demand economy or
.'-,ilalism.
\ li\ed Economy A combination of command
. -i rnarket economiesprovides goods and serv
so that all peoplewill benefit'.
:ric behaviors and activities to meet human
. :ake plare u ilhin the'e etonomic sy5tem..
Economic Geography 97
EconomicActivities
People may choosefrom a variety of methods to meet their basic needs.
Some groups simplyiaise enough food or animals to meet their need to
eat, but have little left over to sell to others. This is called subsistence
agriculture. In other areas,market oriented agriculture produces crops
or animals that farmers sell to markets.
In someplaces,industriesdominate economicactivities.Small indrrs
tries often involve a family of craftspersons who produce goods to be
sold in a local area. Since they often take place in the home, these businesses are referred to as cottage industries. Finally, commercial industries meet the needs of people within a very large area. Economic
behaviors are related to the economic activities described below.
LEVELSOF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY No matter how small or large a
business is, it operates at one of four economic levels.The four levels of
economic activity describe how materials are gathered and processed
into goods or how services are delivered to consumers.
Primary Activities involve gathering raw materials such as timber for
immediate use or to use in the making of a final product.
Secondary Activities involve adding value to materials by changing
their form. Manufacturing automobiles is an example.
Tertiary Activities involve providing businessor professional services.
Salespeople,teachers,or doctors are examples.
Quaternary Activities provide information,
research servicesby highly-trained persons.D
management, and
The more developed an economy is, the greater the number and variety
of activities you will find.
Making a pencil bringstogether economicactivitiesand
natural resourcesfrom aroundthe world. The gatheringof
the raw materials(primaryactivity),transformingthem into
a pencil (secondaryactivity),and selling the pencil to you
(teniary activity) happenin dilferent parts of the globe.
Making
Comparisons
{ Intowhich
levelof activity
wouldinsuranc:
salesfit?
Brasseraserholder
is madefromcopper
andzrnc.
€w
in theenamel
Pigment
paintis madefrom
mineralpowders.
Pencillead is a mixture
of graphiteand clay.
ww
t rw
SKILLBUILDER:lnterpreting Graphics
(l MOVEMENTWhatnaturalresources
mustcometo the pencil
factoryfromothercontinents?
€l LOCATIONWhymighithe pencilfactorybe locatedon the east
coastof NorthAmerica?
92 CHAPTER4
The €ccnsmics af NatLcna!
Flesorcnces
An imporlant part of econornic geography is understanding which
res(,urccsa nation Dossesses.
Naturalresourcesare nlaterialson or in tlrc
carth-such as trees,fislr, or coal that have economicvalue. Materials
from the earth becomeresourcesonly when the societyhas the technol
ogy and ability to transfbrm those resourcesinto gnods.So, iror orr i:
uselessuntil peoplehave the techr-rology
to produce steelfrorn it.
NaLuralresourcesare abr.tndanL
buLare not distributedequallyaround
the world. As a result,when geographersstudy tlre economyo[ a cor:ntry,
thcy look closely at the location, quality, and quantity of its natural
resources.
l hey alsodivide natural resourcesinto three basictlpcs:
. Kenewable These resources can be replaced through natural
processcs.Examplcsinclude trccs ar-rdsealbod.
be replacedoncethey have
' Non-renewable-Theseresourcescanr.rot
bccn rcmoved frorn the ground. Exarnplesinclude metals,suclr as
golcl,silver,and iron, and non mctals,such as gemstones,limestor-re,
or sulfur. Also inclucledare fbssil firels,petroleurn,nalural gas,and
coal.Thel'arc the baslsol energyprodr.rction.
'Inexlnustibie energy souces-These resources,which are used for
prodrLcingpower, are the rcsult of solar or planetaryprocessesand
arc unlimited in quantiLy.They include srrnlight,geothermal heat,
winds,and tides. J
Nalur-alr-esources
are a n-rajorpart of wor]d trade.This is especiallytnre
of the fbssilI'uels,since industry relieson ll'remfor both power and raw
n-raLerials
in manrrfactrrring.The value of a natrrralresorrrcedependson
the qualitics that makc it tLseful.For example,lreescan provide lrrmber
for builcling or pulp for papcr. Countries trade for raw materials that
they need for energy and to riranufactureproclLrcts.
ffirn.
]
AM I
E.ot1onli. Ceug ra plty 93
Levelsof economicdevelopmentare measuredin the numbersof
goods and servicesavailablein a country'This graphiccomparesthe
availabilityol televisionsand passengercars in three countriesat
differentstagesol development.
DEVELOPINGNATION
Ethiopia
per 1,000people
6 televisions
SOI-)RCE.2004 World Developtnent lndicators World Bank)
tf,e
carpefI 'ooopeopE
I passenger
EconomicSupportSystems
Producing and distribrtting goods and servicesrequiresa seriesot sup
port systems.The most important of these serviccsis intrastrttcturc'
i [\!l;fiAni iqi.jcl'L!,r{n A nation's infrastluctureconsistsof the basic support
systemsrteededto kecp an economygoing, including powet, communications,transportation,water, sanitation,and education systems The
more sophisticatedthe infrastructure,the more clevelopedthe country'
One of the most important systems in thc infrastructure is trans
portation. Geographerslook at thc patterns of roads antl highways,
ports, and irirports to get an idea of how transportation af{ccts eco
nomic growth. For example, the country of Hondulas has only one
major north-sourh highway The highway lcads Lo porL citie' where a
major export, bananas,is shipped out o{ the country Areas not acccssi
ble to the major highway rernain undeveloped.
Communicationssysternsgive geographersan idea of how a cotrntry
is linked internally as well as with the outside worlcl Countrieswitlt a
strong economy are linked internally and externally by high speed
lnternet and satclliteconlmunications
The levelof availabletechnologyand accessto it is alsoan indicator of
the devclopment of a country A country may have valuable natural
resourcesbut be unable to profit from them becatrseits people lack the
skills to make rLscof them. Technology may be available,but a cortntry
equipment.
may lack educatcdworkersto run and maintain sophisticated
Measuring EconomicDeveloPment
Geographersuse a varicty of standardsto make comparis('nsamong
ecc,nomies.One is per capita income. the averagc amount of money
earned by each person in a political unit. Another way of cornparing
economiesexamineslevelsof developmentbasedon econornicactivities
such as industry and commcrce.Strll othersuse a standardof living that
reflectsa society'spurchasingpower,health,and lcvel of educatton'
Gt\!F&!\}Dflfiltr A cornmonly used statisticto nleasurethe ecunomy of
a country is the gross nationalDroduct(GNPl"Tlie GNP is the total value
of all goods and servicesproduced by a country over a year or so[le
other specificdperiod of time.
Becauseeconomieshave become so interconnected,the GNP nay
in one country by a com
reflectthe value of goodsor servicesprodr.rced
94 CHAPTER4
NATIONIN TRANSITION
Cuba
I
DEVELOPED
NATION
Japan
a
per1,000
people
Zst televisions
!fr
people
l6 passenger
carsper1,000
per1,000
785televisions
people
people
283passenger
carspef 1,000
pany based in another country For example, the value of sport shoes
produced in Thailand by an American company is counted as U.S. production, even though the shoes were not produced in the United States.
To adjust for situations like this, a second statistic is used GDg_q-gtoss
domestic product which is the total value ofall goods and servicesproduced wirhln a country in a given period of time.
DEVELOPMENTLEVELSCountriesofthe world have different levelsof
economic development. Developing nations are nations that have a low
GDP and limited development on all Ievels of economic activities. These
countrieslack an industrial baseand struggleto provide their residents
with items to meet their basicneeds.
Developednations,on the other hand, are countrieswith a high per
capitaincome and varied economy,especiallywith quaternaryactivities
such as computer software development.Western European nations,
fapan,Canada,and the United Stateshave highly developedeconomies.
In this chapter, you've learned that human geography is a complex
mix of human activities and the earth's resources.As you study the
regions of the world, remember that a geographerviews those regions
by looking at the spaceand the interactionsthat take place there.
Places& Terms @Taking Notes
ErrE - the meaningof
:f the following
ff
l!-s
' :e- :aprtaIncome
HunatOeograplq
-_r
I
. r:,?l resources
. r.-:siructure
@ GeographicThinking
PLACEReview
the notesyoutook
forthissection.
I
a. Whatarethe basic
activities
in eachof the
four economicactivity
levels?
b. Whatroledo natufal
playin the
resources
economy
of
a country?
' Whatarethe four basiceconomic
systems?
c. Whatsystemsare a part of
a country'sinfrastructure?
are
the
three
types
of
'What
lEzototwc
Drawing Conclusions Fossil
fuelsare non-renewable
resources.
Whatdoesthis
suggestaboutworldwide
suppliesof this energy?
Think about:
'industrialneedfor power
' alternativesourcesof
power
fesources?
MAKINGCOMPARISONS
Studythe typesof economicsystems
on page91.Createa series
of illustrations showingthe differencesamongthe systems.Be sureyour illustrationsshowthe
role of the consumerand the govtiinmentin determiningwhat goodsor seryicesare produced
in eachtype of economy.
Economic Geography 95
Reviewing Places & Terms
A. Briefly explain the importance of each of the following.
6. nation
1. culture
7. urbanization
2. diffusion
'All humangroupshavea culture.
'Languageand religionare a part
of culture.
is expanding
'The world'spopulation
rapidly.
' Most of the world'spopulationlives
in the NorthernHemisphere.
'Size, shape,and locationinfluence
politicalgeography.
' Statesof the world havea variety
of politicalsystems.
3. rateof naturalincrease
4. population
density
5. state
8. economy
f. infrastructure
1O.GDP
B. Answer the questions about vocabulary in complete sentences
11. Whatis the growthin the numberof citiescalled?
of
12. Whichtermaboverefersto the blueprintfor the behaviors
a group?
13, How is the birthratedifferentfromthe rateof naturalincrease?
densitydetermined?
t 4. Howis population
15. How is a nationdifferentfroma state?
and
t 6. Whichterm refersto the spreadof ideas,innovations
and patternsof behavior?
inventions,
relatedto each
17. Howarethe economyandthe infrastructure
other?
econom!?
18. Whatdoesthe GDPnumbertellyou abouta country's
geography?
with population
I9. Whichtermsaboveare associated
of infrastructure?
20. Whatare someexamples
Main ldeas
rapidly
'Urban areashaveexpanded
and now are hometo aboutone half
of the world'spopulation.
of citiesare similar.
' Functions
patterns
are uniqueto
' Landuse
The Efementsof Culture (pp.71-77)
of culture?
L Whatis the DUrpose
so importantto a culture?
2. Whyis language
Population Geography (pp. 78-82)
distribution?
factorsinfluencepopulation
3. Whatgeographic
distribution?
densitydifferentfrom population
4. Howis population
Political Geography (pp. 83-86)
of a state?
characteristics
5. Whatarethe geographic
with a democracyand
a
country
6. What is the differencebet\.^/een
onewith a dictatorship?
availabletechnology,and
' Resources,
economicsystemsshapethe
economyof a state.
' Economicactivitiesare basedon
how goodsor servicesare produced
96 CHAPTER4
Urban Geography(pp. 87-90)
of city locations?
7. Whatare somecharacteristics
8. Whatarethe basiclandusepatternsin cities?
EconomicGeoglaphy(pp, 9r-95)
9. Whydoesa countryneedan infrastructure?
economy?
relatedto a country's
1o. Howare naturalresouTces
Thinking
rhrr Notes
::rtrleted chartto answerthesequestions.
flil"tr
of humangeographyfocuseson how
-,peservices
mtrc:rd
areproduced
anddistributed
:u : :::-1try2
iuf'a :: populationgeographers
study?
Themes
[r!: \! ENTHow mightmigrationaffectboth
rmcr-L---cn
distributionand density?
;t-|i:i ,Vhatare somecharacteristics
of an
hic Skillsl
3. ldentifying Themes
Howdo landform
andclimateaffectthe distribution
of population?
Whichof the flvethemesapplyto
thissituation?
4. Making Inlerences
Whymightt\ruogroupsof peoplelivingin the samearea
developdifferentcultures?
5. ldentifying and Solving Problems
Whatreasonsmightcountrieshaveto form a regional
politicalunit?
Additional Test Practice,
pp. SI-S37
Interpreting
Maps
t{orld Cities.
4E -;:
--oanswerthe following
LosAnsebsm-
Lt'y',
q
\''
/
'\
J."ichcontinent
hasthe most
mfnl|-6'-: ,,,orldcities shown?
y'.lichcontinents
do not have
r-i.. r.rrld cities?
-]rfi,,n :\-T lntowhichcontinent
does
!F 'rsi =::rvityappearto flow?Givea
fim -:f ,ouranswel
o
D omi nantw o cnd
l tV
N naj orw oici
d ty
*Basedon numberof international
banksandlransactions
: :.:rk mapof the world,mark
mr :r,=: shownon this map.Then
r iE:- 30.Add the citieswith more
: - 'onshownon thatmap.On
ltD E;" :'your map,writetlvo observa'tufiu='-,-: the citieson vour maD.
..s at classzone.comto do researchabout
:-owih. Focuson the projectedgrowthby
[E: -=..ten placeswherepredictedgro\/th will be
sE:- andten with littlepredictedgroMh.
Creating a Database Createa database showingyour
growth.Createseparate
findingsaboutworldwide
databasesfor the fastestgroMh and for the slowest
growth.Be sureto labelyour databases.
People and Places 97
I Thinking
ing .
rlpg
Your Notes
c,.r :Jmpleted
chartto answerthesequesl.ions.
n .riL-- rypeof humangeography
focuseson how
::r-c-:andservices
areproduced
anddistributed
:\..OUNLry?
: ,trts.-Copopulationgeographers
study?
]viorsof
increase:
fngraphic Themes
tli:i EMENTHow might migrationaffectboth
irf,'- 3tiondistributionand density?
rl-r.]E Whatare somecharacteristics
of an
3, ldentifying Themes
Howdo landformand climateaffectthe distribution
Whichof the fivethemesapplyto
of population?
thissituation?
4. Making Inferences
Whymighttwo groupsof peoplelivingin the samearea
developdifferentcultures?
5. ldentifying and Solving Problems
mightcountries
haveto forma regional
Whatreasons
politicalunit?
Additional Test Practice,
pp. 51-S37
ano
phic Skills:
lnterpletingMaps
o each
Wodd Cities*
: E - ::
i o a n s w e rth e fo l l o w i n g
m6 :A ,r.hichcontinenthas the most
Mrr]rn:r--r,crld cities shown?
PACIFIC
;muFch ,r,hichcontinentsdo not have
OC E A N
M|Ilnni:i|-i .,,f,rld cities?
i\l Intowhichcontinent
does
Mm.--ll:s n::vity appearto flow?Givea
fllltrFlrr:r ,3ur answer.
c idi y
O D omi nantw orl
i,?
*Basedon numberof internatlonal
banksandtransactions
bL-- c -:
*
N 4ajorec onomi c ti es
: : ..:k mapof theworld,mark
:r:ESshownon thismap.Then
ft ra:€ 30.Add the citieswith more
: - on shownon that map.On
E\ :' .oLrmaD.writenvoobservaar:'-: -.hecitieson your map.
1?
..Fs ai classzone,comto do researchabout
::\!th. Focuson the projectedgrowthby
eE':'_. :en placeswherepredictedgrowthwill be
:rd len with littlepredictedgrowth.
Creatinga DatabaseCreatea databaseshowingyour
findingsaboutworldwidegrowth.Createseparate
databasesfor the fastestgroMh and for the slowest
groMh.Be sureto labelyourdatabases.
People and Places 9l