Download Five Themes of Geography

Five Themes of
Geography
Five Themes of Geography
 Location
 Place
 Region
 Movement
 Human Environment Interaction
1st Theme of Geography
Location- describes where a place can be found
Two ways to describe location
1st type is Absolute Location
 It’s position on the globe
 Latitude, or parallels, measures distances north/south of the Equator
 Longitude, or meridians, measure distances east/west of the Prime Meridian
 Example: Mogadishu, Somalia is located at 20 N and 45o E
2nd type is Relative Location
 Describes a place in relation to another place
 Example: Mexico is south of the United States.
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe the relative location of your house.
2nd Theme of Geography
Place- describes how areas are alike and different, also known as the character of an area
Two ways to describe place
Physical Characteristics
Landforms- mountains, valleys

Ecosystems-examples: rainforest, arctic tundra, desert,

Climate- examples: daily weather, hurricanes, blizzards, droughts, floods
Human Characteristics
How people live, work and visit a place?

Language, customs and beliefs

Economic traits, issues and concerns

Government
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe 2 physical and 2 human characteristics of your community.
3rd Theme of Geography
Region- A group of places with at least one characteristic in common,
physical or human characteristics
3 types of regions
1st type of region is a Formal Region

Certain characteristic is found throughout the area

Political- ex. State of Nebraska, Country of Germany

Climate/Vegetation- ex. Arctic Tundra, Amazon Rainforest

Landform regions- ex. Andes Mountains, Congo River Basin
3rd theme continued…
2nd type of region is a Functional Region
 Focal point/central place with surrounding areas linked by a common use
 Common use could be things such as transportation or communication
 Ex.- Dallas- Forth Worth metro area shares a common airport located between the
two cities
 Ex. – Lincoln Journal Star located in Lincoln Nebraska and distributes newspapers to
people in and all around Lincoln
 Ex.- Washington D.C. is a central location for US lawmakers to meet and make
decisions that affect our nation
3rd type of region is a Perceptual Region
 People’s feelings and attitudes about areas
 No precise or exact borders!
 A perception is a viewpoint that is influenced by a person’s culture and experiences
 Ex. – The Midwest, The South, the Middle East
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe one type of region that can be found in your community.
4th Theme of Geography
Movement- describes the ways people, goods and ideas move from one place
to another
 Trade
 Ex. – Oil is transported through the state of Alaska using a pipeline.
 Ex. – Various goods, such as clothing, are manufactured overseas and then
shipped to the United States to be sold.
 Tourism
 Ex. –Thousands of people visit Lincoln every year to attend Husker Football and
other sporting events.
 Ex. Tourists often purchase souvenirs from places they visit.
 Technology
 Ex.- GPS can be used to locate and travel to various destinations around the
world
 Ex. Panama Canal has an elaborate system using locks to move cargo ships
through the canal
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
How are people, goods and ideas transported in our community?
5th Theme of Geography
Human Environment Interaction (HEI)
 Explains how people use and change their environment
 Ex. - Bringing in new plants
 Ex. - Irrigating the land
 Ex. - Developing new areas by building roads, houses and businesses
 Ex. - A community using the resources in the area, crops, water, etc.
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of
paper:
How have people in your community modified the environment? Provide
2 specific examples.