1. The Importance of Geography

2. Physical Geography
Physical Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface.
Environments are made up of all of the surroundings of a place. This includes the land, water, weather patterns, and all the plants and animals that live in a place.

3. More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is
covered by water and less than 30% is
covered by dry land.
Landforms, physical features, vary greatly in size and shape. These can be mountains, hills, plains, and plateaus.
Climate is the kind of weather a place has over a long period of time. Seasonal temperatures, amount of precipitation, and wind patterns dictate a region’s climate.

4. The Sun can affect how hot or cold a region
can be and how much sunlight a region gets.
The Sun helps to create three different climate zones on Earth.
The tropical climate zone receives the most direct sunlight. This is the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and also includes the equator.
The temperate climate zones are north
and south of the tropics and have weather
that changes considerably during four
distinct seasons.
The polar climate zones receive the least direct sunlight. These regions are the coldest on Earth and include the north and south poles.

5. Another factor that affects climate
is elevation, height above sea level.
Higher elevations have cooler temperatures.
Natural resources are materials found in nature that people can use, such as water, air, soil, or animals.
Vegetation, plant life, is another kind of natural resource. These include trees, flowers, and grasses.

6. Minerals and fossil fuels are also natural resources.
Minerals can be metal (iron, copper, gold) or nonmetal (table salt).
Fossil fuels, the remains of animals and plants that died thousands of years ago, are coal, natural gas, and petroleum (oil).

7. Cultural Geography Culture is the way of life of a group of people.
Culture includes social organizations, rules and governments, values, beliefs, languages, arts, and even sports and hobbies.
Cultural Geography is the study of how people use their environment to build their own special culture.

8. When studying people, you look at their ethnic groups, languages, family structure, religions, and customs.
An ethnic group is a group of people who share a language, history, and place of origin.
Ethnic groups have different customs, practices from the past that people continue to observe.

9. Economy, how people make money
and earn a living, is an important part
of one’s culture.
Government also plays a strong role in culture. People in many different regions in the world have found multiple ways to rule and govern themselves.
Arts and recreation can show what people in a region like to do for fun and entertainment.

10. The Earth is divided into 8 cultural regions
The Earth is divided into 8 cultural regions. In each region, people use their environment in similar ways and have developed a common culture.
The 8 World Regions
United States and Canada
Latin America
Western Europe
Eastern Europe and Northern Asia
The Middle East and North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Southern and Eastern Asia
The Pacific