World Cultures Chapter 1

World cultures is the study of the connections between people and their environment Geography is the study of where people, places, and things are located and how they relate to each other

Five Themes of Geography Location Place Interaction between people and their environment Movement Region

Location – position on the Earth’s surface Relative location – describe position Absolute location – use latitude and longitude Latitude – distance north or south of the Equator Longitude – distance east or west of the Prime Meridian Prime Meridian – imaginary line that runs through Greenwich England Eastern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere

Place – physical and human characteristics Physical characteristics - landforms, climate, soil, animal life. The average weather of a location over a period of 20 -30 years is climate Human characteristics – peoples’ ways of life – activities, transportation, religion, language

Interaction between people and their environment People change the world around them Adaptation – People sometimes have to change due to the environment Hidden cost pollution People must decide how to build their economies without harming the environment

of people, goods, and ideas Movement of people, goods, and ideas often occurs together Migration people moving from place to place looking for food, a better way of life, war, natural disasters, involuntarily Interdependence dependence of countries on goods, resources, and knowledge from other parts of the world

Unifying characteristics Physical characteristics Region Unifying characteristics Physical characteristics Cultural characteristics Political characteristics Economic characteristics

Physical characteristics – landforms / climate Cultural characteristics – shared religion Political characteristics – nations Economic characteristics – developed, developing, Third World

ways of showing the curved Earth on a flat surface Mercator projection Robinson projection Map projections ways of showing the curved Earth on a flat surface Peters projection Interrupted projection

Political map - show the borders that divide nations Physical map - show features - mountains lakes, rivers Natural resource map - shows the location of oil, coal, other important resources Climate map Vegetation map - show the plant life of a place or region

all things that make up a people’s Customs and traditions Culture all things that make up a people’s entire way of life Elements of culture Social organization Customs and traditions Language Arts and literature Religion Forms of government Economic systems

Social Organization Family patterns Social classes Organizing members into smaller groups Family is the most important unit of social organization Person with authority varies from one culture to another Family patterns Nuclear family – typical in industrialized societies Extended family – common in many societies Social classes Ranks people in order of status Bases on factor a culture values highly In the past, a person born into a class, stayed in the class for life

Customs and Traditions Rules of behavior Minor rules of everyday behavior are enforced by social pressure Rules concerning what is right and wrong are enforced more strictly often are part of a culture’s written laws Language Cornerstone of culture Arts and Literature Teaches about cultural values

supports the values that the people consider important Religion supports the values that the people consider important Monotheism – the worship of one god Polytheism – the worship of more than one god Major religions Hinduism Buddhism Judaism Christianity Islam

Government Types of Government Provides for common needs Keeps order within society Protects the society from outside threats Types of Government Democracy – people have supreme power, the government may act on by and with consent of the people Republic – the people choose the leaders who represent them Dictatorship – the ruler or group holds power through force

Traditional Economy – people produce what they need to survive Economic Systems People and Nations answer the following questions about goods and services: What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce? Traditional Economy – people produce what they need to survive Market Economy – consumers demands determine what to produce Command Economy – government controls what, how, and cost of goods produced Mixed Economy – most nations have this economy, individuals make some economic decisions, government makes others

Causes of Cultural Change Technology - skills and tools people use Changing environment Adapt to changes in environment New ideas Alteration of actions Diffusion the movement of customs or ideas from one place to another

United Nations The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.  It is currently made up of 193 Member States.  The United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more. Permanent seat China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.