Unit 1 Basic Geographical Concepts and Themes of Geography

Unit 1 Basic Geographical Concepts and Themes of Geography

Physical: Mount Everest Political: Nepalese Sherpa What is Geography? -Geography, simply put, is the study of the Earth s surface. This includes examinations of both physical and political (also known as cultural) characteristics. Geography is a word derived from the Greek language. Geo, meaning Earth, and Graphy, which means a description of something. So, geography literally means a description of the Earth( s surface). -Physical characteristics are those that occur naturally. They include, but are not limited to, terrain, elevation, climate, vegetation, land masses, bodies of water, etc. -Political, or cultural, characteristics are those that are manmade, such as concrete things like reservoirs or dams, or abstract things like borders and governments defined by human beings as a way of organizing and understanding the world around them. Political characteristics include, but are not limited to, populations and their characteristics, economics, governments, ethnicities, languages, religions, etc. -Sometimes, physical geography helps determine political geography, and visa-versa. For example, if there is an abundance of coal in a particular place or region (a physical characteristic), that region s economy may rely heavily on coal mining (a political or cultural characteristic). Another example: human beings often dam rivers to create a source of energy and control flooding. This lowers water levels, diverts water to land for agriculture, and creates reservoirs. This would be an example of political geography impacting physical geography.

Themes of Geography -There are five basic themes of geography. A theme is an underlying idea or concept that helps us understand subject matter. The five basic themes of geography are: location (where something is located), place (a study of the physical and political characteristics of a particular location), region (a study of the physical and cultural characteristics of an entire area, rather than just one location), human-environment interaction (how humans and their actions impact their surroundings), and movement (how and why people move from one place to another).

Location Location is the theme that helps us understand where things are physically located. When most people think of geography, they think of locating places on a map. -There are two basic types of location: absolute and relative. -Absolute location is a description of a fixed point on the Earth s surface, and cannot change. For instance, one way of describing Houston s absolute location is through latitude and longitude. Houston is located at N29, W95. Latitude and longitude is the most common way of describing absolute location. -Relative location is describing the location of a place relative, or compared to, another location. For instance, Houston is south of Dallas, but east of San Antonio. Relative location can change or be described more flexibly than absolute location. -Another example: let s say Mickey lives at 1234 Aybeesee Road. His address is an example of absolute location. Mickey s house will likely never move from that address. On the other hand, Mickey may live north of his girlfriend Minnie s house. This would be an example of relative location. Latitude and Longitude (Absolute Location) Trafton Academy is Located Relative To What Other Places?

Place Place is theme of geography that helps us understand both the physical and political characteristics of a particular location. -Physical characteristics might include elevation, vegetation, landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, climate, etc. -Political or cultural characteristics might include population, standards of living, ethnicities, cultures, languages, religions, levels of education, types of industries, infrastructure, etc. Examples of Physical Characteristics: Average Monthly Temps/Rainfall Examples of Political/Cultural Characteristics: Buffalo Bayou City Hall Oil Refinery in Texas City

Region Region is theme of geography that helps us understand both the physical and political characteristics of an entire geographic area, not just one place. This allows geographers to compare and contrast the characteristics of different places throughout an entire region. -Some geographical locations belong to multiple regions, sometimes defined by environment, climate, industries, culture, language, etc. Texas, for instance, might be considered a region in and of itself, and Texas is considered part of other regions, such as the Gulf Coastal Plain. Examples of Physical Regions: Example of Regional Political/Cultural Characteristics: Texas Per Capita Income City Hall

Human-Environment Interaction Human-Environment Interaction is simply the ways in which human beings impact their environment and visa-versa. For instance, environment and climate have a major impact on the ways in which humans live their lives. It often determines their lifestyle, standard of living, what kinds of homes they live in, what kinds of foods they eat, how they dress, and can even have a major spiritual or religious influence on societies. On the other hand, humans and their actions impact the environment around them. As humans spread out and settle new areas, they cannot help but use resources and displace the natural environment. There are numerous ways in which humans can negatively impact their environment: deforestation, especially of the world s rainforests, pollution of the atmosphere and various bodies of water, the gradual endangerment and extinction of various species of plants and animals because of human expansion into previously uninhabited areas, etc. Another way in which humans interact with their environment: the obtaining and use of natural resources. There are two major types of resources: renewable (those resources that can be renewed, reused, or recycled), and non-renewable (those resources that can only be used once). Renewable or Reusable Examples Oxygen Water Wood and wood-related products: paper, lumber, etc. Plastic (which is made from petroleum but can be recycled and used again) Metals: Aluminum, steel, etc. Rubber City Hall Non-renewable Examples Fossil Fuels: Oil (Petroleum), Natural Gas, Coal, etc. Nuclear Materials: Uranium, Plutonium, etc. Grandma

Movement Movement refers to the migration of human beings for various reasons. The movement or migration of people has a dramatic effect on the ethnic, social, religious, and linguistic makeup of a society. The United States is a very good example: most citizens of the United States are immigrants or descended from people who immigrated to America in the past. For this reason, the US is often called a nation of immigrants. Reason Economic: People seeking a better standard of living, better jobs, higher pay, property ownership, etc. Political: People seeking to escape persecution and discrimination for their political beliefs Social: People seeking to escape persecution for their ethnicity, culture, race, or religion Refuge: Often people move simply to escape war and violence in their own countries Why do People Move? Examples Latin American immigrants coming to America for work, higher pay, etc. Europeans moving to colonial America and the United States thanks to the promise of cheap, fertile land Cuban immigrants seeking freedom in the US, fleeing the oppressive communist regime of Fidel Castro Jews fleeing Europe before, during, and after the Holocaust Puritans (Pilgrims) settling in colonial America in order to practice their religion freely Syrian refugees fleeing civil war and terrorism in their own country (ISIS) City Hall