Thinking about PlaceHow do Geographers Describe Where Things

Are?

• Toponyms

• Site & Situation

• Mathematical Location

Toponym = Place Name

What do toponyms tell us about a particular location? - and the people who gave it the name!

Looking at the toponyms for these two counties in Colorado, what can you learn about the people who named the towns, counties,

rivers, etc.?

Beyond toponyms: another way of identifying a location and making it distinct is site and situation.

Site = the unique physical characteristics of a particular location

• Climate, landforms, etc., are physical characteristics

• A location’s site changes very little over time

Situation = the relationship between a particular location and other locations

• How is a particular location connected with others via highways, railroads, seaborn trade, telecommunications, etc.?

• Situation can change drastically over time! - Give some examples

The image below is focused on Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.Describe, as best you can, the site and situation of Quebec City.

The image below is centered on Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.Describe, as best you can, the site and situation of Quebec City

The image below is centered on Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.Describe, as best you can, the site and situation of Quebec City

Mathematical Location:A Precise Location on the Earth’s Surface

• Also know as absolute location

• Coordinates given for a location can be very precise

• Not used by most people when describing a location

Longitude

• Is measured from the Prime Meridian (0°) to 180°

• The Prime Meridian runs through a section of London

• Longitude helps determine location east and west from the Prime Meridian

• All lines of longitude meet at the poles and are farthest apart at the equator

Latitude

• Lines of latitude run east - west around the Earth’s surface

• The equator is 0° and the lines of latitude determine the distance from the equator

• Lines of latitude are parallel and thus never meet

• You move about 70 miles on the Earth’s surface for every 1° of latitude

Thinking about the three ways of identifying place, what are the strengths and weaknesses of each?

• Toponym

• Site & Situation

• Mathematical