Chapter 1: This is Geography · Chapter 1: This is Geography Unit 1. Why Is Geography a Science?...
Transcript of Chapter 1: This is Geography · Chapter 1: This is Geography Unit 1. Why Is Geography a Science?...
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”
Why Is Geography a Science?
• 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?
Why Is Geography a Science?
• 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
Why Is Geography a Science?
• GPS vs. GIS• See other notes
Why Is Geography a Science?
• 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
Why Is Geography a Science?
• 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)
Why Is Geography a Science?
• 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
Why Is Each Point on Earth Unique
• 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
Why Is Each Point on Earth Unique
• 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?
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• Space: Distribution of Features• Distribution—three features
• Density• Arithmetic
• Physiological
• Agricultural
• Concentration
• Pattern
• Space: Cultural Identity
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• Space: Inequality• Poststructuralist geography
• Humanistic geography
• Behavioral geography
• Unequal Access
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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.)
Why Are Different Places Similar?
• 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
Why Are Some Actions Not Sustainable?
• Sustainability and Earth’s physical systems• Biotic vs. abiotic
• Atmosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere
• Biosphere
Why Are Some Actions Not Sustainable?
• 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
EXTRA INFORMATION: BOUNDARIES
• Physical• Mountains
• Rivers
• Deserts
• Oceans
EXTRA INFORMATION: BOUNDARIES
• Ethnic/Cultural• Language
• Religion
• Ethnicity
• Subsequent Boundaries: develop along with cultural boundaries• This type of border drawn to accommodate religious, cultural, economic differences
EXTRA INFORMATION: BOUNDARIES
• 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