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Geography
What is it?
Geography
• “Geography is the science of place. Its
vision is grand, its view panoramic. It
sweeps the surface of the earth,
charting the physical, organic and
cultural terrain, their aerial
differentiation, and their
ecological dynamics with
humankind. Its foremost tool
is the map.”
Leonard Krishtalka, Carnegie Museam of Natural
History, 20th Century AD
Which basically mean . . .
• Geography helps us
understand how people,
places, and environments
came to be
• And how people, places,
and environments affect
each other
BASIC GEOGRAPHY
• Geography is the study of
the relationship between
people and their physical
environment .
• “Geo” is also Latin for
earth.
• “Graphy” is Greek for
graph or map.
• So…Geography is also the
mapping of the earth.
Why do we need to know that?
• Explains how we got where
we are
• Explains what is going on
around us
• Let’s us make better
choices
– cultural mistakes
– provide for sustainable
development
– improve current conflicts
and avoid others
Academic Division of Geography
• Physical Geography
• Cultural Geography
Physical Geography
• Natural features on the
surface of the earth and
the physical environment
– Climate
– Ecosystems – vegetation and
animals
– Landforms
Cultural Geography
• The study of people
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–
–
–
–
–
–
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Beliefs
Traditions
Way of life
Economic activities
Government systems
Religion
Language
Gender roles
Physical/Cultural?
Physical/Cultural?
Physical/Cultural?
Physical/Cultural?
5 Themes of Geography
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•
•
•
•
Location
Place
Region
Movement
Human Environmental
Interaction
Location
• Position on the earth’s
surface.
– Absolute: use of a network of
horizontal and vertical lines
on globes and maps to find
exact points
– Relative: The use of cardinal
and intermediate directions
in giving location
LOCATION
Where are we?
• Absolute Location
– A latitude and
longitude (global
location) or a street
address (local
location).
– Paris France is 48o
North Latitude and
2o East Longitude.
– The White House is
located at 1600
Pennsylvania Ave.
• Relative Location
– Described by
landmarks, time,
direction or distance.
From one place to
another.
– Go 1 mile west on
main street and turn
left for 1 block.
Location
Place
• Character of a place
– Physical Characteristics:
land, water, weather, soil,
and plant and animal life.
– Cultural Characteristics:
anything that describes the
people
DESCRIBE is the key word in
place.
PLACE
What is it like there, what kind of place is it?
• Human
Characteristics
• Physical
Characteristics
• What are the main
languages, customs,
and beliefs.
• How many people live,
work, and visit a place.
• Landforms (mountains,
rivers, etc.), climate,
vegitation, wildlife, soil,
etc.
Place
Regions
• Regions make the study of
geography more
manageable. The world is
often divided into regions
or areas based on physical
or human characteristics
• 3 Types of Regions
– Formal
– Functional
– perceptual
Formal Regions
• A region defined by a
common characteristic
– Examples: Texas, United
States, Corn Belt
Functional Regions
• A central point and the
surrounding territory linked
to it
– Example: Houston
Perceptual Regions
• A region defined by
popular feeling rather than
objective data
– Example: Dirty South, Bible
Belt
REGIONS
• How are Regions similar to and different from
other places?
– Formal Regions
• Regions defined by governmental or administrative
boundaries (States, Countries, Cities)
• Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt,
Rocky Mountain region, Chinatown).
– Functional Regions
• Regions defined by a function (newspaper service area,
cell phone coverage area).
– Perceptual (Vernacular) Regions
• Regions defined by peoples perception (middle east, the
south, etc.)
Movement
• People, goods and ideas
move between regions
• The earth is constantly
moving – water (oceans),
landforms, wind, etc.
MOVEMENT
• How are people, goods,
ideas moved from place to
place?
– Human Movement
• Trucks, Trains, Planes
– Information Movement
• Phones, computer (email), mail
– Idea Movement
• How do fads move from place
to place?
TV, Radio, Magazines
Movement
Human/Environment Interaction
The interaction of humans with
the environment. This
interaction can have both
good and bad outcomes.
This is one of the most
important factors in
geography.
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
• How do humans and the
environment affect each other?
– We depend on it.
• People depend on the Tennessee
River for water and transportation.
– We modify it.
• People modify our environment by
heating and cooling buildings for
comfort.
– We adapt to it.
• We adapt to the environment by
wearing
clothing suitable for summer (shorts)
and
winter (coats), rain and shine.
Human Environment Interaction
The five themes ask these questions:
• Location – Where is it?
• Place – What is it like there? (both
physical and human)
• HE(I) – What is the relationship
between people and their
environment?
• Movement – How are people and
places connected?
• Region – How is a place similar to
and different from other places?
Remembering the 5 themes
•If you can’t remember what
they are just ask MR. HELP!!!
•M – Movement
•R – Regions
•HE – Human Environment
interaction
•L – Location
•P - Place
What themes of geography do we see on this map
COFFEE
 Top Ten Coffee Growing Countries
Let’s Review
• What is geography?
• Why is it important?
• What are the themes of
geography?
• What are examples of
physical and cultural
geography?