World Regional Geography Welcome to GEOG 100 World Regional Geography

Introduction to GEOG 100 For many of you, this is the first university Geography course you have ever taken. Why should we care about geography? Here is an answer, as offered by some students at Queen’s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCezE6Vv xxg A starting point for this course is that the world is one interconnected web where many things are happening for which geography provides the essential key to understanding. See, for example, this web site: http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

What is Geography? Geography looks at spatial phenomena and then tries to explain them. What would be an example of a spatial phenomenon? Just this week, Israel announced that it had discovered a huge natural gas deposit off its coast that will meet all its needs for natural gas for the next century. This, of course, is a product of all the geological factors that have shaped the resource profile of that region, but it also, in turn, will have a huge impact on the geopolitics of the Middle East.

Geographical Influences Has anyone read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, a geographer from UCLA, or seen the film? His hypothesis is that Europeans rose to world domination not by virtue of being smarter or more sophisticated, but by virtue of geography – of being in the right place at the right time. Because of contact with the Chinese, who invented gunpowder, being immune to many diseases associated with domesticated animals – by contrast with those in the ‘New World’ who were relatively isolated – and having iron ore and horses (which allowed for military superiority), they were able to conquer the world.

Course Info My contact information is on the top of the course outline, which I will now hand out. All lecture slides will be on my web site under “Courses” at http://web.viu.ca/alexander2 This course offers an introduction to the major physical and cultural regions of the world with an emphasis on how these regions are linked in a variety of ways and how these links affect the people living in them. Changing ecological, demographic, social, political, and economic processes and patterns will also be examined at different scales. My hope is to also take advantage of your experience, be it living overseas or travelling.

Course Info  The objectives of this course are to familiarize you with basic concepts of human and cultural geography and, to a lesser degree, physical geography. Upon completion, you will have a stronger knowledge of major world regions; be able to analyze the interplay between environment and culture in different settings, the interaction between local and global forces, and be able to integrate a cultural and geographical perspective into policy, planning, diplomacy, or business-related work; will have improved your writing, speaking, research and analytical skills, as well as your ability to present material in a graphically appealing format.

Course Info To do well in this course, you should:  demonstrate a basic knowledge of the culture and geography of the world’s regions (as measured by the mid-term quiz and final exam); be able to illustrate the following themes, using examples (as measured by the mid-term or term paper, group projects, and final exam): human beings adapting themselves to nature and adapting nature to themselves, and how regions are being affected by the growing global ecological crisis; the shift from subsistence societies to market- based societies;

Course Info the conquest of some cultures by others and how this leads to a struggle for self-determination; the integration of human cultures over time and their further differentiation from one another; the shift from humanity being based in rural areas to being increasingly based in urban areas; the demographic transition whereby women start having fewer children, and in general start having more control over their lives rather than being subject to the rule of men, and the rise of civil society as a counterweight to governments and corporations.

Course Info The course will involve lectures, videos, occasional guest speakers, class discussion, and individual and group assignments. We will also approach each of the world regions from a particular thematic perspective. Readings (required text) World Regional Geography: Global Patterns, Local Lives [4th ed., without subregions: BUY THE RIGHT ONE!] by Lydia M. Pulsipher and Alex Pulsipher (New York: W.H. Freeman & Company, 2008). See last page for information on the textbook web site.

Assignments Evaluation Total   1. Attendance and Participation- 10% (throughout) 2. Origins Exercise-15% (February 7) 3. Group project presentations- 25% (begin February 7) 4. Take-home mid-term or term paper due- 25% (March 9) 5. Final Exam-25% (TBA) Total 100%