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Cultural Regions

Important Vocabulary

Cultural Region

Functional Region

Perceptual Region

Middle East

Suez Canal

Latin America

Panama Canal

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

Choke point

Cultural Regions

Physical geography and the level of technology greatly influence a people’s culture.

Landforms, nearness to bodies of water, climate and natural resources interact with a people’s beliefs,

traditions, and history to create a distinct way of life.

o A region is an area that has common characteristics that distinguish it from neighboring

areas.

o A cultural region is defined by the common characteristics of people living there.

o People in a cultural region may:

Speak the same language

Practice the same religion

Share the same customs

Live under the same government

Example: Southwest Asia (The Middle East)

1. Also a physical region (warm, dry climate with many deserts and mountain

areas)

2. Most people share the same language and religion

3. It is also the crossroads of three continents

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4. It is also the birthplace of human civilization

Types of Regions

1. Formal Region

a. Has clear boundaries

b. Defined by at least one common human or physical characteristic

c. This may be a common:

i. Government

ii. Religion

iii. Language

iv. Physical characteristic, etc.

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2. Functional Region

a. An area defined by one function

b. People in the area are linked by common patterns, television and radio broadcasts,

shopping and entertaining

i. A drainage basin of a great river connecting several states

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ii. Newspaper Route

iii. Amtrak Route Map

iv. Paris Metro

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3. Perceptual Region

a. Based on people’s attitudes and emotions about a place

i. “Deep South”

ii. “Dixie”

iii. “the Big Apple”

b. May not be based on real facts or conditions

c. If you asked people to draw a line around the “Deep South” or the “Midwest” on a map

of the United States, the lines might differ

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Survey of Cultural Regions

1. North America

a. United States and Canada: often considered part of the same cultural region

i. Speak English

ii. Once British colonies

iii. Majority of both are Christian

iv. Once home to Native American Indians

v. Have democratically elected governments

vi. Citizens follow similar occupations and enjoy similar ways of life

b. Canada

i. World’s second largest country in area

ii. Population is concentrated along the southern border

iii. Plays a key role in the world’s economy and is a major trading partner with the

U.S.

iv. Has a long history of conflict between its English and French-speaking citizens

c. The United States

i. Geographers identify several distinct regions

1. New England

2. Mid-Atlantic States

3. Midwest

4. The South

5. Texas

6. Southwest

7. West

ii. Each of these regions has its own distinct cultural patterns, regional accents,

favorite foods and fashions, and typical occupations

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2. Latin America

a. Refers to all of the Americas south of the United States

i. Mexico

ii. Central America

iii. West Indies

iv. South America

b. Called “Latin America” because it was once colonized by Spain and Portugal, whose

languages come from Latin

c. European conquerors failed to recognize Native American ownership of their land, since

they saw the “Indians” as non-Christian and uncivilized

d. Many Latin Americans today are of mixed Native American and European descent.

e. Most speak Spanish or Portuguese

f. Most practice the Catholic religion

g. Major features

i. A country is a human-made political unit, with its own government and

boundaries

ii. Panama Canal

1. An important human-made feature in this region

2. 48 mile canal

3. Choke point

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4. Connects the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and serves as a major route for

international trade

3. Europe

a. Europe and Asia share the same landmass, so large that geographers have divided it into

two continents

b. The Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia

c. The Greeks were the first Europeans to develop their own civilization

i. It set standards by which later people measured themselves

d. The Romans later united most of Western Europe under one government

e. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was divided into a series of warring

kingdoms with their own languages and cultures

i. However, Europeans remained largely united (in the Middle Ages) by the

Christian religion

f. Renaissance: once again, Europeans became leaders in technology and culture

g. Remained the most powerful and technologically advanced region for the next 500

years

h. Largely propelled by the:

i. French Revolution

ii. Industrial Revolution

i. European nations colonized vast regions around the world (spreading their technology

and way of life)

j. WWI and WWII:

i. Fought on European territory

ii. Resulted in unprecedented death and destruction

iii. Stimulated the desire for independence in the colonies of Asia and Africa

iv. Europe spent their energies fighting WWII and could not resist these

independence movements

k. Today, Europe consists of many nations

i. Most of them united under the European Union

l. In general, Europeans have:

i. Democratic governments

ii. High standards of living

iii. Strong educational systems

iv. Small families

v. Many follow the Christian religion

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4. Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

a. Russia was separated from the rest of Europe for much of its history

b. Russia adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity from Constantinople

c. Conquered and occupied by the Mongols of Asia for many centuries

d. Rulers, called Tsars (Caesar in Russian) emerged with absolute power

i. Russia was a small state centered in Moscow

ii. In the late 18th century, Tsars introduced Western European ways

iii. Russia then went about conquering neighboring territories, greatly expanding

its size

iv. Meanwhile, a vast peasant population continued to live in extreme poverty

e. Soviet Union: during WWI, the Tsar’s government collapsed

i. Russia became the world’s first communist country, known as the Soviet Union

ii. Became a distinct government and culture of 15 Soviet Republics

iii. In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into several smaller, independent states

iv. These states remain loosely associated as the Commonwealth of Independent

States

1. These states share a common history, often speak several related

languages, and have common ethnic minorities

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v. Foreign invaders have sometimes failed to conquer Russia simply because its

vast size, interior and cold winters

1. Napoleon lost half a million soldiers to the bitter cold temperatures in

1812

2. Hitler unsuccessfully invaded the Soviet Union in 1941

a. German tanks became bogged down in the mud

b. Equipment and soldiers froze

c. Millions of Soviets also died in WWII

5. North Africa

a. Found largely in the Sahara Desert

b. In this region, the ancient civilization of Egypt gave rise to one of the world’s first

civilizations

c. Because contacts between African peoples were limited by geographical barriers, each

people or tribe developed its own culture, language and traditions

d. North Africa was then colonized by Britain, France and Italy

e. Today, the peoples of North Africa are primarily:

i. Muslim

ii. Arab speaking

f. Because of the culture, and desert terrain, North Africa is often considered closely tied

to the Middle East

g. Suez Canal

i. Choke point

ii. Connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean

iii. Completed in 1869, 120 miles long

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6. Sub-Saharan Africa

a. Area south of the Sahara Desert

b. Separated from the North by a region, or transition zone called the Sahel

c. Different climate, topography, non-Arab population

d. Largely Christian

e. Mostly warm climate

f. Many people of this region once subject to the slave trade or European colonial rule

g. People remain divided into a large number of ethnic groups or tribes, each with its own

language and culture

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7. The Middle East (Southwest Asia)

a. Arab speaking

b. Muslim population

c. Desert and mountain region

d. Israel: Jewish State on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea

8. East Asia: China

a. The world’s most populous country

b. 1 in every 5 people in the world is Chinese

c. Isolationism

i. Separated by mountains, deserts and seas, China has kept itself isolated from

the rest of the world for the vast majority of its history

ii. Isolationism had a great impact on their development

1. Developed a unique culture separate from other centers of civilization

2. Led to centralization of power and concentration of resources that

made China one of the most advanced civilizations for centuries

d. Eastern China consists of a vast plain with fertile river valleys

i. Most of China’s population is here

ii. Population is dense by the coastline

e. Ruled by all-powerful emperors for thousands of years

f. Different dialects, but united by one system of writing

g. Shared distinct religious beliefs

i. Confucianism

ii. Taoism

iii. Buddhism

h. Since opening up its economy to foreign investors, China has undergone an economic

revolution

i. Its generally educated, low-wage labor force has helped propel China forward

ii. World’s fastest growing economy

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9. East Asia: Japan

a. Japan is an archipelago (group of islands)

i. Consists of four major islands and thousands of smaller ones

b. Although ancient Japan was strongly influence by China, it eventually developed its own:

i. Language

ii. System of writing

iii. Religious beliefs

iv. Customs

c. It was the first Asian nation to borrow Western ways and to industrialize

d. 85% of land is covered by mountains

e. Relatively large population

i. Population density and social closeness has promoted the ability of its people to

work together

f. Lacks many natural resources necessary for modern industry

i. Imports much of what it needs

ii. Sand for microchips

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10. South Asia

a. Made up largely of India and six other small nations

b. Contains the Himalayas

i. The highest mountain range in the world

1. Enabled people on both sides to develop their own language and

culture

c. The Ganges and the Indus are the main rivers

i. Sites of the world’s earliest civilizations

d. In ancient times, Aryans conquered the subcontinent and introduced the caste system

and the Hindu religion

e. 1700s: India fell under British rule

i. Became independent in 1947

ii. Separated into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan

iii. Former East Pakistan became Bangladesh

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f. India is world’s second most populous country

g. Mountainous Afghanistan to the north separates this region from the Middle East

11. Southeast Asia

a. Provides the shortest route between the Pacific and Indian Oceans

i. As a result, South Asia has been heavily affected by the large mix of people

coming to this area

1. Chinese

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2. Indians

3. Arabs

4. European Colonists

b. Once known as the East Indies

i. Export important spices such as pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Used in cooking all over the world

2. Highly prized in earlier times

3. Provided a way of preserving food

c. Much of the region continues to follow traditional ways of life

i. Slow changes are being made with the growth of cities and improvements in

technology

12. Australia and Oceania

a. Australia is the only country that occupies an entire continent

b. It is home to the aboriginal people

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c. British settlers established a colony in 1788

d. Today, the desert like interior (outback) is sparsely populated

e. Much of the population lives along the East Coast

f. Home to the largest barrier reef in the world: Great Barrier Reef

g. New Zealand

i. Also colonized by the British

ii. Home to the Maori People

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Notes created by Audrey Alamo, PreAP World Geography based on excerpts from “Mastering the TEKS

in World Geography,” Jarrett Publishing.