INTRODUCTION TO

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Mr. Spetzler

Thinking Geographically
Greek meaning
Geo means Earth,

graphy means to
write
The study of geography

The study of where

people, places and
things are located
and how they relate
to each other.
The Geographer
Johannes Vermeer, 1669

Geography: Difficult to Define?

Geography looks at the
world from the viewpoint
of geographic space by
synthesizing ideas
from different
disciplines and
developing special
techniques to represent
and manipulate spatial
information.

Geo-Literacy
Geo-literacy is the ability to use geographic understanding
and geographic reasoning to make decisions.
Whether we are making decisions about where to live,
what precautions to take for natural hazards, or how to set
up a manufacturing supply chain, we are all called upon to
make decisions that require geo-literacy throughout our
lives.

Geo-Literacy: National Geographic

GEO-LITERACY
1.Understanding physical
and human systems.
2. Reasoning/ working with
Geography.
3. Making decisions based
on understanding and
Reasoning.

(Solve Problems)

Geo-Literacy
How will we keep Ebola from
spreading?

In the REAL world this means

Geo-literacy enables people to steer away from choices

that will be costly for themselves and others.

Geo-Literacy helps us reason with

other cultures.

Geo-Literacy enables us to be better

humanitarians.

The ability to reason

through decisions
systematically.

Major Disciplines of Geography

Physical Geography
Human Geography

Physical Geography
Study of where and
why natural forces
occur as they do.
Climates
Landforms
Vegetation
Water
Etc.

Human Geography
Study of where and

why human activities

are located where they
are. Human geography
examines economic,
social and behavioral
processes.

Religion
Businesses
Politics
Cities
Culture
Etc.

Geography Fields of Study

Physical
Climatology
Geomorphology
Coastal and Marine

Geography
Geophysics
Environmental Resources
and Management (water,
forest, hazard waste etc.)

Human
Historical Geography
Cultural Geography
Political Geography
Population Geography
Economic Geography
Agricultural Geography
Development
Medical Anthropology
Urban Planning
Geography of Recreation
tourism and sport
GIS/GPS

Figure 1.3, p. 9

Five Themes of Geography

Location
Place
Region
Movement
Human-Environment Interaction

Denver, CO
United States of America

Location
a specific place on earth
Absolute location: the exact spot at

which the place is found on the globe.

Relative location: Where some place is

in relation to another place.

Location: Where is Denver?

Denver is located in North Central Colorado, north of

Colorado Springs, South of Fort Collins. Its latitude 39.44

N, and Longitude 104. 59 W.

Location: Hemispheres

Location:
Latitude and Longitude

PLACE
a specific point on earth distinguished by
particular characteristics
Physical Characteristics: landforms (mountains,

plains, etc.), bodies of water (oceans, lakes, bay,

etc.), ecosystems (soil, plants, animals, and
climate)
Human Characteristics: bridges, roads, buildings,

culture (customs, practices), language and

religion.

What is Denver like? Why is it different

than other places?
What are its physical characteristics?
What are its human characteristics?

Region
area of Earth distinguished by a distinctive
combination of cultural and physical features

Formal
Vernacular
Functional

Formal Region
(uniform or homogenous region): an area

within which everyone/everything shares

in common one or more distinctive
characteristics.
designated by official boundaries, such as
cities, states, counties, and countries.
All formal regions are based on
measureable data

Formal Region
Denver is in the State of Colorado

Formal Region:
Denver is in the Rocky Mountain Region

Vernacular Region
Language or customs
Perceived: "The South," "The

Midwest," or the "Middle East;" they

have no formal boundaries but are
understood in our mental maps of
the world.

Vernacular Regions in Denver?

Draw your own version of the city of Denver. Start with
drawing its boundaries and then include everything you can
imagine about the city; certain roads, iconic buildings or
landmarks, bodies of water, parks, a friends house etc.,
specific neighborhoods

Functional Regions
An area organized around a focal

point. The characteristics chosen to

define a functional region dominates at
a central focus and diminishes in
importance outward.
The region is tied to the central point
by transportation or communication
systems.

Movement
ongoing movement of people, goods, and ideas.

Movement

Human-Environment Interaction
the way people and their environments interrelate and
interact.

Denver Water
Supply? Do we
exploit our
resources?
Gross River Dam

Human Environment Interaction

Honors Geography:
The Three Central Themes of this
Course
1. Population, Development and Movement
2. Human-Environment Interaction
3. Conflict and Cooperation

AP Human
Geography

1. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives

2. Population Geography
3. Cultural Patterns and Processes
4. Political Organization of Space
5. Economic Development
6. Agriculture and Rural Land Use
7. Industrialization
8. Settlement and Services
9. Cities and Urban Land Use