Chapters 1-4

Physical GeographyHuman Geography

Why?

• Why do we study geography?– It’s the study of people, places, and locations

• Geography is Greek, geographia, meaning “to describe the earth.”

5 Themes of Geography

• Location– Where is it located?

• Place– What is it like?

• Region– How are places similar or different?

• Movement– How do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to

another?• Human-Environment Interaction

– How do people relate to the physical world?

Location

• Location is described in two different ways– Absolute Location: the exact place on earth where

something is located.• Use grid lines to describe location (latitude and

longitude) prime meridian (Greenwich meridian) and equator• World broken down into hemispheres • Latitude= horizontal, Longitude= vertical lines

Location

• Relative Location: describes how a place is related to its surrounding environment.– How would you give directions to the school?

How would you give directions to your house?– Cairo, Egypt is located at the mouth of the Nile

River in Africa.

Place

• Place includes all the physical features and cultural characteristics of a location.

• Every place has distinct features that separate them from other places.– Examples: climate, landforms, vegetation

• Place can include: houses, roads, animals, human interaction.

Region

• A region is an area of the earth’s surface with similar characteristics.

• Characteristics are often more than one similarity.– Includes: physical, political, economic, or cultural– Example: The Midwest

• We categorize regions in three ways:– Formal, functional, and perceptual regions

Human-Environment Interaction

• The relationship between humans and their environment.

• People adapt to their environment.– Example: Climate, weather, physical features

• How do people cope with a hot climate?

Movement

• The way goods, ideas, and people move from place to place.

• Measured by three types of distance:– Linear and time distance: how far something

moves and how long it takes.– Psychological distance: how people view the

distance of a place.• Younger you are, the further the distance

Maps and Globes

• Globe: a 3-dimensional representation of the earth. – It provides a way to view earth as it travels

through space.• Map: a 2-dimensional representation of the

earth. – Can be drawn to any scale or size. Only flat

representation so it is distorted.– A cartographer is a map maker.

Map-Making

• Cartographer decides the scale and detail of the map.

• Surveying: Observing, measuring, and recording what they see in a specific area.– Information gathered includes: elevation,

differences in land covered, and variations in temperature.

Map-Making

• Satellites: As a satellite orbits the earth, they gather pictures and data from the earth below.

• Landsat is the series of satellites that takes this information. – It is done in 16 days. (Earth in its entirety)

Map-Making

• Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-Digital database of storing world information.– Look at a problem in the world and use the

database to find clues to solve the problem.– Information includes: maps, aerial photographs,

satellite images– Example: Reducing drought

Map-Making

• Global Positioning System (GPS)- Lets people know where they are exactly in the world.– Originally designed by the US military.– System uses 30 satellites called Navstars, which

relay information to the earth.– Example: Tracking bears in Northern Minnesota

How to Read a Map• Title: explains the subject of the map and gives you an idea of what is on

the map.• Compass Rose: gives you the direction of the map. (North, South, East,

and West)• Labels: words or phrases that describe the map.• Legend: or key that lists and explains symbols, and colors on the map.• Lines of Latitude: measure distance North and South of the equator• Lines of Longitude: measure distance East and West of the Prime

Meridian.• Scale: the ratio between a unit of length on the map.• Symbols: represent items, such as cities, imports, and exports, and

economy.• Color: represent many different items.

How to Read a Map

• Mercator projection: distorted images from the poles. Gives a flat projection.

• Homolosine: divides the oceans but gives an accurate projection of shapes and sizes.

• Robinson projection: commonly used in textbooks, gives nearly true sizes of landforms.

How to Read a Map

• Physical Map: Shows landforms and bodies of water in a specific area. Color, shading and contour lines lets one see the characteristics of an area.

• Political Map: Show features on a map that were created by humans. May include, cities, states, provinces, countries, and territory.

Bodies of Water

• Salt Water covers 71% of Northern Hemisphere and 60% of Southern Hemisphere.

• The Oceans are actually one large ocean but broken down into four main parts.

• Lakes hold more than 95% of all the freshwater on earth.– 18% from Lake Baikal alone.

Landforms

• Turn to pages 34 and 35.• Copy down the vocabulary for EACH landform

given.

Culture

• What makes us similar with some people but different from others.

• Acts as a blueprint of for how a group of people should behave if they want to fit in with the group.

• Culture involves: food/shelter, religion, relationships, language, family, education, security/protection, political and social organization, creative expression

Culture

• A group that shares a geographic region, sense of identity, and a culture is called a Society.

• Ethnic group refers to the shared language, customs and common heritage.

• The spread of ideas, inventions, and behavior is called Diffusion.

• Acculturation is when these ideas are adapted into the new society.

Language

• Language reflects all forms of a culture.• Helps establish a cultural identity and a sense of

unity.• Language can also divide populations.– Example: Canada (French and English)

• Between 3,000 and 6,500 languages spoken in the world.

• Versions of a language are known as dialect.– Southern English (y’all)

Language Diffusion

• Language was passed on in the beginning by following trade routes.

• Some language was even invented completely.• Language can be adapted to help many groups

understand each other.– Example: French, African and North American

peoples combined their languages and created Creole.

• Also passed as groups spread into new areas.

Religion

• A belief that a creator or creators of supernatural powers created and maintain the world.– Monotheistic- belief in one god.– Polytheistic- belief in many gods– Animistic- belief in divine forces or nature

• Religions spread throughout the world because of diffusion– Trying to convert people (Christianity)– Other spread by others experiencing that religion

(Native Americans)

Types of Religion

• Judaism- roots go back about 4,000 years– Monotheistic– Ethnic religion– The Torah contains their basic teachings and laws

• Christianity- based on the teachings of Jesus, about 2,000 years ago– Monotheistic– 2 billion followers worldwide– Includes, Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern

Orthodoxy.

Types of Religion

• Islam- based on the teachings of Muhammad from around 26 AD.– Monotheistic– God is called Allah– Followers are called Muslims– Holy book is called the Quran– Two major groups are called the Sunni and Shia

Types of Religion

• Hinduism- oldest religion, dating back 5,000 years.– Considered polytheistic– God is called Brahman– Believe in reincarnation

• Buddhism- started around 5th century BC.– God is known as Buddha– Monotheistic– Teachings tell of how to live an enlightened life.– Largest branches are known as Theravada, Mahayana,

Tibetan Buddhism, and Zen.

How Population is Counted

• Birthrate= number of living births per thousand people.

• Fertility rate= the number of children a woman from a region is expected to have

• Death rate= number of deaths per thousand people.

Political Systems

• State- an independent unit that occupies a specific territory.

• Nation- A group of people with a common culture living in a territory.

• If both occupy the same area, it is called a nation-state.

• A nation does not need to have territory.– Example: Palestine, Kurds, and Basques

Types of Governments

• Democracy- Citizens hold power, either directly or through elected officials.– Example: United States

• Monarchy- A ruling family headed by a king or queen hold political power and may or may not share the power with the citizen body.– Example: United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia

• Dictatorship- An individual or group holds complete political power.– Example: North Korea

• Communism- Nearly all political power and means of production are held by the government in the name of the people.

Urban Growth

• A built up area around a large city is called a suburb.– Example: Bloomington, Maple Grove, Woodbury,

Farmington• Smaller cities or towns with open land in between

them and a large area is referred to as a metropolitan area.

• Several metropolitan areas are called a megalopolis.– Example: New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and

Washington D.C.

Urban Growth

• Three ways to categorize land use:– Residential- single-family homes and apartments– Industrial- areas reserved for industrial good

manufacturing.– Commercial- used for private business and the buying

and selling of retail.• Cities form generally around a body of water (river

or lake)• Easy transportation to and from the city are also

important.

Economy

• The production and exchange of goods and services among a group of people.

• Types of Economy:– Barter- good and services exchanged for each other.

No money involved.– Command- Production is determined by central

government. Also called a planned economy.– Market- Production is determined by the

consumers. Also called a demand economy or Capitalism.

Economy

• Natural Resources: materials on earth– Example: fish, trees, coal

• Natural resources are abundant on earth but not equally spread.

• 3 Types:– Renewable- can be replaced through natural process.– Non-Renewable- cannot be replaced from the ground.

Example: metal, fuels– Inexhaustible energy resource- produce power as a

result of the sun or wind, or tide.

Economic Support Systems

• Infrastructure- the basic support system needed to keep an economy going. – Includes: power, communications, education, sanitation,

water, transportation• Per capita income- the average amount of money

earned by each person in a political unit.• To measure an economy, the measurements are Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP)– The total value of all goods and services produced by a

country over a period of time.