Thinking Thinking GeographicallyGeographically

Why is Geography Why is Geography important?important?

“War forces people to learn geography”

-example: Russian invasion of Georgia

•Geography and your Geography and your community:community:– Water supplyWater supply– PollutionPollution– Growth managementGrowth management– HousingHousing

Example:Example:Loudoun Water

– Look at environment/ water Look at environment/ water conservationconservation

How does this connect to Brambleton?How does this connect to Brambleton?

What is geography?What is geography?

•Coined by EratosthenesCoined by Eratosthenes

•Geo= earthGeo= earth

•Graphy= the study of, to Graphy= the study of, to writewrite

Key Concepts and skillsKey Concepts and skills

•SpaceSpace

•PlacePlace

•LocationLocation

•ScaleScale

•regionsregions

• interpret maps, graphs, interpret maps, graphs, tables, charts, and other tables, charts, and other spatial dataspatial data

• Understand and interpret Understand and interpret the implications of the implications of relationships among relationships among observable facts in placesobservable facts in places

• Recognize and interpret Recognize and interpret relationships among relationships among patterns and processes at patterns and processes at different scalesdifferent scales

• Define regions and Define regions and evaluate the evaluate the regionalization processregionalization process

• Characterize and analyze Characterize and analyze changing interconnections changing interconnections among placesamong places

Studying Human Studying Human GeographyGeography

• Study of GeographyStudy of Geography• Study of the earth as Study of the earth as

created by natural forces created by natural forces and modified by human and modified by human actionaction

– Physical GeographyPhysical Geography• Deals with the Earth’s Deals with the Earth’s

natural processes and their natural processes and their outcomes.outcomes.

– Concerned with Concerned with climate, weather climate, weather patterns, landforms, patterns, landforms, soil formation, and soil formation, and plant and animal plant and animal ecologyecology

– HumanHuman GeographyGeography• Deals with the spatial Deals with the spatial

organization of human organization of human activities and with people’s activities and with people’s relationships to their relationships to their environments. environments.

– Covers a wide variety of Covers a wide variety of phenomenaphenomena

– Example: agricultural Example: agricultural production and food production and food security, population security, population change, ecology of change, ecology of human diseases, human diseases, resource management, resource management, environmental pollution, environmental pollution, regional planning, and regional planning, and symbolism of places and symbolism of places and landscapeslandscapes

Studying Human Studying Human GeographyGeography

• Regional Regional GeographyGeography– Combines both Combines both

physical and human physical and human geographygeography

– Concerned with the Concerned with the way that unique way that unique combinations of combinations of environmental and environmental and human factors human factors produce territories produce territories with distinctive with distinctive landscapes and landscapes and cultural attributescultural attributes

– Concept of region Concept of region used by geographers used by geographers to apply to larger-to apply to larger-sized territories that sized territories that encompass many encompass many placesplaces

5 Themes of Geography5 Themes of Geography

• LocationLocation

• Human Human environment environment interactioninteraction

• RegionRegion

• PlacePlace

• movementmovement

LocationLocation Explains where something Explains where something

is on the Earth and the is on the Earth and the effects that position has on effects that position has on human lifehuman life– Absolute locationAbsolute location

Lines of latitudeLines of latitude Measured in degrees north or south Measured in degrees north or south

of the equatorof the equator Equator serves as the baselineEquator serves as the baseline

Lines of longitudeLines of longitude Measured in degrees east or west of Measured in degrees east or west of

the prime meridianthe prime meridian Prime meridian runs through Prime meridian runs through

Greenwich, EnglandGreenwich, England

– Relative locationRelative location Is described by something’s Is described by something’s

relationship to the places around relationship to the places around itit

SiteSite Refers to a place’s internal physical Refers to a place’s internal physical

and cultural characteristicsand cultural characteristics SituationSituation

Refers to the location of a place Refers to the location of a place relative to the physical and cultural relative to the physical and cultural places around it places around it

SiteSite The site is the actual location of a The site is the actual location of a

settlement on the earth and is composed of settlement on the earth and is composed of the physical characteristics of the the physical characteristics of the landscape specific to the area. landscape specific to the area.

Site factors include things like landforms Site factors include things like landforms (i.e. is the area protected by mountains or (i.e. is the area protected by mountains or is there a natural harbor present?), climate, is there a natural harbor present?), climate, vegetation types, availability of water, soil vegetation types, availability of water, soil quality, minerals, and even wildlife. quality, minerals, and even wildlife.

Historically, these factors led to the Historically, these factors led to the development of major cities worldwide. development of major cities worldwide. New York City, for example, is located New York City, for example, is located

where it is because of several site where it is because of several site factors. As people arrived in North factors. As people arrived in North America from Europe, they began to America from Europe, they began to settle in this area because it was a settle in this area because it was a coastal location with a natural harbor. coastal location with a natural harbor.

There was also an abundance of fresh There was also an abundance of fresh water in the nearby Hudson River and water in the nearby Hudson River and small creeks as well as raw materials for small creeks as well as raw materials for building supplies.building supplies.

In addition, the nearby Appalachian and In addition, the nearby Appalachian and Catskill Mountains provided a barrier to Catskill Mountains provided a barrier to movement inland. movement inland.

The site of an area can also create The site of an area can also create challenges for its population and the small challenges for its population and the small Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a good Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a good example of this. example of this. Located within the world's highest Located within the world's highest

mountain range, the terrain of the mountain range, the terrain of the country is extremely rugged and hard country is extremely rugged and hard to get around. to get around.

This, combined with the incredibly This, combined with the incredibly harsh climate in many areas of the harsh climate in many areas of the country has made much of the country has made much of the population settle along rivers in the population settle along rivers in the highlands just south of the Himalayas.highlands just south of the Himalayas.

In addition, only 2% of the land in the In addition, only 2% of the land in the nation is arable (with much of it located nation is arable (with much of it located in the highlands) making living in the in the highlands) making living in the country highly challenging.country highly challenging.

SituationSituation Situation is defined as the location of a Situation is defined as the location of a

place relative to its surroundings and place relative to its surroundings and other places. other places.

Factors included in an area's situation Factors included in an area's situation include the accessibility of the location, include the accessibility of the location, the extent of a place's connections with the extent of a place's connections with another, and how close an area may be another, and how close an area may be to raw materials if they are not located to raw materials if they are not located specifically on the site. specifically on the site. Though its site has made living in the Though its site has made living in the nation challenging, Bhutan's situation nation challenging, Bhutan's situation has allowed it to maintain its policies of has allowed it to maintain its policies of isolation as well as its own highly isolation as well as its own highly separated and traditionally religious separated and traditionally religious culture. culture.

Because of its remote location in the Because of its remote location in the Himalayas getting into the country is Himalayas getting into the country is challenging and historically this has challenging and historically this has been beneficial because the mountains been beneficial because the mountains have been a form of protection. As have been a form of protection. As such, the heartland of the nation has such, the heartland of the nation has never been invaded. In addition, never been invaded. In addition, Bhutan now controls many of the most Bhutan now controls many of the most strategic mountain passes in the strategic mountain passes in the Himalayas including the only ones into Himalayas including the only ones into and out of its territory, leading to its and out of its territory, leading to its title as the "Mountain Fortress of the title as the "Mountain Fortress of the Gods." Gods."

Like an area's site however, its situation Like an area's site however, its situation can also cause problems. For example can also cause problems. For example Canada's Eastern Provinces of New Canada's Eastern Provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are some of that Edward Island are some of that country's most economically country's most economically downtrodden areas due in large part downtrodden areas due in large part to their situations. These areas are to their situations. These areas are isolated from the rest of Canada isolated from the rest of Canada making manufacturing and the little making manufacturing and the little agriculture possible too expensive. In agriculture possible too expensive. In addition, there are very few close addition, there are very few close natural resources (many are off the natural resources (many are off the coast and due to maritime laws the coast and due to maritime laws the government of Canada itself controls government of Canada itself controls the resources) and many of the the resources) and many of the traditional fishing economies they did traditional fishing economies they did have are now crashing along with the have are now crashing along with the fish populations. fish populations.

Human Environment Human Environment InteractionInteraction

Describes how Describes how human activities human activities affect their affect their environment and environment and how environmental how environmental changes impact changes impact human lifehuman life

Cultural ecologyCultural ecology– Studies the aspects Studies the aspects

and outcomes of and outcomes of human-environment human-environment interactioninteraction

RegionRegion A region is a spatial A region is a spatial

unit, or group of unit, or group of places, that share places, that share similar characteristicssimilar characteristics

Three types of regionsThree types of regions– FormalFormal

Area that has common cultural Area that has common cultural and physical featuresand physical features ““uniform” regionuniform” region Examples:Examples:

The SaharaThe Sahara Map displaying where Islam is Map displaying where Islam is

practicedpracticed– FunctionalFunctional

Group of places linked together Group of places linked together by some type of movement or by some type of movement or functionfunction ““nodal” regionnodal” region Examples:Examples:

Map showing a group of places Map showing a group of places all infected by a type of disease all infected by a type of disease

The The nodenode is the place in the is the place in the functional region where the functional region where the movement startedmovement started

– PerceptualPerceptual Group of places linked together Group of places linked together

because of perceptions about because of perceptions about those placesthose places Example:Example:

““The South”The South”-Boundaries are based on -Boundaries are based on opinionsopinions

PlacePlace Place refers to all of Place refers to all of

the human and the human and physical attributes in a physical attributes in a locationlocation– Human attributes of Human attributes of

place include:place include: religions, languages, political religions, languages, political

organizations, clothing, and organizations, clothing, and artwork present in a locationartwork present in a location

– Physical attributes Physical attributes include:include: Climate, terrain, and natural Climate, terrain, and natural

resourcesresources

– Human and physical Human and physical traits in a location give it traits in a location give it a “sense of identity”a “sense of identity”

MovementMovement Movement of information, people, Movement of information, people,

goods, and other phenomenagoods, and other phenomena

– Spatial interactionSpatial interaction Analyzing how places interact with each otherAnalyzing how places interact with each other Friction of distanceFriction of distance

Degree to which distance interferes or reduces the Degree to which distance interferes or reduces the amount of interaction between two placesamount of interaction between two places

– Distance decayDistance decay occurs when the intensity of some occurs when the intensity of some

phenomenon decreases as distance increasesphenomenon decreases as distance increases Example: sound at a concert decreases as you walk Example: sound at a concert decreases as you walk

away from the stageaway from the stage

– Space-time compressionSpace-time compression Increasing sense that the world is becoming Increasing sense that the world is becoming

“smaller” “smaller” Humans in distant places can feel closer Humans in distant places can feel closer

together because of improved communication together because of improved communication and transportation the technologies, which and transportation the technologies, which reduce the friction of distancereduce the friction of distance