Geography: Its nature and perspectives

UNIT I

• At McDonald's in Israel, you can get a hamburger -- but you may not be able to get a cheeseburger, as a number of restaurants are strictly kosher. The first McDonald's opened in 1993 and the first kosher McDonald's opened in Mevasseret Zion in October 1995.

At the kosher restaurants, the familiar yellow and red signs have been replaced with the McDonald's name in blue and white in Hebrew and the word "kosher." All McDonald's restaurants here use kosher beef, chicken and other products -- and the beef used is leaner than elsewhere, with only 9% fat (versus 20-24% in the U.S.). The burgers are not cooked on a griddle, but charcoal-grilled, catering to Israelis' preference for healthier foods. They've even created their own version of a Middle Eastern favorite with the McShawarma -- turkey, tahini and pickles wrapped in lafa bread.

Geography

• “Write about Earth”• Greek roots

• Tries to find the “Why of where?”

Spatial Perspective

• Concerned with SPACE… rooms, countries, parks, continents, cyberspace, rivers, etc…

• AND the PATTERNS contained within• SPATIAL PERSPECTIVE– Identifying, explaining, and predicting human and

physical patterns in space and the interconnectedness of various spaces

– Utilize GEOGRAPHIC MODELS

Geographic Models

• Simplified versions of what exists on the earth and what might exist in the future

• Can be used by others to help explain what they see

• Ex. Demographic Transition Model, Von Thunen Model, Concentric Zone Model

Physical vs. Human Geo

• Physical – is concerned with spatial analysis of earth’s

natural phenomenon

• Human geography– Is concerned with Earth’s Human creations and

their interactions

5 Themes of Spatial Perspective

• Location• Human/Environment interaction• Region• Place• Movement

Themes…

• Think of them like lenses

1st Theme: Location

• Analyzing WHERE something is and the effects that position has on Human life

• ABSOLUTE vs. RELATIVE

Absolute location

• Position on the global grid– Lines of Latitude• Never intersect• N and S of the Equator• North pole is 90 degrees N latitude

– Lines of Longitude• E and W of the Prime Meridian (Greenwich, England)• International date line is opposite the Prime Meridian

– May be influenced by Politics• Is this ANGLOCENTRIC?

Cont…

• Each “line” can be broken down into minutes (60 min per degree) and Seconds (60 seconds per minute)

• 1 degree is about 69 miles, minute=1.1miles, 1 second=100’

GMT or Universal time

• Baseline• 24 timezones…15 degrees each• May be based on politics • China… one time zone (centripetal)• Great circles

Relative location

• Location as described in relation to places around it

• Site: Internal physical and cultural characteristics

• Situation: the context of a place relative to the physical and cultural characteristics around it.– Strong vs. Weak

2nd theme: Human/Environ Interaction

• Cultural Ecology• How we affect the environment and vice versa

3rd theme: Region

• Regions-spatial units that share some similar characteristics– Formal regions- have common cultural or physical

features– Functional region- (nodal) places linked by a

functional influence• Central node

– Perceptual Region-(vernacular) determined by people’s beliefs

4th theme: Place

• Unique combo of physical and cultural attributes that gives a location its “stamp”

• Religion, language, politics, artwork, etc…• Sense of Place– Persons perception of a location

5th theme: movement• Movement in space• Information, people, goods, etc…• Spatial interaction• Friction of Distance– Degree to which distance interferes with some

interaction

– Space-Time compression• Increasing connectivity and accessibility

• Distance decay-as distance increases interaction decreases

How Do Geographers

Describe Where Things Are?

I. By using Maps

Geography

• Word invented by Greek scholar– Eratosthenes

• “Geo” means earth• “graphy” means to write

• Human Geography vs. Physical– Study of where and why human activities are

located where they are

Distortion• Shape• Size • Distance• Direction

Cardinal Points

• N, S, E, W• Vs. Intermediate directions• Vs. Relative directions

Types of maps

• Equal area• Conformal/orthomorphic– Maintain shape

• Azimuthal– Maintain Direction

• Equidistant– Maintain distance

Ptolemy’s World Map (A.D. 150)

First Chapter

• Geographers “where” and “why” questions– Mapping• What is a map?

– Uniqueness• Place vs. Region

– Similarties• Scale, Space, and connections

– Space- gap– Connections- relationships across space

Which of the following is a “where” category?

• 1) Mapping• 2) Uniqueness• 3) Similarities

Map Scale• the relationship between a

feature’s map size and actual size• Map scale is shown in 3 ways:– fractional (1:24,000)– written/verbal • (one inch = 24,000 inches)

– graphic or bar line

Large Scale vs. Small Scale Maps

Small-Scale Maps• Number after 1: large• Area covered large• Large features only• Has the most

distortion

Example:World Map

Large-Scale Maps• Number after 1: small• Area covered small• small features shown• Has the least

distortion

Example:Map of Deland

True or False:

This is an example of a small scale map.

True or False:

This is an example of a large scale map.

Map Projections• A systematic method of transferring

the globe grid system from the earth’s curved surface to the flat surface of a map.

• This results in 4 types of distortion:- shape - distance

- relative size - direction

Equal Area Projection

Benefits: ◊ relative size of landmasses are realistic

◊ minimizes distortion in shape of landmasses

Distorts: ◊ size & shape of the oceans

◊ meridians (vertical lines)

Mercator Projection

Benefits: ◊ easy to see directions (used especially in marine navigation)

◊ minimizes distortion in shape of landmasses

Distorts: ◊ size of landmasses especially near the poles

Azimuthal Projection

Benefits: ◊ Distances measured from the center point are accurate

◊ Used by airline pilots to show routes

Distortion: ◊ increases as one moves away from the center point

Township & Range System

• Land Ordinance of 1787–Divided U.S. into sections to make land sales in the west easier.

• Townships– a 6 x 6 mile area (36 square miles)– divided into 36 sections– the principal meridian in Florida runs through Tallahassee.

II. By using Contemporary

Tools

GIS

• Geographic Information System– a computer program that displays geographic data.– information is stored in layers– can be used to compare spatial

data– shows relationships among

different kinds of information

Remote Sensing

• The acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite.– used in navigation (GPS)– especially good at locating heat sources…growing plants, animals,

currents, air temperatures.

Orlando 1973

Orlando 2000

GPS

• Global Positioning System• 24 satellites• Rely on timing…atomic clocks• Receivers only receive• Can be used with GIS