1. The Basics of Geography

2. Physical Geography: Looking at the Earth
The Geographer’s Perspective
What is geography? Is the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth.
Methods of Geography
Map
Photographs
Charts
Graphs
Tables

3. The Five Themes of Geography
Movement: “How do people, goods and ideas move from one location to another?”
Geographer’s analyze movement by looking at three types of distance:
Linear: how far across the earth a person, good or idea travels.
Time: amount of time it takes for a person, good or idea to travel.
Psychological: way people perceive distance.

4. The Five Themes of Geography
2. Region: “How are places similar of different?”
Is an area of the earth’s surface with similar characteristics.
Geographers categorize regions in three ways:
Formal: defined by a limited number of related characteristics.
Functional: organized around a set of interactions and connections b/w places characterized by a central hub.
Perceptual: the way people perceive the characteristics of the region in the same way.

5. The Five Themes of Geography
Human-Environment Interaction: “How do people relate to the physical world?”
People learn to use what the environment offers them.
To change that environment to meet their needs.
People also adapt to aspects of the environment they cannot control. ex: Climate.

6. The Five Themes of Geography
Location: “Where is it?”
Geographer’s describe location in two ways:
Absolute: the exact location on earth where a geographic feature is found.
Relative: describes a place in comparison to other places around it.

7. Absolute Location
Geographers use a grid system of imaginary lines for locating places on earth’s surface.
Equator: imaginary line that divides the north and south halves of earth.
Prime Meridian: imaginary line dividing the earth east and west.
Latitiude: (parallels) to locate places north or south, geographers use imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator.
Longitude: (meridians) to locate east or west of the prime merididan.

8. The Five Themes of Geography
Place: “What is it like?”
Includes the physical features and cultural characteristics of location.
Physical Features: climate, landforms, vegetation.
HEI: building dams, highways, houses.

9. The Global Grid

10. Hipparchus invented the global grid some 2,200 years ago. Greece

11. Fundamental Observations
A. places have location, direction, and distance with respect to other places
A place may be large or small; SCALE!!
A place has both physical structure and cultural content
Characteristics of places develop and change over time
Places interact with other places
Content of places is rationally structured
Places are assorted into regions

12. II. Location, Direction, Distance
Absolute
Relative
Site
situation
Direction
Absolute
Relative/ relational
Distance
Absolute
Relative
Psychological impact

13. III. Physical & Cultural Attributes
Description of Place
Natural Landscape
Cultural Landscape
Changing attributes:
space + time= change/ time

14. IV. Interaction among Places
Accessibility
Connectivity
Spatial diffusion

15. V. Structured Content of Place
Density
Dispersion
Pattern
It’s all about spatial distribution

16. VI. Organizing Space & Places
Regions
Characteristics
Location
Spatial extent
Boundaries
Hierarchal arrangement

17. Geography is life!!!