Transcript World Geography - Unit #1 - PPT Notes

Unit #1
The Basics of Geography
Chapters 1 — 4
Notes #1: Chapter 1 - Physical Geography: Looking at the Earth
GPS 1 & 2: Physical & Cultural Geography
Section 1: Five Themes of
Geography
The Geographer’s Perspective
The Five Themes of Geography
(Location)
The Five Themes of Geography
(Hemispheres & Equator )
The Five Themes of Geography
(Prime Meridian, latitude, &
Longitude)
The Five Themes of Geography
(Place)
The Five Themes of Geography
(Region)
The Five Themes of Geography
(Formal Region)
Notes #1: Chapter 1 - Physical Geography: Looking at the Earth
GPS 1 & 2: Physical & Cultural Geography
The Five Themes of Geography
(Functional & Perspective)
The Five Themes of Geography
(Human-Environmental)
The Five Themes of Geography
Movement
Section 2: The Geographer’s
Tools
Maps & Globes
Types of Maps
Geographic Systems & Global
Positioning
Types of Maps
Chapter 1 – The Five Themes of
Geography
Chapter Overview
This chapter explains the Five
Themes of Geography, and
describes such tools of
geographers as maps, globes,
satellite images, and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS).
Section 1: The Five Themes of
Geography

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Geographers study the use of space on
earth.
Geographers organize information
about geography into five categories
or themes.
The Five Themes of Geography are
location, place, region, movement,
and human-environmental
interaction.
The Geographers Perspective
Geography The study of the distribution
and interaction of physical
and human features on the
earth.
Human Geography The study of the humans and
their interaction with one
another and the environment.
Physical Geography The study of the physical
features found on earth.
Physical and Human Features
on Earth
Five Themes of Geography:
Location
Location “Where is it?”
 Described in two ways: absolute and relative.
Absolute Location The exact place on earth where a feature is found
(e.g. a city).
Relative Location Describes a place in comparison with other places
around it (e.g. direction, time, or direction).
Five Themes of Geography:
Location
Grid System A system of lines to locate
absolute locations on earth’s
surface.
Hemisphere One half of the globe (e.g.
Northern, Southern, Eastern,
Western).
Equator Imaginary line that divides the
Northern and Southern
hemispheres.
Five Themes of Geography:
Location
Prime Meridian Imaginary line that divides East
and West.
 Also known as the Greenwich
Meridian because the line runs
through Greenwich, England.
Latitude Imaginary lines that run parallel to
the equator.
Longitude Imaginary lines that go around the
earth over poles.
Five Themes of Geography:
Place
Place “What is it like?”
 Place includes the physical
and cultural characteristics
of a location.
 Physical features include
climate, landforms, and
vegetation.
 Human features include
buildings, structures, and
cultural elements.
Five Themes of Geography:
Region
Region “How are places similar or
different?”
 A region is an area of the
earth’s surface with similar
characteristics.
 Features can include
physical, political,
economic, or cultural
characteristics.
 There are three types of
regions: formal, functional,
and perceptual.
Five Themes of Geography:
Region
Formal Region Defined by a limited number of characteristics.
 The formal region discussed this semester will
include:
- Southwest Asia & North Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- South Asia
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Australia
- Europe
- Russia & the Republics
- Latin America
- Canada & the United States
Five Themes of Geography:
Region
Functional Regions Organized around a set of
interactions and connections
between places (e.g. a city
and its suburbs).
Perceptual Regions A region in which people
perceive, or see, the
characteristics of the region
in the same way (e.g. the
Midwest may be defined
differently by people).
Five Themes of Geography: HumanEnvironmental Interaction
Human-Environmental
Interaction “How do people relate to
the physical world?”
 People learn to use what the
environment offers them
and to change the
environment to meet their
needs.
 People also adapt to live
within the limits of their
environment.
Five Themes of Geography:
Movement
Movement “How do people, goods,
and ideas move from one
location to another?”
 Examples of movement
include clothing, music, or
places of entertainment.
 Geographers analyze
movement by looking at
three types of distance:
linear, time, and
psychological.
Five Themes of Geography:
Movement
Linear Distance How far an idea, person, or product travels
and how it is affected by physical geography.
Time Distance The amount of time it takes an idea, person,
or product to travel.
Psychological Distance The perception of how people view an idea,
person, or product travels.
Section 2: The Geographers Tools
Two basic tools of geographers are maps and
globes.
 Most mapmaking today relies on data
gathered by remote sensing, primarily by
aerial photography or by satellites.
 Other important tools of geographers are
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and
Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

Maps & Globes
Globe A 3-D representation of the earth.
Map A 2-D representation of the earth.
 Portable and can be drawn to scale.
Cartographer A Mapmaker.
Map Projection A way of drawing the earth’s
surface to reduce distortion caused
by presenting a round earth on a
flat service.
Types of Maps
Thematic Maps Emphasize specific kinds of
information (e.g. climate or
population).
Navigational Maps Used by sailors and pilots to plot
distance and direction.
Topographical Maps Highlights general references (e.g.
natural or man-made features).
Surveying
Field Survey Surveyors observe, measure, and
record a specific area based on what
they can see.
Mapping & Remote Sensing From a distance, information is
gathered from aerial photography
(e.g. satellites) and stored for use.
Data Collection Includes information (e.g. elevation,
land cover, and variations of
temperature) which is used to
construct maps.
Satellites
Landstat A series of satellites which orbit above the earth
and can collect data.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
(GOES) A weather satellite which can orbit in sync with
the earth’s rotation to view the same area and is
used to forecast weather.
Geographic Informal Systems
(GIS) & Global Positioning
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) GIS stores information about
the world in a digital database.
Global Positioning System (GPS) The system uses a system of 24
satellites to find exact positions
on the earth’s surface by
tracking latitude, longitude,
altitude, and time.
 GPS is used by hikers, sailors,
and drivers.
Map Projections
Planar (Azimuthal) Projection A projection on a flat surface.
 Distorts size and shape.
Conical Projection A projection onto a cone.
 Shape is accurate, but distorts
landmasses at the edge.
Compromise Projection A projection onto a cylinder.
 Three types of compromise
projections: Mercator, Robinson,
and homolosine.
Types of Maps
Physical Maps Help identify land
features and bodies of
water.
 Shows relief, contour
lines, and shading.
Political Maps Shows features created by
humans.
 Shows cities, states,
provinces, territories, or
nations.
Types of Maps
Thematic Maps Focuses on specific types of
information.
 Shows climate, vegetation,
natural resources, population
density, and economic
activities.
Flow-Line Maps Illustrates the movement of
people, goods, animals, or
glaciers.
 Shows location and direction
of movement can be seen.