The Basics of Geography Chapters 1 — 4 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) (Human-Environmental) The Five Themes of Geography Movement Section 2: The Geographer’s Tools Maps & Globes Types of Maps Geographic Systems & Global Positioning

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 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 “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 “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 “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: 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 “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- 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.