Download GEOG - Unit 1

Physical Geography
Looking at the Earth
Geography involves the
study of places: their
locations, their
characteristics, and how
humans use and move
around them.
Satellite image of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
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Physical Geography
Looking at the Earth
SECTION 1
The Five Themes of Geography
SECTION 2
The Geographer’s Tools
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Section 1
The Five Themes of
Geography
• Geographers view the world in terms of the
use of space.
• Geographers study the world by looking at
location, place, region, movement, and
human-environment interaction.
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SECTION
1
The Five Themes of
Geography
The Geographer’s Perspective
Geographers and Historians
• Historians look at events over time
• Geographers look at:
- use of space on Earth
- interactions that take place there
- patterns and connections between people and
land
• Geography is the study of the distribution and
interaction of Earth’s physical and human features
Continued . . .
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continued The
Geographer’s Perspective
Methods of Geography
• Geographers use a variety of tools:
- maps
- photographs
- charts, graphs, tables
- scale models
- five themes of geography
Image
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Theme: Location
Where is it?
• Absolute location—exact place where a
geographic feature is found
- Example: Atlanta is located at 32*N, 48*W
• Relative location—location of a place compared to
places around it
- Example: Atlanta is 540 miles north of Panama
City Beach
Continued . . .
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Section 2
The Geographer’s Tools
• Geographers use two- and three-dimensional
tools to learn about the earth.
• Geographers use computer-assisted
technology to study the use of the earth’s
surface.
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continued Theme:
Location
Latitude Lines
• Geographers use latitude lines to locate places
north and south
• Latitude — imaginary lines that run parallel to the
equator
• Tropic of Cancer – 23.5* N, represents the
furthest point the northern hemisphere tilts
towards the sun
• Tropic of Capricorn – 23.5* S, southern version
Map
Map
Longitude Lines
• Geographers use longitude lines to mark positions
east and west
• Longitude — imaginary lines that go over the poles
• Where latitude and longitude lines cross is the
absolute location
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continued Theme:
Location
Absolute Location
• Earth is divided into two equal halves, vertically and
horizontally
• Each vertical and horizontal half is called a
hemisphere
• An imaginary line, the Equator, divides north and
south halves
• Another imaginary line, the Prime Meridian,
divides east and west
Map
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Time Zones
 There are 24 time zones in the world.
 You enter into a new time zone every 15* Longitude.
 As you move West, you “lose” an hour every new time
zone.
 This is true until you reach the international dateline, at
which point you actually gain 24 hours
 The idea behind this is to make it Noon when the sun
is at its peak no matter where you are in the world.
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Important Lines of the World
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continued Maps
and Globes
Two or Three Dimensions
• Globe—a three-dimensional representation (a
sphere) of Earth
• Map projection—way of showing Earth’s 3-D
surface on a 2-D surface
Interactive
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Theme: Place
What is it Like?
• Place includes physical features and cultural
characteristics:
- physical features include climate, landforms,
vegetation
- cultural characteristics include dams, highways,
houses
Image
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Theme: Region
How are Places Similar or Different?
• A region is an area united by similar characteristics
• Unifying characteristics—physical, political,
economic, cultural
• Three types of regions:
- formal
- functional
- perceptual
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continued Theme:
Region
Formal Regions
• have a limited number of related characteristics
(has official boundaries)
• Formal regions of the world:
- Continents
- States
- Countries
- Cities
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continued Theme:
Region
Functional Regions
• Organized around interactions and connections
between places
• Example: a city and its suburbs (metropolitan area)
are connected through human movement
Perceptual Regions
• Region with characteristics people perceive in
much the same way
• Example: “the South”
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Theme: Human-Environment Interaction
How Do People Relate to the Physical World?
• A relationship exists between people and their
environment
• People use and change the environment to meet
their needs
• People adapt to environmental conditions they
cannot change
• Often, people in similar environments adapt in
different ways
• Examples include building roads, bridges, or dams
Image
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Theme: Movement
How Do People, Goods, and Ideas Get from
One Place to Another?
Image
• Geographers use three types of distance to analyze
movement:
- linear distance
- time distance
- psychological distance
Linear Distance and Time Distance
• Linear distance—how far a person, product, or idea
travels
• Time distance—how long it takes for person,
product, idea to travel
Continued . . .
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continued Theme:
Movement
Psychological Distance
• Refers to the way people perceive distance
• Example: unfamiliar places may seem farther away
than familiar ones
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