Essential Question: What is Geography?

• Warm-up:• 1. What does the word geography mean?• 2. What are the 5 themes of geography?• 3. Why do we study geography?

What is “Geography”?• The term was first coined

by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes (276-194 BCE).

• He created the word geographia from two different Greek words.

Geo = of the EarthGraphein = to describe

Geography is the study of the earth.

An Extremely Brief History of Geography• The field of geography existed before it had a name.• The oldest world maps are from the Babylonian Empire

(800s BCE).

A Brief History of Geography

• The ancient Greeks explored and documented some of Europe, Africa, & Asia.

• The Greek mathematician Pythagoras first proposed that the earth is a perfect sphere.

• Eratosthenes calculated the circumference (25,000 miles) of the earth almost perfectly (24,902 miles).

A Brief History of Geography• Using the knowledge of the

Greeks, Muslim scholars in Persia kept the study of geography alive during the Middle Ages (800-1400 CE).

• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (780-850) made maps with lines of latitude & longitude.

• The great adventurer Muhammad al-Idrisi (1099-1166) created the most accurate pre-modern maps.

A Brief History of Geography• European geography

lagged far behind the Muslim world.

• The voyages of European explorers like Marco Polo (1254 -1324), Christopher Columbus (1450-1506), & Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) stimulated the study of geography in Europe.

The Five Basic Themes of Geography

1. LOCATION– Absolute location of an area is its exact location on Earth

(latitude & longitude)– Relative location of an area is its position when compared to a

known landmark

The Five Basic Themes of Geography

2. PLACE– The physical and human characteristics of an area– Place describes an area’s geographical setting

The Five Basic Themes of Geography

3. REGIONS– Areas of the

world that have common characteristics

– Regions can be defined by climate, physical characteristics, economics, etc.

The Five Basic Themes of Geography

4. MOVEMENT– The way people,

goods, and ideas travel from place to place

– People move in hundreds of ways

– Goods move by many modes of transportation

– Ideas are communicated in a variety of ways

The Five Basic

Themes of Geography

5. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION– The way the Earth appears as a result

of how humans have changed it

Activity!

• Using the Geography Textbooks, and your notes, answer #1-5 on page 22.

Daily Geo Warm-Up, 8/11Essential Question: How do Population Patterns Describe a

Place?

Population Growth

• Growth rate: In recent years, death rates have declined more than birth rates. This means more people are being born than dying.– This is because of improved diet and health care.

• Birth rates are higher in economically developing countries and lower in wealthy industrialized countries.– Why?

Population Growth

• Death Rate- The number of deaths per year for every 1,000 people.

• Birth Rate- The number of births per year for every 1,000 people.

• Growth Rate= Birth Rate- Death Rate it measures the natural increase of the population

• Doubling Time- The amount of time it takes for the population to double

Population Growth• Challenges of Population

Growth– World food production has

risen to meet demands on every continent except Africa

– Rapidly growing populations face shortages of fresh water, housing and clothing

• Some countries have a higher death rate than birth rate (negative birth rate). – Often recruit workers from

other countries to supplement their workforce

Population Density• Population density: the

amount of people living on one square mile/km of land.– Different all over the world– Most people live near

sources of fresh water

• Population Movement: The movement of people around the planet.– Reasons: political

freedom, better jobs, education, and health care

– About half of the world’s population now live in urban areas

• Look up the populations and population densities of the following:1. Fayetteville, GA2. Fayette County, GA3. Georgia4. The United States 5. Any three other nations of your choosing. – Population densities of countries:

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST– Population densities of towns, counties, and states:

http://www.usa.com/• Record your finds in your notes.

8/12 Essential Question: What is culture? And how does it describe a place?

Elements of Culture• The world’s

languages are organized into families and trees, having similar roots.

• Religions influence certain aspects of daily life, have shaped art and architecture, and have been the root of conflicts in many countries

• A person is part of many social groups - families, social classes, ethnic groups, etc.

Elements of Culture• Governments maintain internal order, protect citizens, and supply public services.

• People produce, obtain, use, and sell goods and services (economic activity).

• Different countries that share certain characteristics (economic systems, languages, forms of government, or social groups) are known as culture regions.

Cultural Change• The world’s first

Agricultural Revolution began when nomadic people began to grow food rather than hunting and gathering it.

• Cultural Hearths: the first civilizations arose in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, China and Mexico.– spread their ideas and

practices to the surrounding areas

Cultural Change• Some people gave up

farming due to food surpluses and earned their living from other activities. This specialization lead to increased wealth for everyone.

• Trade and travel caused cultural contact by blending and promoted cultural change

Cultural Change• In the 1700s and

1800s, the Industrial Revolution made goods produced in factories very common.

• The Information Revolution of the past 50 years has created computers that can store massive amounts of information and send it around the world instantly.

• Use Chapter 4, Section 2 of the World Geography textbook to answer the following questions.

1. Define the following terms: a) cultureb) language familiesc) ethnic groupd) culture region

2. Explain why these places are important in the development of human culture(s).

a) Egyptb) Iraqc) Pakistand) Chinae) Mexico

8/13 Essential Question: How does Agriculture and Industry impact Geography?

Energy Resources• Our main sources of energy right now are nonrenewable resources (minerals and fossil fuels).

• Scientists are working on finding alternatives.– Hydroelectric energy– Solar energy– Wind energy– Nuclear energy

• Natural resources are not evenly distributed over the Earth.

Economic Development • In developed countries only a small portion of the population works in agriculture.

• In developing countries most people are subsistence farmers.

Economic Development• Industrialization has

recently helped change economies in countries that once relied mostly on agriculture, such as China and Malaysia.

• Certain militant groups in developing countries have used terrorism to counter the global influence of developed countries.

World Trade• Barriers to free

trade:– Governments try

to manage trade to benefit its own people

– They often add tariffs (taxes) to imported goods or set limits on how much can be imported from other countries

– A country can ban trade with another country (embargo)

World Trade

• Free trade:– The World Trade

Organization promotes free trade internationally

– The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has removed trade barriers among the United States, Canada and Mexico

Class Discussion:

• Should we have unrestricted and free trade?• Are protections (tariffs) and Trade barriers

necessary?• Why?• Should we end our embargo with Cuba?• Why/why not?

Closing Activity

• Use the Map on page 92 to answer the questions 1 & 2

• Use the Chart on page 94 to answer questions 1 & 2