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An Introduction to Human Geography
The Cultural Landscape, 8e
James M. Rubenstein
Chapter 6
Religion
PPT by Abe Goldman
Distribution of Religions
• Universalizing religions
– Christianity
– Islam
– Buddhism
• Ethnic religions
– Hinduism
– Other ethnic religions
World Distribution of Religions
Fig. 6-1: World religions by continent.
World Population by Religion
Fig. 6-1a: Over two-thirds of the world’s population belong to Christianity, Islam,
Hinduism, or Buddhism. Christianity is the single largest world religion.
Christian Branches in Europe
Fig. 6-2: Protestant denominations, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy are
dominant in different regions of Europe—a result of many historic
interactions.
Christian Branches in the U.S.
Fig. 6-3: Distribution of Christians in the U.S. Shaded areas are counties with more than
50% of church membership concentrated in Roman Catholicism or one of the
Protestant denominations.
Variations in Distribution of
Religions (1)
• Origin of religions
– Origin of universalizing religions
– Origin of Hinduism
• Diffusion of religions
– Diffusion of universalizing religions
– Lack of diffusion of ethnic religions
Diffusion of Universalizing Religions
Fig. 6-4: Each of the three main universalizing religions diffused widely from its hearth.
Diffusion of Christianity
Fig. 6-5: Christianity diffused from Palestine through the Roman Empire and continued
diffusing through Europe after the fall of Rome. It was later replaced by Islam in
much of the Mideast and North Africa.
Diffusion of Islam
Fig. 6-6: Islam diffused rapidly and widely from its area of origin in Arabia. It
eventually stretched from southeast Asia to West Africa.
Diffusion of Buddhism
Fig. 6-7: Buddhism diffused gradually from its origin in northeastern India to Sri Lanka,
southeast Asia, and eventually China and Japan.
Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan
Fig. 6-8: Since Japanese can be both Shinto and Buddhist, there are many areas in
Japan where over two-thirds of the population are both Shinto and Buddhist.
Variations in Distribution of
Religions (2)
• Holy places
– Holy places in universalizing religions
– Holy places in ethnic religions
• The calendar
– The calendar in ethnic religions
– The calendar in universalizing religions
Holy Sites in Buddhism
Fig. 6-9: Most holy sites in Buddhism are locations of important events in Buddha’s
life and are clustered in northeastern India and southern Nepal.
Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City
Fig. 6-10: Makkah (Mecca) is the holiest city in Islam and is the site of pilgrimage for
millions of Muslims each year. There are numerous holy sites in the city.
Hindu Holy Places
Fig. 6-11: Hierarchy of Hindu holy places: Some sites are holy to Hindus throughout India;
others have a regional or sectarian importance, or are important only locally.
Organization of Space
• Places of worship
– Christian worship
– Places of worship in other religions
• Sacred space
– Disposing of the dead
– Religious settlements
– Religious place names
• Administration of space
– Hierarchical religions
– Locally autonomous religions
Place Names in Québec
Fig. 6-12: Place names in Québec show the impact of religion on the landscape. Many
cities and towns are named after saints.
Roman Catholic Hierarchy in U.S.
Fig. 6-13: The Catholic Church divides the U.S. into provinces headed by archbishops.
Provinces are divided into dioceses, headed by bishops.
Religious Conflicts
• Religion vs. government policies
– Religion vs. social change
– Religion vs. Communism
• Religion vs. religion
– Religious wars in the Middle East
– Religious wars in Ireland
Jerusalem
Fig. 6-14: The Old City of Jerusalem contains holy sites for Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam.
Boundary Changes in Palestine/Israel
Fig. 6-15: The UN partition plan for Palestine in 1947 contrasted with the boundaries
that were established after the 1948–49 War. Major changes later
resulted from the 1967 War.
The West Bank: Political and
Physical Geography
Fig. 6-16: Political control of the West Bank has been split between Palestinians and
Israelis (though under overall Israeli control). The West Bank includes many
of the higher altitude areas of the region.
Israel’s Security Zone in Lebanon
Fig. 6-1-1: Israel established a security zone in southern Lebanon in 1982. When Israel
withdrew in 2000, the UN helped draw the boundary between the countries.
Protestants in Northern Ireland
Fig. 6-17: Percent Protestant population by district in Ireland, 1911. When Ireland
became independent in 1937, 26 northern districts with large
Protestant populations chose to remain part of the United Kingdom.