The Basics of Geography Chapter 1

What Is Geography? The study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth  Distribution – location, quantity  Interaction – impact, affect/effect, adaptation  Physical features – plants and animals (flora & fauna), landforms, climate  Human features – people, culture, economic activity

The Five Themes Theme #1 Location (Where is it?)  Absolute Location – exact place found using grid system of latitude and longitude

Equator Prime Meridian

The Five Themes  Relative Location – describing the location relative to its surrounding environment  “Ellison High School is located in Killeen, Texas, off of Highway 190 on the corner of Trimmier and Elm streets”

The Five Themes Theme #2 Place (What’s it like?)  Includes physical features such as climate, landforms, and vegetation  Includes Human features such as people, culture, houses, cities  Place is not always constant – it may change over time

The Five Themes Theme #3 Region (How are places similar or different?)  Regions have characteristics that unify them  Formal Region – defined by a limited number of related characteristics  Functional Region – organized around a set of interactions and connections between places  Perceptual Region – a region in which people perceive, or see, the characteristics of the region in the same way

The Five Themes Theme #4 Human –Environment Interaction (How do people relate to the physical world?)  People learn to use what the environment offers and/or change the environment to suit their needs  People learn to adapt to conditions they cannot control

The Five Themes Theme #5 Movement (How do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another?)  Linear Distance – how far  Time Distance – how long  Psychological Distance – How people view distance

The Geographer’s Tools Maps and Globes  Globe – three-dimensional representation of the earth’s surface  Map – two-dimensional representation of a selected part of the earth’s surface  Cartographer – map maker  Map Projection – a way of drawing the earth’s surface by presenting the round earth on flat paper

The Geographer’s Tools Mapmaking  Surveying – observing, measuring, and recording a section of the earth’s surface  Satellites, Global Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS)  Finding Location o GPS o Compass o Theodolite

The Geographer’s Tools Types of Maps Physical

The Geographer’s Tools Political

The Geographer’s Tools Qualitative

The Geographer’s Tools Cartogram