HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Ch. 1 Basic Concepts –Where and Why?

GEOGRAPHY AS A FIELD OF STUDY

• Physical and human geography are the two branches of study

• Spatial awareness/relationships is knowing how space is being used

• Spatial analysis of patterns and processes is supported through the use of maps, map projections and photographs.

NOTABLE GEOGRAPHERS

•Aristotle – demonstrated that the Earth was spherical.

• Eratosthenes – father of geography; calculated the circumference of the Earth.

• Ptolemy – codified the principles of mapmaking and prepared maps.

Tools of Geographers• Maps – scale model of the

real world• Map scale – can be a ratio or

fraction, can be written or graphic and gives the level of detail on a map.

• Map projection – the scientific transfer of locations on the Earth’s surface to a flat map. Always has distortion.– Examples include the

Robinson and Mercator projections.

SOURCES OF DATA

• Field research• Remote sensing

• Census data

• GPS – global positioning system

• GIS – geographic information systems

• Satellite/Space Shuttle photography

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Place – a point on the Earth with unique features.

• Location – the position that something occupies on the Earth’s surface. Examples – absolute and relative.

• Toponym – is the name given to a place on Earth. Example – Houston

• Site – physical characteristic of a place.• Situation – the location of a place relative to

other places.• Mathematical location – Uses

meridians/longitudes and parallels/latitudes in a grid pattern.

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Cultural landscape – a combination of cultural features such as language, religion, economy and physical geography (aka regional studies approach).

• Formal region – everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics. Example – Texas

• Functional region – an area organized around a node or focal point. Example – The Houston Chronicle newspaper

• Vernacular region – is a place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity. Example – The South

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Culture – What people care about and what people take care of.

• Cultural ecology – the study of human environment relationships.

• Environmental determinism – by Humboldt and Ritter, physical environment caused social development.

• Possibilism – the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust and alter the environment. Example – polders of the Netherlands

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Physical Processes include– Climate– Vegetation– Soil– Landforms

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Distribution – arrangement of features in space.

• Density – frequency something occurs in space. Examples – arithmetic, physiological, agricultural.

• Concentration – extent of a feature’s spread over space.

• Pattern – geometric arrangement of objects in space. Example the Land Ordinance of 1785.

Concentration and Distribution

• http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap11_frq_human_geography.pdf

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Diffusion – process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another over time. Begins in a hearth.

• Relocation diffusion – spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another.

Geographers see the Earth through …

• Expansion Diffusion – spread of a feature in a snowballing process. Can result in the following types of processes…– Hierarchical diffusion, spread of an idea

from persons or nodes of authority or power. Ex. Pop culture

– Contagious diffusion, rapid and widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population. Ex. flu

– Stimulus diffusion, the spread of an underlying principle. Ex. technology