Five Themes of Geography
What do Geographers Do?
Five Themes of Geography
Location Where is it?
Two Types of Location
Absolute Location Absolute: Latitude and Longitude or an address KCHS: Latitude 30º03’52.337” N Longitude: 95°29’30.833”W or 20811 Ella Blvd.
Relative Location Relative: Describing where a place is by describing places near it. KCHS – south of Schindewolf & west of Kreinhop.
Latitudes
North/South Hemispheres
Longitudes
East/West Hemispheres
Measurement
Place What is it like?
Two Features
Human features: The culture of a place. Religions, languages, governments, occupations, architecture, foods, clothing, etc.
Physical features: Things determined by nature. Climate, indigenous plants, animals, land forms, types of soils, etc.
Human/Environment Interaction How do people relate to the physical world?
Human- Environment Interaction How people effect the environment and how the environment effects people. People either adapt to their environment or they alter their environment
Examples Altering Examples Dams Roads Farms Cities Adapting Examples Clothing Food Air conditioning
How do people, ideas, and products move from one location to another? Movement How do people, ideas, and products move from one location to another?
Movement Movement of people, goods, and ideas from one place to another.
Everything Came From Somewhere
Linear Distance How far do people, products and ideas travel from one location to another.
Time Distance The amount of time it takes for a person/idea/good to travel from one location to another.
Psychological Time The way people perceive distance.
How are areas similar or different? Region How are areas similar or different?
Region Geographers use regions to compare different areas.
Distinctive Characteristics
Formal Regions Defined by a limited number of related characteristics. Houston Texas USA Africa
Functional Regions Organized around a set of interactions and connections between places. Think of a hub: Downtown to Spring Medical Center to Sugarland Newspaper Distribution area
Perceptual Regions People see characteristics the same way. Hill Country The South The Middle East