Transcript Concepts of Geography PowerPoint

Geography is the
study of the earth and
its features (physical
environment) and of
the distribution of life
on the earth,
including human life
(human environment),
and how these
environments interact
with each other
Global geography is a two
way interaction between the
human and natural worlds
that reveals their
interconnectedness:
• Mining and harvesting other
natural resources are human
activities that affects the natural
environment
• Hurricanes are a process of the
natural world that affects
human communities
Mining Pollution
Hurricane Katrina Damage
The geographic method of study has for
its foundation six fundamental
concepts:
1. Location
2. Region
3. Spatial Pattern
4. Spatial Interaction
5. Human / Environmental Interaction
6. Culture
Location
We often ask “Where did it happen?”
Absolute
• Grid references, latitude, longitude, address
Relative
• The use of landmarks, eg. 400 meters past
the soccer field
• Time reference, eg. About 10 minutes
down highway #1
• Compass Direction, eg. Travel SW until you
reach Smith Rd.
Brunswick Street
in Halifax after
White Juan, the
Blizzard of 2004
Region
A distinctive part of the earth that has
consistent or easily recognizable physical
or cultural features such as:
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coastal regions
rainforests
resource base (corn belt)
political structure and political boundaries
ethnic regions
cultural regions (religion, language)
income (LLDC’s, LDC’s, and MDC’s)
The scale or size of a region can vary
greatly i.e. Annapolis Valley or North
America could both be regions used in a
geographic study
We live in the
region often
referred to as
Atlantic Canada
Spatial Pattern
Most of the events that geographers
study can be found in more than one
location or region in the world− this is
what is referred to as spatial
distribution
A Spatial pattern is when geographers
can find a pattern of the same event in
places that are far apart
Examples:
•
Expensive suburbs are usually built far
away from industry or landfill sites is a
spatial pattern occurring in most North
American cities
Prevailing winds push
sulphur dioxide
emissions from
factories in a
particular direction
causing forests to be
damaged from the
effects of acid rain
Spatial Interaction
An event in one location or region can
lead to change in another location or
region; impacting another region either
positively or negatively
Examples:
• Forest fires in BC’s interior caused
hazy skies near Vancouver (500kms)
• AIDS and other diseases can travel
to other parts of the World very
quickly due to technology (travel)
Offshore oil spills
have profound
effects on marine life
Human / Environmental Interaction
• Impact of the environment on human and the impact of
humans on the environment:
Dependence - We depend on natural resources
Adaptation - We adapt to climate (winter coats) and to
landforms (rivers, mountains)
Modification - How we change the environment to suit our
needs (canals for irrigation, dykes to prevent flooding of
farmland)
• In contrast to other spatial interactions, this
type has impacts that are local; this means
they are not usually noticed thousands of
kilometers away
Culture
• Any geographic study
must remember the idea of
culture, or the customs
and World views of a
group of people
• Different cultures view
different views on the
environment, the use of
natural resources, and the
best ways of living in
human communities
Culture
•By learning about a people’s
culture we can better
understand interactions with
others and with the
environment
•Culture can vary greatly
within a small region
Example:
The difference of how rural
and urban Canadians view
rain
Rain for rural farmers is very
welcome while people living
in urban areas view rain as
inconvenient