Transcript Geography

Geography
OGT Review
A. Physical Regions – areas of common physical features, resources and wildlife (e.g.
Sahara Desert, Amazon Rain Forest) See A on next slide
B. Cultural Regions – areas of common cultural characteristics such as language, history,
politics, or religion See B on next slide
• Middle East – most speak Arabic, follow Muslim religion, wear similar clothing
•Latin America – common history, speak related languages
C. Political Regions – a country is a political region define by political characteristics with
its own government, borders and sovereign (independent) power. (e.g. United States)
See C on next slide
D. Economic Regions – regions defined by economic characteristics See D on next slide
•European Union (EU) – European countries that have eliminated customs duties
and workers travel freely between countries; also use same currency – the Euro
•NAFTA – North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada,
and Mexico where custom duties between these countries are lower
Developed countries
–
countries with advanced economies and high standards of living
Developing countries – countries with less advanced technology and lower standard of
living
Demographic Data – population; geographers look at birth rate, death rate, and infant
mortality rate to determine development
•Developed nations
•Developing nations
Educational Data
–
–
low birth, death, and infant mortality rate (e.g. United States)
high birth, death, and infant mortality rate (e.g. India)
–
education; literacy rate – percentage of people who can read. Also
based on percentage of people attending college
•Developed nations – high literacy rate and percentage of people in college; large
number of doctors and hospitals
•Developing nations – lower literacy rate and percentage of people in college, low
numbers of doctors and hospitals
Economic Data - economy; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – total value of all goods and
services produced by a nation in one year; Per Capita Income – the average earnings by a
person in a year
•Developed Nation – high per capita income, high standard of living; technology in
work force
•Developing Nation – low per capita income, low standard of living, primitive working
tools
Urbanization – the movement of large numbers of people into cities
•Improvements in agriculture and the Industrial Revolution led many people to move to cities
•Towns and cities developed around factories
•Canals, railroads, and roads linked cities together
Population Density – how many people live in a given area; often showed with special maps
•Dot population map – uses dots to indicate major towns; the legend indicated how many
people are represented by each dot
•Population density map – uses patterns or shading to indicate number of people in an area
Migration – the movement of people from one area to another
•“Push” factors – conditions that push people out of their old location
•“Pull” factors – attractions that lure migrants to a new location
Social Factors
•Religious persecution such as the Pilgrams leaving England is an example of a “push” factor
•Ethnic persecution such as the Tutsi in Rwanda leaving is another example of a “push” factor
Political Factors
•Many leave an area when they are persecuted for political beliefs or wish to seek new
freedoms elsewhere
•Many left East Germany during the Cold War because of the oppression of the Soviet
Communist regime
•Many Cubans were drawn to the United States since the 1950’s because of freedoms
not offered under Fidel Castro’s regime
Economic Factors
•Many leave an area when there are no jobs or extreme poverty exists
•Many left Southern Europe in the late 1800’s to find work in the United States
Environmental Factors
•Many leave when threatened by environmental disasters such as floods, crop failures,
droughts, and earthquakes
•IN the 1840’s, many people left Ireland when potato famine destroyed a large portion
of the nation’s diet
How the Characteristics of American Regions Have Changed Over Time
•The United States was once a vast wilderness until westward movement and immigrantion
brought ideas and a new way of life changing the landscape forever
•U.S. population also began to shift in the 1970’s from the Northeast and Midwest to the
Southeast because of technological advancements (e.g. air conditioning and hydroelectric power
plants) Rustbelt
•This area has from westward and has become known as the Sunbelt
How Changes in Technology, Transportation and Communication have Affected the
Location of American Economic Activities
•The U.S economy has become nationwide due to these factors
How Geographic Processes have Led to Changes in American Society
•Many Americans have left the inner cities in the 20th century for the suburbs – green,
comfortable, rural-like areas on the outskirts of major cities