1. Introduction to Geography
Arthur Getis,
Mark D. Bjelland,
Victoria L. Getis

2. Introduction
Chapter 1

3. Overview What is Geography? Evolution of the Discipline
Some Core Geographic Concepts
Geography’s Themes and Standards
Organization of the Textbook 3

4. What is Geography? More than place names and locations
The study of spatial variation
How and why things differ from place to place on the surface of the earth
How spatial patterns evolved through time
Focus on the interaction of people and social groups with their environment and with each other
Geography is about earth space and the content of that space 4

5. Evolution of the Discipline
Ancient Greeks and Romans
Term reputedly coined by Eratosthenes from Greek:
geo “the earth”
graphein “to write”
Herodotus – (c B.C.)
Described Persian Empire 5

6. Evolution of the Discipline
Ancient Greeks and Romans
Strabo (c. 64 B.C. - A.D. 20)
Described inhabited world, including differences
Ptolemy – 2nd Century A.D.
Map of world based on previously developed latitude/longitude, map accepted in Europe as authoritative for nearly 1500 years 6

7. Evolution of the Discipline
Ancient Chinese
As involved with geography as Westerners; however no contact with them
Muslim scholars
Preserved Greek and Roman knowledge
Described and analyzed their known world in its physical, cultural and regional variations
European voyages of exploration (15th-16th Centuries) 7

8. Evolution of the Discipline
Modern geography
Origins in the surge of scholarly inquiry that began in 17th century Europe, e.g., Alexander von Humboldt
By 1900, geography had become distinctive and respected discipline in universities throughout Europe
Profession became increasingly specialized into disciplinary subdivisions 8

9. Evolution of the Discipline Subfields of Geography
Three dominating themes across subfields
Spatial variation of physical and human phenomena on the surface of the earth
Systems that link physical phenomena and human activities in one area with other areas
Human-environmental relationships and spatial systems in specific locational settings (known as regional geography) 9

10. Evolution of the Discipline Subfields of Geography
Regional geography
Systematic geography
Study of one or a few related aspects of the physical environment or of human populations and societies
Examines its interrelationships with other spatial systems and areal patterns 10

11. Evolution of the Discipline Subfields of Geography
Physical geography
Focus is on the natural environment
Human geography
Focus is on people 11

12. Evolution of the Discipline Why Geography Matters
The only discipline concerned with understanding why and how both physical and cultural phenomena differ from place to place
Vital to an understanding of national and international issues
Offers a diversity of job opportunities 12

13. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Geographers believe that recognizing spatial patterns is the essential starting point for understanding how people live on and shape Earth’s surface 13

14. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Geographers use a common store of concepts, terms and methods of study:
Space
Place
Location
Direction
Distance
Size and scale 14

15. Some Core Geographic Concepts
The word spatial is an essential modifier in framing questions and forming concepts
Geography is a spatial science
Geographers are interested in:
The way things are distributed
The way movements occur and
The way processes operate
over the surface of the earth 15

16. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Places have:
Location, direction, and distance with respect to other places
Size
Both physical structure and cultural content
Attributes that develop and change over time
Content that is structured and explainable
Elements that interrelate with other places
Places may be generalized into regions of similarities and differences 16

17. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Location
Absolute location
Based on a precise and accepted system of coordinates – mathematical location
Latitude and longitude
Other grid systems, e.g., street address and township, range and section property descriptions 17

18. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Location
Relative location
Position in relation to other places or things
Expresses spatial interconnection and interdependence of places
May carry social and economic implications 18

19. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Location
Site
Physical and cultural characteristics of the place itself
Absolute location concept
Situation
External relations of a place
Expression of relative location 19

20. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Direction
Absolute direction
Based on the cardinal points (N-S-E-W)
Relative direction
Culturally based and locationally variable
“Out West”
“Back East”
“Down South”
“Near East”
“Far East” 20

21. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Distance
Absolute distance
Uses standard units such as miles or kilometers
Relative distance
Transforms linear measurements into other units more meaningful to human experience or decision making, e.g.,
Time distance
Travel cost
Psychological perception of distance 21

22. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Size and Scale
Size (small, medium, large)
Term used by general population
Scale
Degree of generalization represented:
Reference to the size of unit studied
E.g., local , regional or global
Relationship between the size of an area on a map and the actual size of the mapped area on the surface of the earth 22

23. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Places have physical and cultural attributes
Physical attributes
Climate, soil, water supplies, mineral resources, terrain features, etc.
Natural landscape attributes help shape – but do not dictate – how people live
Cultural attributes
Language, religion, industries, food, music, etc.
Cultural landscape
Visible imprint of human activity on the physical environment 23

24. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Attributes of place are always changing
The physical environment undergoes continuous and pronounced change
Humans alter the environments they occupy
Pace of change has accelerated
Built landscape has increasingly replaced natural landscape
Places are the present result of the past operation of distinctive physical and cultural processes 24

25. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Interrelations Between Places
Spatial interaction
The movement of people, goods, information, etc. between different places
An indication of interdependence between areas 25

26. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Interrelations Between Places
Spatial interaction’s core components:
Accessibility
Relative ease with which a destination may be reached
Connectivity
All the tangible and intangible ways places are connected
Spatial diffusion
Dispersion of an idea or thing from a center of origin to more distant points 26

27. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Interrelations Between Places
Spatial interaction’s core components:
Globalization
Increasing interconnection of all parts of the world as the full range of social, cultural, political, economic and environmental processes becomes international in scale and effect.
Promoted by continuing advances in worldwide accessibility and connectivity 27

28. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Place Similarity and Regions
The distinctive characteristics of places – physical, cultural, locational – suggest two geographically important ideas:
No two places on earth can be exactly the same
The natural and cultural characteristics of places show patterns of similarity in some areas permitting geographers to recognize and define regions 28

29. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Place Similarity and Regions
Regions
Earth areas that display significant elements of internal uniformity and external differences from surrounding territories
Used to classify the complex reality of the earth’s surface into manageable pieces 29

30. Some Core Geographic Concepts
Types of Regions
Formal (uniform) regions
Uniformity in one or a limited combination of physical or cultural features
Functional (nodal) regions
A spatial system with interdependent parts that operates as an organizational unit
Perceptual (vernacular/popular) regions
Exist in the perceptions of their inhabitants and the general society
Reflect feelings and images rather than objective data 30

31. Geography’s Themes and Standards
Five fundamental themes
Formulated by joint committee of National Council for Geographic Education and Association of American Geographers
Basic concepts and topics that recur in all geographic inquiry
Location
Place
Relationships within places
Movement
Regions 31

32. Geography’s Themes and Standards
National Geography Standards (1994)
18 standards grouped into six categories
The geographically informed person knows and understands:
Geographic Techniques and Skills
Physical systems
Human systems
Environment and society
The uses of geography
Places and regions 32

33. Organization of Textbook
Distinct but closely related areas of study
All areas of study connected to Techniques of Geographic Analysis: Introduction (Ch. 1), and Geographic Techniques and Skills (Ch. 2).
All chapters contain information on the uses of geography. 33

34. Organization of Textbook
Physical Systems: Landforms (Ch. 3), Weather and Climate (Ch. 4)
Human Systems: Population (Ch. 5), Cultural (Ch. 6), Human Interaction (Ch. 7), Political (Ch. 8)
Location: Primary Activities (Ch.9), Secondary and Tertiary Activities (Ch. 10), Urban (Ch.11)
Environment: Natural Resources (Ch. 12), Human Impact (Ch. 13) 34