2. © CSCOPE 2009 Introduction to World Geography

3. © CSCOPE 2009 Geography is the study of place and space: Geographers look at where things are and why they are there. Study of human activity, the natural environment, and the relationship between the two (human-environment interactions). What is Geography????

4. © CSCOPE 2008 Physical v. Cultural Geography Physical Geography is the study of the Natural Landscape of the Earth while Cultural Geography is the study of the Human Landscape of the Earth. Physical Geography Cultural Geography Rocks/Minerals Population/Settlements/Urbanizati on Landforms Economic and Political Systems Animal and Plant Life Transportation Soils Human Migration Atmosphere/Climate/Weather Social Systems EnvironmentRecreation Rivers/Oceans/Other bodies of Water Religion/Belief System

5. © CSCOPE 2008 Physical or Cultural???

6. © CSCOPE 2009 Taxonomy: kingdom, phylum, Class, order, family, genus, species Biologists Geologists Geological time Historians Eras, ages, periods GeographersGeographic Regions CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS

7. © CSCOPE 2009 ► physical (natural) characteristics  landforms, climate, vegetation ► human (cultural) characteristics  language, religion, ethnicity, population GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS: What defines a region? Regions are based on Spatial Criteria

8. © CSCOPE 2009 ► Regions change over time. ► Regions do not have definite borders, but rather are separated from other regions by transition zones. MORE ON GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS:

9. © CSCOPE 2008 Sub-classification of Regions Dominated by one political power: ► North America: U.S. ► Middle America: Mexico ► South America: Brazil ► Russian Realm: Russia ► East Asia: China ► South Asia: India ► Southeast Asia: Indonesia ► Australian Realm: Australia No dominant State ► Europe ► Sub-Saharan Africa ► North Africa / Southwest Asia ► Oceania (Pacific Realm)

10. © CSCOPE 2009 Properties of Regions  Area  Boundaries  Location

11. © CSCOPE 2009 ► Marked by a certain degree of similarity in one or more characteristics ► Example: Latin America, Europe FORMAL REGION

12. © CSCOPE 2009 ► A region organized around a set of interactions and connections between places. FUNCTIONAL REGION Example: Metropolitan Area

13. © CSCOPE 2009 Perceptual Region ► ► Region in which people perceive the characteristics of the region in the same way. ► ► Example: American Midwest

14. © CSCOPE 2009 The Grid System ► Latitude: Lines of latitude run horizontal around the globe or a map. They are designated as either North or South of the Equator. ► Longitude: Lines of longitude run vertically around the globe or map. They are designated as either West or East of the Prime Meridian.