Download Spatial Scale & Regions PPT

Spatial Scale and Regions
Spatial Scale
• Aim: Why are
geographers
concerned with
the concept of
spatial scale?
• Do Now:
Review: How
did we define
‘map scale’?
What does map
scale show?
Scale: has two distinct meanings in geography
• Map Scale:
• the distance on a map
compared to the distance
on the Earth
• Spatial/Territorial Scale:
• the territorial extent of
something – exists on
global, regional, local,
and individual levels
Spatial Scale
By breaking down scale,
geographers can study the same
phenomena at different levels
1. Local Scale
2. Regional Scale
3. Global Scale
Which is the largest scale?
Which is the smallest scale?
Local Scale
Provides more detailed, specific
information about a place
• Absolute location
• Site
• Situation
Regional Scale
Several neighboring countries or areas that
share important features
• Formal Region
• Functional Region
• Perceptual Region
Global Scale
The earth as a whole
(common patterns and trends)
• Globalization:
• interdependence of people all around the
world
Why Scale Matters…
• Different scales show
different patterns
• Different observations
can be made about
phenomenon
• Essentially, looking at
things at different scales
tells different stories
• For example, take test
scores…
Scale and the AP HuG Exam
• National scale
– The passing rate for this
course at a national level
was about 52%
• Local scale
– Sewanhaka School District
had between 80-86%
passing rate
• Individual scale
– You will either pass or fail
Scale Example: China’s Population
Fact: China is the
most populated
country on Earth
Examining population at
different scales allows us
to analyze population on
different levels
China’s Population:
Regional Variations
• To the left is a map showing
the distribution and density of
China's population
• One tiny dot indicates 50,000
people
• What conclusions can you draw
from this map?
• Over 90 percent of the
Chinese population live on less
than 40 percent of the land
• Most of the population is in
the east, along the coast
2 More Examples…
Thinking of the
examples we just
discussed, apply the
concept of spatial
scale to 2 other
examples:
1) politics and
2) poverty
Displaying the same
geographical features at
various scales may also depict
misleading results.
Continental United States
This map
shows the total
number of
AfricanAmericans per
state. Examine
Georgia..
Total Number of African-Americans in each State
1951 - 112460
112461 - 300130
300131 - 778035
778036 - 1456323
1456324 - 2859055
N
W
900
0
900
E
1800 Miles
S
Georgia
In the previous slide,
Georgia had one of the
highest number of
African-Americans, but a
closer look tells a
different picture. The
dark red is the Atlanta
metropolitan area.
Nu m ber of African-Am erican s per Cou nty
0 - 4791
4792 - 12194
12195 - 24241
24242 - 82608
82609 - 324008
N
W
100
0
100
E
200 Miles
S
Metropolitan Counties of Atlanta
States.s hp
Counties .shp
Per centage of Africa n-Am er icans
-9 9
-9 9 - 13.5 8
13.58 - 38.66
38.66 - 75.1
75.1 - 9 9.76
60
0
60
120 Miles
Using Census
Tracts of the
Atlanta
Metropolitan Area,
a different scale
gives different
results.
Atlanta Metropolitan Area Census Tracts
Perce n tag e of A fric an -A m erica n s in Atla nta M etro p oli ta n A rea
-99
-99 - 13.5 8
13.5 8 - 38 .66
38.6 6 - 75 .1
75.1 - 99.7 6
N
W
E
S
30
0
30
60 Miles
When we talk about regional scale,
what do we mean by “region”?
Uniqueness of Region
• Aim: In what
ways can we
define a
“region” of
the world?
• Do Now:
What was the
antebellum
period?
Regional Concept
“A region is the geographer’s
equivalent of the historian’s era”
What do you think this means?
Region:
– An area on Earth defined by one or more distinctive
characteristics
• Most often applied at two scales
1. Spanning political states
2. Constrained within one political state
• A region derives its unified character through the cultural
landscape: combination of cultural, religious, and physical
features.
– “Culture is the agent, the natural area the medium,
the cultural landscape is the result.” – Carl O.
Sauer, American Geographer
World Regions
(spanning political states)
• What regions are your assigned
countries in?
• With a partner:
• Compare and contrast College Board’s
regions to your textbook’s (handouts)
• Why are countries grouped together in a
region?
U.S. Regions: Midwest & South
(constrained within one political state)
3 types of regions:
1.Formal
2.Functional
3.Perceptual
• Formal or Uniform
– a homogenous area where all share a
common physical or cultural feature, such
as language, climate or political system
• Functional or Nodal
– Defined by particular set of activities or
interactions that occur within it
– Organized around a center, node or focal
point
– Have a shared political, social, or
economical purpose, such as a trade and
communication
• Perceptual or Vernacular
– How people think about or perceive a
region, such as Midwest, the South, or
Chinatown
Chicago is a formal regionYet the commuters and
shoppers who circulate daily
throughout the city make it
a functional region as well.
Regions
Formal
Perceptual
Functional
• The state of Iowa is a Formal Region.
• The colored circles represent the percentage of households served
by a TV station and are Functional Regions
• This functional regions on this map are based on the
linkages between large banks of major central cities and the
correspondent banks that they serve in smaller towns.
Other Functional (nodal) Regions:
What type of region?
Cultural Perceptions
When you think about the “deep South”
what words, phrases, or images come to
mind?
The South is popularly distinguished as a distinct
vernacular region within the United States,
according to a number of factors, such as mild
climate, propensity for growing cotton, and
importance of the Baptist Church.
The cultural geographer Wilbur Zelinsky identified 12 major perceptual
regions of North America. (Notice that there is considerable overlap.)
Formal, Functional, or Perceptual?
park
space
usage
classroom
seating
pizza
delivery
areas
most
common
with a
meal
soda
bottlerstore
linkages
What formal, functional, and
perceptual regions are we in?
Formal
Local
scale
National
scale
International
scale
Functional
Perceptual