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Introduction to Geography
Skills for Learning Geography
Skill
Examples
Tools
Asking Geographic
Questions
Why is there traffic on this road?
Why are people moving south?
Where should we build hospital?
Maps, Globes, Internet
Remote Sensors
News Media
Acquiring Geographic
Information
Compare satellite photos over time
Design a traffic survey
Collect data on hunting
Field Observation
Interviews, GPS
Satellite Imagery
Organizing Geographic
Information
Create a population density map
Summarize interview information
Create a map w/resources shown
Maps, Databases,
Graphs, Charts
Summaries, etc
Analyzing Geographic
Information
Draw conclusions about resources
Compare information from maps
Compare traffic surveys
Maps, Databases, GIS
Spreadsheets
Charts, Diagrams
Answering Geographic
Questions
Present results of survey to govt.
Suggest location for hospital
Decide to increase hunting limits
Maps, Reports
Presentations, Papers
Speeches, etc
Latitude, Longitude & Location
Latitude
North Pole
 Lines of Latitude, also
called Parallels
 Parallel to Equator
 High Latitudes close to
North and South Poles
 Low Latitudes are close
to the Equator
 North Latitudes are
above the Equator
 South Latitudes are
below the Equator
Latitude, Longitude & Location
Longitude
North Pole
 Lines of Longitude, also
called Meridians
 Prime Meridian runs through
Greenwich, England
 Circle earth from pole to pole
 Longitudes are designated
as east or west of prime
Latitude, Longitude & Location
The Global Grid
North Pole
 Every location on earth
can be defined by
latitude and longitude
 Latitude North or South
of Equator
 Longitude East or West
of Prime Meridian
 Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
 Absolute Location
From Globes to Maps
From 3D to 2D
 Globe: Scale Model of Earth
 Map: Symbolic Representation
of part of planet on paper
 Surface of Earth like peel
of an orange
 Cartographers use projections
to make maps from globes
How Projections Work
 Cartographers project portion
of spherical globe onto a
flat surface
 Hundreds of different
types of projections
 Three most common are:
Planar Projection
Cylindrical Projection
Conic Projection
Planar Projection
 Earth centered on a plane
 Most accurate at its center
 Commonly used for maps
of polar areas
Cylindrical Projection
 Most Accurate near Equator
 Distorted near Poles
Conic Projection
 Best Used for Limited
East/West Distances
 Most Accurate Near Equator
 Area and Distance accurate
with little distortion
Problems with Projections
 Curved surface of Earth cannot be accurately displayed
on the flat surface of a map
 Every projection stretches or breaks the surface of the
Earth in some way as it is flattened
 Depending on projection: distance, direction, shape
or area may be distorted
 Cartographers have developed different projections
for different purposes
Winkel Tripel Projection
 Minimizes distortion to Area, Distance and Direction
1998: Adopted as standard by National Geographic Society
Robinson Projection
 Used to create visually appealing maps
 Distances and directions somewhat distorted
 Polar areas more distorted than others
 Prior to 1998, was considered standard
Goode's Interrupted
Equal Area Projection
 True Size and Shape
 Distances distorted
Mercator Projection
 One of earliest
projections, 1569
Gerardus Mercator
 Distances and size
increasingly distorted
the further away from
the equator
 Accurate shape and
direction, good
for sea travel
Great Circle Route
 Shortest distance
between points
 String on surface
of a globe
Geographic Information Systems
 Computer Systems accept data from a variety of sources
 Geographers can quickly access & use
 Often organized in layers
Map Scale
Small Scale
Large Scale
 Large Area
 Less Detail
 Small Area
 Greater Detail
Absolute vs Relative Location
Absolute=Latitude/Longitude
Relative = defined by another location
Waupaca has an
absolute location of
44° 21' 29" N / 89° 5' 9" W
New London is 20 miles
east of Waupaca
Types of Maps: General Purpose
Political
Physical/Topographical
Types of Maps: Special Purpose
Black Bear Habitat
Population Density
Correlation
vs
Cause & Effect
Types of Special Purpose Maps
 Economic Activity
 Population Distribution
 Natural Resources
 Climate Zones
 Ecological Regions
 Political Affiliation
 Religious Affiliation
Other Tools
used by
Geographers
Line Graphs
 Excellent for measuring changes over time
Bar Graphs
 Good for comparing Items to each other
 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Circle/Pie Graphs
 Good for comparing items to a total or to other items
Charts & Tables
 Used to organize data for convenient display,
comparison & understanding
Continent
Population
Land Area
810 Million
11.6 Million Square
Miles
No Permanent
5.5 Million Square Miles
Asia
3.7 Billion
12.2 Million Square
Miles
Australia
19 Million
2.9 Million Square Miles
Europe
727 Million
8.8 Million Square Miles
North America
491 Million
8.7 Million Square Miles
South America
350 Million
6.8 Million Square Miles
Africa
Antarctica
Diagrams
 Show the relation of objects or ideas to each other
The Five Themes of Geography
Location: Position on the Earth's Surface (Absolute/Relative).
Place: Physical and Human Characteristics of the location.
Human/Environment Interactions: Shaping the Landscape.
Movement: Humans Interacting on the Earth.
Regions: How They Form and Change.