Geography

Unit 1A
Chapter 1

Geographers
Toolbox
Thinking Globally
“Geo”-earth
“graphy”-to write
Geographers ask “where” things are and “why” they
are there

Geography-The study of the distribution and

interaction of physical and human features on the
earth.
 Geography
Physical Geography-focus Human Geography-
on natural environment. focus on people.

The earth’s natural Processes, and locations

phenomena, like soil,
of the earth’s human
plants, climate and
creations and their
topography.
interactions.
This is what most think of
when they think
Geography.
Looking at the earth
Continents

County

State/province/territory

Islands

Oceans
The World
The Science of Mapmaking
Cartographer-A person
who makes maps

How do you know where

things are without a
map?
 Maps and Map Symbols
Scale
Compass Rose
Symbols
Title
Key/Legend
Color
 Maps
 Maps-a two dimensional or flat scale model of the
earth’s surface
 Globe-scale model of the earth
 Great Circle Route-shortest distance between 2 points
on the earth
 Types of Maps
During the course of the year we will look at all types of maps,
here are a few:
Thematic
Flow-line
Chloropleth
Dot Density
Proportional
Symbol thematic
Reference
Isoline Thematic
Cognative or mental maps
 Map Projections
Projections are the Four types of distortions can
scientific method of occur:
transferring locations on
the Earth’s surface to a 1. shape of an area is distorted.
2. distance between two points
flat map. may increase or decrease.
3. relative size of different areas
Think of a projection of may be altered.
4. Direction from one place to
making the skin of an another can be distorted.
orange lay flat.
 Classes of Maps
Cylindrical (compromise)-shows true direction but
loses distance.

Planar-shows true direction and examines the earth

from one point.

Conic-cone over the earth, loses direction but keeps

distance intact.

Oval-combination of cylindrical and conic

Contemporary Tools for Mapping
Geographic • Information on a location is
stored in layers.
Information • Layers can be viewed individually
Systems (GIS) or combined.

• Remote sensing satellites scan the

Remote Sensing earth.
• Google maps

• Accurately determines the precise

Global Positioning position of something on earth.
Systems (GPS) • Originally designed for aircraft
and ships, now available for autos.
Get out your notebook
Put yourself in groups of 3. HURRY! DO THIS
BEFORE THE TARDY BELL RINGS!
Analyze your picture:
What do you see in the picture?
What do you think is "different" in the picture?
Does this look like everywhere else in the world?
What affects the “look” of this place?
Is the location of this place important?
If I were trying to get to this place, how I might I travel
there?
Warm-UP
Describe Manvel High School using the 5 Themes of
Geography- there should be a characteristic for each
Theme
Five Themes Location
of Geography Human/Environment
Interactions
Regions
Place
Movement
 Location
How do Geographers know where things are?

Absolute Location: refers to a position on the global

grid.

Relative Location: a location as described in relation to

places around it.
Absolute or Mathematical Location
Mathematical location-location described by
meridians and parallels, otherwise known as latitude
and longitude.

Absolute location is unique for each place on earth.

The absolute location of the ACC radio tower.
Latitude: 29-24'02'' N
Longitude: 095-12'14'' W
 Latitude and Longitude

Meridians or longitude

Parallels or Latitude

Prime Meridian
GMT-Greenwich Mean Time
International Date line

Equator

Hemispheres
Latitude and Longitude
Place-Unique location of a feature
Why is each point on Earth Unique?
Four ways to identify a place on earth by it’s location.
1. Place name
Toponym or name to distinguish them from others.
Some names reflect history—New York
Some reflect the founder-Alvin-Alvin Morgan
Some are reflective-Three Rivers
Site
2. Site- physical character of a place
Climate
Topography
soil
water resources
Vegetation
elevation
.
Situation
3. Situation-location of a place relative to another place.
This characteristic refers to relative location.
 Click icon
to add pic
Human ture
Environment
Interaction
People and
their
environment.
Environmental Modification
Changes to environment to suit people.
 Movement
Interconnections between areas
What connects people and places
How do people move from one place
To another?
 Click icon
to add pic
ture
Regions
The organization
of the earth’s
surface into
distinct areas that
are viewed as
different from
other areas.
Types of regions
There are three types of regions:

1. Formal region
2. Functional Region
3. Vernacular or perceptual region
 Formal Region
Other wise known as uniform or homogeneous region.
Everyone within the region shares in common one or
more distinctive characteristics.
Creation of a state or province is a formal region
 Formal regions
The North America Wheat Belt is a formal region.
Persons in the USA who vote Republican or
Democratic .
 Functional Region
Functional or Nodal Regions are organized
around a core, node or focal point.

Geographers use functional regions to

display information about economic areas.
Newspaper circulation
TV Station reception area
People in our are who follow the Texans.
Functional region
The core area has distinct characteristics that lessen in
intensity as one travels to the periphery, or the region’s
margins.

Traveling West from Denver

persons will venture to the
periphery of Salt Lake City.
Perceptual or Vernacular Regions
They are places that people believe to exist as part of
their cultural identity.

The reflect feelings and images more than any

objective reality.
Regions
Emerging mega regions of the USA
Globalization
A force or process that involves the entire world and
results in making something worldwide in scope.

Human activities are rarely confined to one location.

Multinational Corporation-located in
more than one country. Can affect the
culture of other nations.
Distribution
Distribution-the arrangement of a feature in space

Density-frequency in which something occurs

.
Distribution, cont.
Concentration-the extent of a features spread over
space.

Are they clustered (close together)?

Are they dispersed (far apart) ?

Concentration is not the same as density. You can

have the same density but different concentrations.
Think housing in communities.
Distribution, cont.
Pattern-the geometric arrangement of objects in
space.
Some are geometric-houses on a street are linear.
Some are random and irregular
China
Spatial interaction
Historically-settlers, Distance Decay-the farther
explorers created away one group is from
interaction between another group, the less
locations likely they are to interact
Today- Airplanes, with each other.
computers, Television,
internet Electronic communication
 Has lessened this concept.
Diffusion of culture and economy
North America, Western Europe and Japan are the
centers of global culture and economy.