Chapter 1: This is Geography...•Types of Diffusion: •Relocation/Migration Diffusion •Physical...

Chapter 1: This is GeographyUnit 1

Why Is Geography a Science?

• Defining geography:• Word coined by Eratosthenes

• Geo = Earth

• Graphia = writing• Geography thus means “earth writing”


• Introducing Geography• Place

• Specific point on earth• Absolute vs. relative location

• Region• Are of Earth defined by one or more characteristics

• Scale• Relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole

• Space• Physical gap/interval between two objects

• Connections• Relationships among people and objects• How do these connections occur?


• Cartography• Two purposes

• As reference tools• To find locations, to find one’s way

• As communications tools• To show the distribution of human and physical features


• GPS vs. GIS• See other notes


• Map Scale• The scale of a map shows the distance and detail of an area.• Small scale: large area, not much detail

• Ex: Map of the country

• Large scale: small area, lots of detail• Ex: Map of your house

• Ratio scale: • 1: 10,000

• One inch = 10,000 miles

• Bar Scale• Written Scale:

• One inch is equal to ten thousand miles


• Types of Maps• See Kaplan Review

• The Geographic Grid• Latitude Lines: these lines show direction North and South of the Equator.

• Run horizontally across a map

• Sometimes called parallels

• 0 degrees to 90 degrees (north and south)


• The Geographic Grid• Longitude Lines: these lines show direction East and West of the Prime

Meridian. • Run vertically across a map

• Sometimes called meridians

• 0 degrees to 180 degrees (east and west)

Why Is Each Point on Earth Unique

• Place: A Unique Location• Place names

• Toponym

• Site

• Situation

• Mathematical location


• Region: A Unique Area• Formal (uniform) regions

• Example: South Carolina

• Functional (nodal) regions• Interactions and connections between places

• Usually involves a hub and then links places to that

• Example: the circulation area of a newspaper

• Vernacular (cultural) regions• How people perceive the region in some way

• Example: the American South


• Culture• Origin from the Latin cultus, meaning “to care for”

• Two aspects:• What people care about

• Beliefs, values, and customs

• What people take care of • Earning a living; obtaining food, clothing, and shelter

Why Are Different Places Similar?

• Scale: Global and Local• Globalization

• Economic globalization• Transnational corporations

• Cultural globalization• A global culture?


• Space: Distribution of Features• Distribution—three features

• Density• Arithmetic

• Physiological

• Agricultural

• Concentration

• Pattern

• Space: Cultural Identity


• Space: Inequality• Poststructuralist geography

• Humanistic geography

• Behavioral geography

• Unequal Access


• Connections: Diffusion• Assimilation

• Acculturation

• Syncretism

• What is diffusion?• The process by which a characteristic spreads across space and over time

• Hearth = source area for innovations

• Two types of diffusion• Relocation

• Expansion


• Types of Diffusion:• Relocation/Migration Diffusion

• Physical spread of cultures, ideas, and diseases through people

• Characteristics spread due to the movement of people from one place to another

• Expansion Diffusion• Spread of a characteristic from a central node/hearth through various means

• Have a central point from which the characteristic spreads

• 3 types: hierarchical, contagious, stimulus


• Types of Diffusion:• Hierarchical

• Phenomenon spreads as a result of a group, usually an elite group, spreading ideas/patterns through society

• Political leaders, entertainment leaders, sports stars• Think: clothing trends


• Types of Diffusion:• Contagious

• Usually associated with disease• Influenza

• Doesn’t matter your race, social status, etc

• Rapid

• Internet and the spreading of ideas

• Instantaneously get information


• Types of Diffusion• Stimulus

• Takes part of an idea and spreads that idea to create an innovative product• “Cloud” technology (dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)

• Cell phones (“smart phones”: iPhones, Android, etc.)


• Connections: Spatial Interaction• Network

• Distance decay

• Space-time compression

Why Are Some Actions Not Sustainable?

• Geography, sustainability, and resources

• 3 Illars of Sustainability• Environment Pillar

• Society Pillar

• Economy Pillar


• Sustainability and Earth’s physical systems• Biotic vs. abiotic

• Atmosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Lithosphere

• Biosphere


• Geography, sustainability, and ecology• Ecology and the biosphere

• Integrating culture and ecology

EXTRA INFORMATION: BOUNDARIES

• Geometric• Lines of latitude and longitude

• 49th parallel between the US and Canada

• Antecedent boundary: existed before human settlement of the area; settlement followed the boundary• 49th parallel: people who wanted to live in the US settled south, people who wanted to

live in Canada settled north


• Physical• Mountains

• Rivers

• Deserts

• Oceans


• Ethnic/Cultural• Language

• Religion

• Ethnicity

• Subsequent Boundaries: develop along with cultural boundaries• This type of border drawn to accommodate religious, cultural, economic differences


• Superimposed• Political boundary that ignores existing the cultural organization on the

landscape.

• Authority, superpower, delegation of superpowers to satisfy the authority’s needs rather than the needs of the area

• 38th parallel between North and South Korea

Chapter 1: This is Geography...•Types of Diffusion: •Relocation/Migration Diffusion •Physical...

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