Transcript Chapter 1 Land of Contrasts

Chapter 1
Land of Contrasts
Section 1
Understanding Texas Geography
Places and Regions
 Geographers also look at places and regions.
 PLACE- refers to those features and
characteristics that give an area its own
identity.
 Places have physical features like landforms,
climate, plants and animals.
 Places also have human characteristics- such as
language, religion, architecture, music, politics,
and way of life.
REGIONS- are areas that are united by one or
more common characteristics. When many places
similar characteristics, they form a region.
Human- Environment
Interaction
 Or the relationships linking people to their
surrounding environment.
 Earthquakes and floods affect human life.
 Cutting forests and damming rivers to build
farms and cities have led to water and air
pollution.
Human Systems
 An important theme in geography is Movement-
of people, ideas, and goods.
 Culture diffusion- people bring culture and ideas
from one place to another and they are widely
accepted in the new location.
Physical Systems
 Geographers also study physical systems-
such as volcanoes, glaciers and hurricanesand how they shape and interact the
earth’s surface.
 GIS- Geographic Information Systems are
used to make informed decisions about
using our physical and human
environment.
 TEXAS- ranks second in size; 801 miles
from northwest corner of panhandle to
southern tip of Texas.
ReAdInG ChEcK
 You come up with a question!!!