Place and Region AP Human Geography
Place vs. Region A place is a point…A region is an area…
How is location of a place identified? 1. Place name (toponym) Ex. Chicago 2. Site Physical characteristics of a place Ex. Flat land, fertile soil, Lake Michigan 3. Situation Location of a place relative to other places Ex. In the middle of the country, Northern Illinois, next to Lake Michigan 4. Mathematical location Exact location, using latitude and longitude Ex. 41 degrees N Latitude, 87 degrees W Longitude
Regions Cultural Landscape A combination of cultural features that give a place or region it’s unique character. How is the cultural landscape of Chicago different than Mumbai, India? How is the American North different than the South?
Regions can be very large, or pretty small Anglo-America, Eastern Europe, Sub- Saharan Africa USA, Germany, Cambodia Midwestern US, Southern Mexico, Eastern China Northern Illinois, the Chicagoland area. Southside of Chicago Roseland The Wild 100’s…
What types of cultural characteristics define a place? Language Dialect, slang, accent Religion Denomination Agriculture/ Industry What is grown or produced? Folk (local) culture Music, food, art, architecture, fashion Political views Blue state/ Red state
Types of Regions Formal Region Everyone has one or more characteristics in common. Political entities (city, state, country) What common characteristics to all Illinoisans share?
Types of Regions Functional Region Area organized around a node or focal point. Radio/ TV stations, newspapers, sports teams.
Types of Regions Vernacular/ Perceptual Regions Not scientifically precise or exact. Instead, people perceive the existence of vernacular regions. The South The “Southside”
Key Terms Cultural Ecology Study of human-environment interaction Environmental Determinism Physical environment causes social development Warm weather causes laziness and poor work ethic---> less development Possibilism Environment may limit some actions, but humans can adjust.