Chapter 1: Basic Concepts The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

What is Geography? Geography is the study of what is where and why it’s there.

For example: Why are so many plant and animal species becoming extinct at the end of the twentieth century? Why do there always seem to be been so many wars in Africa? Why is corn such an important part of a traditional diets? Why are French fries called chips in England?

Divisions of Geography Physical Geography Human Geography Rocks and Minerals Population Landforms Settlements Soils Economic Activities Animals Transportation Plants Recreational Activities Water Religion Atmosphere Political Systems Rivers and Other Water Bodies Social Traditions Environment Human Migration Climate and Weather Agricultural Systems Geography is a bridge between the natural and social sciences. Geography is a holistic or synthesizing science.

The Five Themes of Geography

Defining Geography Historians versus Geographers Word coined by Eratosthenes Geo = Earth Graphia = writing Geography thus means “earth writing”

Contemporary Geography Geographers ask where and why Location and distribution are important terms Geographers are concerned with the tension between globalization and local diversity A division: physical geography and human geography More interaction culturally, politically, economically has impacted societies profoundly

Geography’s Vocabulary Place: unique location or position on Earth Region: combination of cultural/ physical features Scale: portion of the Earth compare to the whole Space: gap between two objects Connections: relationship btw people/objects

How Do Geographers Describe Where Things Are? Key Issue One

Maps Two purposes As reference tools As communications tools To find locations, to find one’s way As communications tools To show the distribution of human and physical features

Maps Maps are a geographers most important tool. Two purposes: As reference tools To find locations, to find one’s way As communications tools To show the distribution of human and physical features The science of mapmaking is called cartography. Cartographers have to make two important decisions when map-making—scale and projection.

Maps Early map-making: Babylonians on clay tablets c.2300 BC Polynesians using 3-D stick charts made of palm trees and sea shells Mediterranean sailors used landforms and ocean currents c.800 BC to make maps Aristotle 1st observed the Earth was spherical Eratosthenes calculated the Earth’s circumference within a 0.5% accuracy! Ptolemy wrote an 8 volume guide to geography from info gathered by merchants and soldiers in the Roman Empire Phei Hsiu “father of Chinese cartography” created a map of China c.267 AD Muslim cartographer al-Idrisi created a world map and geography text c.1154 Ibn-Battuta wrote a book called Travels after 3 decades of journeys through N. Africa, S. Europe, and much of Asia Age of Exploration led to Columbus, Magellan, etc. travelling and mapping

Early Map Making Figure 1-2

Maps: Scale Types of map scale Projection Ratio or fraction: numerical ration btw distances on Earth’s surface 1:100 Written: written word form of ratio Graphic: bar line to show distance Projection Distortion: 4 types Shape: appears more elongated Distance: distance, more or less Relative size: altered size Direction: distorted

Map Scale Example 1) Washington State 1:10,000,000 (1 in = 10,000,000 inches or 158 miles) 2) Western Washington 1:1,000,000 3) Seattle 1:100,000 4) Downtown Seattle 1:10,000 Explained: As the area covered gets smaller, the maps get more detailed. 1 inch represents smaller distances Figure 1-4

Projection Robinson Map: shape distortion/ more ocean Mercator Map: accurate shape/ distorted poles

Peters Map one specialization of a configurable equal-area map projection known as the equal-area cylindric or cylindrical equal-area projection.

U.S. Land Ordinance of 1785 Township and range system to help facilitate the selling of land westward Township = 6 sq. miles on each side North–south lines = principal meridians East–west lines = base lines Township: T1 (distance north or south on a particular baseline Range: R1 (distance east or west on a particular meridian line Sections: each township is divided into 36 sections, each of which is 1 mile by 1 mile.

Contemporary Tools Geographic Information Science (GIScience) Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Remote sensing Geographic information systems (GIS) Figure 1-7

Contemporary Tools GIS-computer program that can capture, store, query, analyze, and display geographic data. GIS uses geocoding to create maps from info that has been recorded and stored online about Earth. Each type of info is stored in layers that can be added or taken away. Layers can be compared with each other to show their relationships. It allows for very complex maps to be created and for geographers to see if items on maps are significant or coincidental.

Contemporary Tools Remote sensing-the acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth. Geographic uses are primarily environmental.

Contemporary Tools GPS-system that accurately determines the precise position of something on Earth. Most commonly used in navigation of aircraft and ships.

How is GIS used? Spatial patterns data Point patterns Line patterns Area patterns

Figure 1-8 https://developers.google.com/maps/ A Mash-up Figure 1-8 https://developers.google.com/maps/

Why is Each Point on Earth Unique? pg13 - 28 Key Issue 2 Why is Each Point on Earth Unique? pg13 - 28

Regions: Areas of Unique Characteristics A region derives its unified character through the cultural landscape-a combination of cultural features such as language and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation. Since the mid-1800s, geographers have used the term regional studies to argue that each region has its own distinctive landscape that results from a unique combination of social relationships and physical processes.

Place: Unique Location of a Feature – 23, 24, Location: 4 ways to identify Place names Toponym: Site: the physical characteristics of a place Situation: location of a place relative to other places (helps locate a location) Mathematical location:

Toponyms 1896 Mt. McKinley, Alaska 2015 Denali (The Tall One)

SITE - 25 physical characteristics of a place: climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation. Humans have the ability to modify the characteristics of a site.

Palm Island Dubai

Situation: Location of a place relative to other places (helps locate a location)

Place: Mathematical Location – 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Location of any place can be described precisely by a numbering system Meridians (lines of longitude) 74W Prime meridian (Greenwich, England) Parallels (lines of latitude) 41N The equator

Find the Latitude/Longitude

World’s Time Zones - 16

What is Remote Sensing/ Ground Truth? 18, 19 The scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it. Ground truth is a term used in various fields to refer to the absolute truth of something.

The Cultural Landscape A unique combination of social relationships and physical processes Each region = a distinctive landscape People/Culture = the most important agents of change to Earth’s surface