Impacts of Religion on the Physical & Cultural Environment Religious values are important in understanding how people identify and use and organize the physical environment Intense identification with one religion can cause conflict between groups and this is shown throughout history

Places of Worship The tallest and most elaborate structures worldwide are often religion structures Major historic (sometimes current) religions can be identified based on buildings in a society

Places of Worship: Christian Churches Christian churches of different branches vary in architectural style & building styles Were traditionally built at the center of the community for weekly worship attendance Seen as important places of worship New England Religious settlement (pg.193)

Places of Worship: Muslim Mosques Mosques are traditionally viewed as a place for community gathering (unlike Christianity where they are seen primarily as places to worship) Mosques are found in larger cities, small city places of worship may be simple structures All proper mosques have a minaret tower where people are summoned to worship Mosques built around a central courtyard and face toward Mecca (Makkah) This is the directions toward which Muslims pray

Places of Worship: Hindu Temples Buildings are not particularly important in Asian religions Worship generally occurs at home Temples that are built are for a particular god (manifestation of Brahman) Small, dimly-lit buildings Not places of large gatherings Sometimes contain a pool for religious bathing

Places of Worship: Buddhist Pagodas Tall and elaborate buildings that contain artifacts that are believed to have been part of Buddha's possessions Not a community gathering or worship place Meditation occurs at home or in small buildings near the Pagodas

Disposing of the Dead In Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths the dead are buried impacts the environment by the designation of land for cemeteries which take up a lot of space Hindus cremate the dead (Shiva) by burning them on the Ganges river Impacts of environment by depleting the wood supply in India In SE Asian religions dead may be left for the birds to strip away unclean parts of the body, or may be thrown to the sea to escape the deaths impact of the living in the community

Culture: Place Names & Hierarchical Religions Toponyms (Religious names) given traditionally by immigrants in the new world (north & south America) Particularly common in Quebec & SW United States (Pg. 194) Mormon & Catholic faiths organized hierarchically Landscape is organized into “wards” and “parishes”