Five Themes of Geography
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Transcript Five Themes of Geography
Five Themes of
Geography
Five Themes of Geography
Location
Place
Region
Movement
Human Environment Interaction
1st Theme of Geography
Location- describes where a place can be found
Two ways to describe location
1st type is Absolute Location
It’s position on the globe
Latitude, or parallels, measures distances north/south of the Equator
Longitude, or meridians, measure distances east/west of the Prime Meridian
Example: Mogadishu, Somalia is located at 20 N and 45o E
2nd type is Relative Location
Describes a place in relation to another place
Example: Mexico is south of the United States.
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe the relative location of your house.
2nd Theme of Geography
Place- describes how areas are alike and different, also known as the character of an area
Two ways to describe place
Physical Characteristics
Landforms- mountains, valleys
Ecosystems-examples: rainforest, arctic tundra, desert,
Climate- examples: daily weather, hurricanes, blizzards, droughts, floods
Human Characteristics
How people live, work and visit a place?
Language, customs and beliefs
Economic traits, issues and concerns
Government
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe 2 physical and 2 human characteristics of your community.
3rd Theme of Geography
Region- A group of places with at least one characteristic in common,
physical or human characteristics
3 types of regions
1st type of region is a Formal Region
Certain characteristic is found throughout the area
Political- ex. State of Nebraska, Country of Germany
Climate/Vegetation- ex. Arctic Tundra, Amazon Rainforest
Landform regions- ex. Andes Mountains, Congo River Basin
3rd theme continued…
2nd type of region is a Functional Region
Focal point/central place with surrounding areas linked by a common use
Common use could be things such as transportation or communication
Ex.- Dallas- Forth Worth metro area shares a common airport located between the
two cities
Ex. – Lincoln Journal Star located in Lincoln Nebraska and distributes newspapers to
people in and all around Lincoln
Ex.- Washington D.C. is a central location for US lawmakers to meet and make
decisions that affect our nation
3rd type of region is a Perceptual Region
People’s feelings and attitudes about areas
No precise or exact borders!
A perception is a viewpoint that is influenced by a person’s culture and experiences
Ex. – The Midwest, The South, the Middle East
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
Describe one type of region that can be found in your community.
4th Theme of Geography
Movement- describes the ways people, goods and ideas move from one place
to another
Trade
Ex. – Oil is transported through the state of Alaska using a pipeline.
Ex. – Various goods, such as clothing, are manufactured overseas and then
shipped to the United States to be sold.
Tourism
Ex. –Thousands of people visit Lincoln every year to attend Husker Football and
other sporting events.
Ex. Tourists often purchase souvenirs from places they visit.
Technology
Ex.- GPS can be used to locate and travel to various destinations around the
world
Ex. Panama Canal has an elaborate system using locks to move cargo ships
through the canal
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of paper:
How are people, goods and ideas transported in our community?
5th Theme of Geography
Human Environment Interaction (HEI)
Explains how people use and change their environment
Ex. - Bringing in new plants
Ex. - Irrigating the land
Ex. - Developing new areas by building roads, houses and businesses
Ex. - A community using the resources in the area, crops, water, etc.
Take a moment to answer this question on a separate sheet of
paper:
How have people in your community modified the environment? Provide
2 specific examples.