Jerome D. Fellmann Mark Bjelland Arthur Getis Judith Getis Human Geography Jerome D. Fellmann Mark Bjelland Arthur Getis Judith Getis

Human Geography Chapter 1 Introduction Insert figure CO1 © Thinkstock/Masterfile Site of the wind farm pictured?... Why at that particular spot? Image Copyright 2003 by Jon Malinowski, All rights reserved.

What Is Geography? “Description of the Earth” Greek: “geo graphein” The physical and cultural landscape Human Geography is a spatial science We attempt to explain what, where and why?

What Is Geography? Study of Spatial Variation (Vocab alert!!) How and why things differ from place to place…Solving spatial riddles… Why do Brazilians burn the rainforest? What are the effects?(2) What good is such understanding? Traditional Slash and Burn Soy

One Earth, Many Scales Syria Explained Terms Review/Discussion: Globalization Glocalization Interdependent Nationalism Supra-nationalism Cultural Imperialism Cultural Homogenization Centrifugal forces Centripetal forces Environmental determinism Human Modification of the environment The Power of Place #1 One Earth, Many Scales Syria Explained

Evolution of the Discipline Ancient Period…Summarize the contributions of each to the field of geography: Eratosthenes Greek, Head Librarian at Alexandria during 3rd century B.C.E., Computed the earth’s circumference with incredible accuracy, early cartographer, coined the term geography. Strabo Describe the physical and cultural traits of the known world…compare and contrast countries Herodotus Applied a study of geography to analyze the Persian wars and to predict consequences and outcomes Idrisi 11th century Arab geographer, assembled an early world map…trade routes interconnectedness…globalization

Evolution of the Discipline Other notable Geographers Ptolemy Developed a global grid system – the precursor to lat. & long. (also recalculated the earths circ. 500 years after Eratosthenes…and got it wrong by 9,000 miles.) George Perkins Marsh Wrote Man and Nature in 1864. Focused on Human modification of the environment and warned of the disastrous effects of environmental degradation on human society. Carl Sauer Early 20th century, “father of “Human Geography” - argued that the main focus of geography should be cultural landscapes (the products of the interactions between humans and their environments) Human Geography 11e

Evolution of the Discipline What changed geography in the “modern period?” (4) Geography as an integrative science

Focus of Geography Explain each of the following three themes (4) Areal Variation on the Earth’s Surface Spatial Systems Regional Geography

Focus of Geography Areal Variation on the Earth’s Surface Examines relationships between human societies and the natural environments that they occupy and modify Spatial Systems Link physical phenomena and human activities in one area of the earth with other areas Regional Analysis Studies human-environmental-”ecological”- relationships and spatial systems in specific locational settings Challenge: Provide one example of each of the above themes from the Bloomer area

Human Geography: “The world as it is and as it might be made to be” Subfields: Behavioral Political Economic Cultural Social Urban Medical Population

Core Geographic Concepts Geography is descriptive and analytical Oakwood WHAT? WHERE? WHY THERE? Spatial Analysis -Its relationship to other places in the region

Core Geographic Concepts Space and Place Absolute Physically real with measureable extent Relative space Perceptual and variable over time Sense of place The attachment we have to specific locations Placelessness Uniformity; elimination of uniqueness

Review: Location Absolute Location Relative Location Site vs. Situation

Absolute Location Relative Location Site Situation Identification of place by some precise and accepted system of coordinates Relative Location The position of a place in relation to that of other places or activities Site Physical and cultural attributes of a place Situation Expression of relative location with particular reference to items of significance to the place in question

Location Explain Site vs. Situation (figures 1.6, 7 on p.9)

Review questions What is geography? Study of Spatial Variation How and why things differ from place to place…Solving spatial riddles In what two meanings and for what two purposes do we refer to location? Absolute and Relative Describe the site and situation of Bloomer.

Physical & Cultural Attributes Natural Landscape Climate, soil, water resources, minerals and terrain features Provides the setting within which human actions occurs Cultural Landscape Visible expression of human activity Insert figure 1.10 © Doug Sherman/Geofile

Places Changing Attributes of Place Interrelations between Places Across both space and time (Fig. 1.11,12, p.12,13) Interrelations between Places Accessibility and Connectivity (1.13, p.14) Spatial Diffusion and Globalization The Rational Structure of Place (1.14,15, p.15) Density Dispersion Pattern Patterns revealed in light

Places The Rational Structure of Place Density Dispersion Pattern a measure of the number of anything within a defined unit area Number of items in relation to the space in which they are found Dispersion The amount of spread of a phenomenon over an area Pattern The geometric arrangement of objects

For Wed. Place Similarity & Regions 1 Read pp.15,16 pay attention to figs. 1.17,1.17 as well 2. Define Region 3. Distinguish between formal/uniform regions, functional/nodal regions and perceptual regions providing two examples for each type of region. Read pp. 17-27 and respond to 6, 7, 8 on p. 28 Human Geography 11e

Place Similarity & Regions The Characteristics of Regions Types of Regions: Formal Uniform regions; uniformity in one or a limited combination of physical or cultural features Functional Give an organizational basis Perceptual Reflect feelings and images Human Geography 11e

Maps Map Scale The Globe Grid How Maps Show Data Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mental Maps

Application Constructing a mental (perceptual) map Your task is to draw a mental map of the “Chippewa Valley”. Your map should include the following: Physical landscape (rivers/lakes in our case) Cultural landscape Cities, Hwy’s, and other important cultural features that tie this specific are together as a region (i.e., spatial interaction). Population Density,dispertion, pattern(1 dot = “x”people) How will you deal with location/distance? (i.e., absolute vs.relative?)

Map Scale aka. How much can I confuse you Large scale: The larger the scale the smaller the area depicted and the greater the detail shown Map Scale aka. How much can I confuse you Small Scale: The smaller the scale the larger the area depicted and the less detail visible.

What is the best map? With a globe the four main map properties are preserved: Area Shape Distance Direction

The Global Grid Type of location? Key Reference points? Latitude Natural reference points: Poles & Equator “constructed” reference point? Prime Meridian Latitude Longitude

How maps show data General Purpose maps These maps show natural or human made features with no analysis Streets Topography Water bodies Etc.

Sand Mines in Wisconsin How maps show data Thematic Maps Show spatial distribution of some specific variable Climate, vegitation, soil types, population characteristics, etc. Thematic maps can be qualitative or quantitative Qualitative maps show the distribution of some phenomenon Sand Mines in Wisconsin Quantitative maps show the quantity of some phenomenon World Oil Production

Types of Thematic maps

Types of Thematic Maps Statistical Maps Population Cartogram

Contemporary Geospatial Technologies Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Satellite triangulation Remote Sensing Imaging earths surface Arial Photog. Infrared, Radar Geographic Information Systems GIS Explained

GIS (cont.) Used to analyze geographic data tied to specific locations GIS Aggregation of data: Raster approach -Describes the content of rectangular cells Vector approach Precise location of each object or phenomenon in a distribution

Mental Maps Our understanding of distributions Our view of spatial reality images about an area or an environment developed by an individual on the basis of information or impressions received, interpreted, and stored Insert figure 1.25

Systems, Maps, and Models Spatial System The content of area is interrelated Component parts are interdependent Maps can segragate a limited amount of data…GIS takes this to a higher level Model Simplified abstraction Clarifies causal relationships