Download 5 themes of geography

Geography is the study of the
earth and everything on it!
…it is the topic/idea
Geography is a BIG subject!
We will divide geography into 5
different THEMES/topics
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The 5 Themes of Geography were developed as a
method for studying geography.
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The themes help us categorize/organize
geographic information
Geography = noun
Geographic = adjective
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Question investigated/examined: Where is it?
Two categories of location:
1. Absolute location
2. Relative location
Absolute Location
A specific place on the Earth’s surface
 Uses a grid system
 Latitude and longitude (global address)
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Where a place is in relation to another place
Uses directional words to describe
Question investigated: What is it like?
 The
2 categories are:
1. 1. physical places
2. 2. Human places
Physical characteristics of the
environment
 Eg. Resources, climate, landforms,
water features, natural vegetation,
wildlife…
 Note: anything distinct and comes
from nature!
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Human characteristics of a place
Eg. Occupations, recreation, settlement types and
patterns, political, economic, religious beliefs,
ideas, language…etc
Note: features must be distinctive and manmade!
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Question investigated:
 How does the physical place influence/affect human
activities?
 How do human activities influence/affect the physical
place?
Two Categories of interaction. . .
 Human adaptation (root word = adapt/adjust)
 Human alteration (root word = alter/change)
http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT119/BAG0017.jpg
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Humans adapt to their environment
Examples: adapt to climate (shelter, clothes…)
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Humans alter their natural environment using
technology
Question investigated: How do people, goods and
ideas move from place to place?
Two categories of interaction. . .
1. Material movement (can see)
2. Non-material movement (cannot see)
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This involves obvious movement using land,
water, or air vehicle
Example: Moving people, animals, or other
material things
This involves less obvious forms of movement
Examples:
 movement of energy and information through electric wires
 Movement of ideas/beliefs from one place/culture to another
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Question investigated: What areas have
unifying/common features?
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We identify ‘areas’/’regions’ according to the
existence of unifying/common features
Three categories of region. . .
1. Formal region
2. Functional region
3. Vernacular region (skip)
Many features can be used to define regions ‘formal
regions’
Formal regions share one or a number of
unifying/common features.

Eg. Landform, climate, language, politics, religion,
culture…etc
Formal regions include…
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Landform regions (eg. Mountain areas, flat lands)
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Political regions (eg. provinces, countries, cities)
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Cultural regions (eg. Chinatown, Little India)
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Language regions (eg. French neighbourhood)
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Note: one region may various common features…
 80% speak French as their first language
 85% are practicing Roman Catholic Christians
 This area is in a mountainous area
Functional regions are defined by a function (an interactive
system).
The defining characteristics are the interconnected parts.
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Example: newspaper service area, cell phone coverage area,
urban area (CBD), ecosystems (natural functional region)
Vernacular regions are defined by ordinary people’s
(subjective) perceptions.
These perceptions reflect their feelings and images about
places.
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Eg. ‘the south’, ‘the west’…
Mr. Help!
M
R
HE
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Movement
Region
Human Environment Interaction
Location
Place
ACTIVITY:
Describe a place you love by addressing all 5 themes of
geography.
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location
CHINATOWN
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region