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Chapter 2 People, Places, and Patterns
Geography in International Studies
What is Geography?
• Geography is a core discipline of international studies
• Geo meaning “Earth”• Graphy refers to “writing”• Two main areas of study:– Physical• Examines the environment
– Human• Arrangement of Activities of people
Development of Geography
• The classical Greeks and Chinese were the first to understand and study geography
• Arabs continued the study of geography• With the Renaissance, Europe relearned Geography through
encounters with the Arabs• Modern geography is said to embody six elements:
– Space: patterns of human activity across the Earth– Place & Region: focuses on characteristics of places– Physical: understand processes of the environment– Human: understand human influence on Earth– Environment: interrelationships between people and environment– Uses: past, present, and future
Components of Geography
• Three main components of a geographical way of thinking:– Space• Location• Spatial interaction• Spatial organization
– Region• Formal• Functional
– Environment
Space
• Location: answers the question “where?”– Nominal: Oxford, OH– Relative: Ohio is West of New York– Absolute: Oxford, OH is at 39o30’N Lat, 84o45’W Long
• Spatial Interaction: why and how….– People move– Resources move– Ideas move
• Spatial Organization: reveals how people have delineated various territories
[Figure 2.1. Hong Kong. The harbor is the reason for Hong Kong. Photo S. Toops]
Region
• Formal– Human characteristics
• Language, religion, etc.
– Physical• Climate, landform, etc.
• Functional– Defined by network, focal point, or node
• River system• Trading system
• World Regions: Europe, Africa, etc.– Formal and functional
[Figure 2.2. Zurich. The largest city and financial center of Switzerland. Photo S. Toops]
[Figure 2.2. Zurich. The largest city and financial center of Switzerland. Photo S. Toops][Figure 2.3 Istanbul. Asia is in the background, Europe is in the foreground, in between is the Bosporus, the historical divide between Europe and Asia. Photo S. Toops]
Environment• Environmental determinism
– People acting in a certain way according to their environment– Now considered mutually interactive
• Human determinism– People control their environment
• Environmental possibilism– Physical environment cannot determine what we can do but it can limit what
we can achieve• Resources
– Renewable• Recyclable: aluminum, paper• Continuous flow: solar power, hydropower• Short term: timber, soil, water
– Non-renewable: fossil fuels ( coal, oil)
[Figure 2.4. Hunza. Pakistan. The Hunza Valley is irrigated from the glaciers in the surrounding mountains. Photo: S. Toops]
[Figure 2.5. Farm in Iowa. A piece of land, a farm, a home, a place, a geography. Photo S. Toops]
Maps: Tools for International Studies
• Maps are forms of communication that express ideas about the world– Specialized picture of mathematical precision
• Fundamentals– Scale: relationship between length of an object on a map
and length in the real world– Centering and Orientation: can be centered anywhere on
Earth– Projection: the way the Earth’s surface is distorted in a map
• Technological advancements: satellites– Geographic information system (GIS)– Remote sensing
[Map 2.1 World Map – Mercator Projection]
[Map 2.2 World Map – Robinson Projection]
Lying with Maps
• Maps are sometimes used for other purposes than just displaying a place
• Propaganda– Used during war to influence– Political views
• Can you think of any ways in which a map is used for some other purpose than as a means to find a place?
Conclusion
• Geography is critical in international studies– Analyze space, regions, and environments of Earth
• Geographical methods used by businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental organizations– State Department– WHO– WTO
• Geography is helpful in everyday life• Geography matters