Transcript 5 Themes of Geography

What is Geography?
Geography is a representation of the whole known world together with the
phenomena which are contained therein.
Ptolemy, Geographia 2nd Century A.D.
Geography is the science of place. Its vision is grand, its view panoramic. It
sweeps the surface of the Earth, charting the physical, organic and cultural
terrain, their areal differentiation, and their ecological dynamics with
humankind. Its foremost tool is the map.
Leonard Krishtalka, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 20th Century
A.D.
Organized knowledge of the earth as the world of people
(Balogh).
Okay, but what exactly is it?
Well, it’s a way of thinking about intellectual
problems, both natural and societal, which
emphasizes the importance of spatial
relationships.. Take any social, environmental, or
physical question or problem and ask yourself
whether there is a spatial aspect to it. Chances
are that space and place play a role in the
answers to that question.
Mike Reed, Making It Up As I Go
Divisions of Academic Geography
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Physical Geography
Rocks and Minerals
Landforms
Soils
Animals
Plants
Water
Atmosphere
Rivers and Other Water Bodies
Environment
Climate and Weather
Oceans
Human or Cultural Geography
Population
Settlements
Economic Activities
Transportation
Recreational Activities
Religion
Political Systems
Social Traditions
Human Migration
Agricultural Systems
Urban Systems
The Geography of Breakfast
a geographic thinking demonstration
COFFEE
 Top Ten Coffee Growing Countries
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate was “discovered” for Europe by Christopher Columbus,
but it’s commercial possibilities were recognized by Hernan Cortez
who was served a drink made from cocoa beans by Moctezuma,
leader of the Aztecs (whom he later executed). The cacao tree, like
coffee, grows only in the tropics. Today it is grown primarily for
export to the U.S. and Europe.
Breakfast Foods
Food
Place of Origin
Current Production
coffee
Ethiopia
Tropics
oranges
South Asia, India
US, Mediterranean
pork
China, South Asia
Worldwide
wheat
Near East
US, Russia, Argentina
tea
China
Asia
oats
Near East
Temperate Climates
pepper
South America
Americas, Asia
THE 5 THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
CH 1 SECTION 1 NOTES
THE FIVE THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
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Location
Place
Human-Environment Interaction
Movement
Regions
LOCATION
Where are we?
• Absolute Location
– A latitude and longitude
(global location) or a
street address (local
location).
– Paris France is 48o North
Latitude and 2o East
Longitude.
– The White House is
located at 1600
Pennsylvania Ave.
• Relative Location
– Described by landmarks,
time, direction or
distance. From one place
to another.
– Go 1 mile west on main
street and turn left for 1
block.
PLACE
What is it like there, what kind of place is it?
• Human
• Physical
Characteristics
Characteristics
• What are the main
languages, customs, and
beliefs.
• How many people live,
work, and visit a place.
• Landforms (mountains,
rivers, etc.), climate,
vegitation, wildlife, soil, etc.
Key Concept: Movement
(Interconnections)
Tobler’s 1st Law of Geography
• All things are related. However, all other
things being equal, those things that are
closest together are more related.
• Related Concepts:
– Distance Decay
Key Concepts
• Diffusion - the processes by which a feature,
idea, or peoples spread to new places.
• Migration - the movement of people on the
planet.
• Globalization – the increasingly interconnected
nature of worldwide trade and exchange.
CONNECTIONS
(Key Concepts)
Diffusion
• Relocation
• Contagious
• Stimulus
• Hierarchical
Ideas, goods, and people
move and diffuse across
the earth. When people are
involved we call this
MIGRATION.
Place (versus Space)
Why do places feel different to us? Why and how
do they represent and reflect different
meanings and even personal identity. Every
place is unique. Imagine where you lived as a
child. What is home?
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All five senses
Physical and cultural elements
Architecture
Symbolic
• Place and Placelessness (Relph, 1978)
Sense of Place
Groveland, CA
Bourbon Street
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
• How do humans and the environment affect
each other?
– We depend on it.
• People depend on the Tennessee River for water and
transportation.
– We modify it.
• People modify our environment by
heating and cooling buildings for comfort.
– We adapt to it.
• We adapt to the environment by wearing
clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and
winter (coats), rain and shine.
Human-Environment Interaction
• Successful cultures are those that adapt well to
their environments. (Chaco Canyon, North
Africa, Fertile Crescent, Easter Island)
Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
Easter Island, Polynesia
Where are we? What values are reflected
in each? What relation to physical
environment?
Timber House, Switzerland
Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Yurt on Mongolian Steppe
Suburban Home, Chicago
MOVEMENT
• How are people, goods, ideas moved from place
to place?
– Human Movement
• Trucks, Trains, Planes
– Information Movement
• Phones, computer (email), mail
– Idea Movement
• How do fads move from place to place?
TV, Radio, Magazines
REGIONS
• How are Regions similar to and different from other
places?
– Formal Regions
• Regions defined by governmental or administrative boundaries (States,
Countries, Cities)
• Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt, Rocky Mountain
region, Chinatown).
– Functional Regions
• Regions defined by a function (newspaper service area, cell phone
coverage area).
– Vernacular Regions (Not in your book)
• Regions defined by peoples perception (middle east, the south, etc.)
Overlapping Formal and
Functional Regions
Vernacular Regions
Remembering the 5 themes
• If you can’t remembering what they
are just ask MR. HELP!!!
• M – Movement
• R – Regions
• HE – Human Environment interaction
• L – Location
• P - Place
Your assignment
• Describe you and your family using the 5
Themes of Geography.
• Make sure you use every theme.
• Type your biography, double space.