Geography Notes

Geography• The study of the earth’s

physical features and how they relate to living things

Physical FeaturesThe natural features on the earth’s surface such as mountains, rivers and oceans

5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY• Location• Place• Region• Movement• Human-Environment

Interaction

LOCATION:Where something is located on the earth’s surface

LOCATION:Absolute Location

– exact spot on the earth’s surface

– most common absolute location is your street address

LOCATION:• Absolute Location can also

be determined by using latitude and longitude coordinates:

• Savannah is located at 32.05N 81.05W

LOCATION:• Latitude – measures degrees of

distance north and south of the equator

• lines of latitude are also called parallels

Latitude

LOCATION• Longitude – measures degrees of

distance east and west of the Prime Meridian, which is located in Greenwich, England

• Lines of longitude are also known as meridians

Longitude

LOCATION:• Relative Location – the location of one

place in relation to another place • Based upon the cardinal (main) and

intermediate (in between) directions on a compass

• Georgia is north of Florida• Rincon is northwest of Savannah

Place• Physical and human characteristics

of places (how a place is “known”) • Savannah is characterized by River

Street, moss-covered live oak trees, the squares, the beach.

• China is known for its Great Wall.

Region• An area of the earth that has

shared characteristics that make it different from other areas of the earth

• Includes language / dialect and foods

Region• Geographic Regions: In the

U.S. – North, South, East, West, Midwest, Deep South, Southwest, Pacific Coast, Sunbelt etc.

Region• Political Regions: nation,

state, county, city• must have legal boundaries

and its own government

Region»Population Regions:

• Urban (city w/2500+ people)• Rural (community w/less than 2500 residents)• Suburban (heavy populated area near a city)• Metropolitan (MSA) (central city w/50,000+

residents or an area with a total population of at least 100,000 with an urbanized area w/50,000)

MOVEMENT:• The shifting of people, goods

and ideas from one place to another

• During the 1970’s there was a massive migration of people from the northeast to the Sunbelt.

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION:

• The ways people interact with their environment

• Includes dam building, logging, beach combing, preparing for hurricanes, etc.

Points to Ponder:• What is the absolute location of EMS?• What is Georgia’s relative location compared to her 5

bordering states?• Georgia is located in what geographic regions of the United

States• What are the four political regions in which you live?• What example of movement have we experienced in our

area?• How have you interacted with the environment in the past

month?

Unit 01 Vocabulary1. Absolute Location2. Relative Location3. Traditional Economy4. Command Economy5. Market Economy6. Mixed Economy7. Trade barrier8. Tariff9. Quota

10.Embargo11.Trade12.Currency13.Specialization

14. Gross Domestic Product15.Capital16.Entrepreneur17.Unitary18.Confederation19.Federal20.Autocratic21.Oligarchic22.Democratic23.Presidential24.Parliamentary25.Citizen