FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY LOCATION PLACE REGION MOVEMENT HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

LOCATION: Where something is Where is it? Relative location is where it is compared to places or things. Absolute location is exactly where it is in the world based on latitude and longitude coordinates.

PLACE: The physical & human characteristics of a place What is this area like? Physical: Describe the landforms, bodies of water, climate, soil, plant and animal life, etc. Human: Describe the people, settlement patterns, beliefs, languages, government, transportation, communication, etc.

REGIONS: Areas that share common characteristics What region is it a part of? Geographic areas may be considered regions if they share characteristics such as: landforms, government, language, religion, industry, climate, vegetation, industry….

MOVEMENT: How and why people, things, and ideas move. How did they/it get here? Trade: imports/exports, trade partners Migration: People often are pushed from one location by negative circumstances like war or famine. They are pulled to other locations hoping for better living circumstances.

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION: How people interact with their environment How do we change our environment & how do we adapt to it? Some interactions are positive: Animal sanctuaries, parks, farming…. Some interactions are negative: Pollution, deforestation…. People may disagree about some interactions: highways, dams, cities, malls….