What is Geography?

1. What is Geography? Unit 1 Chapter 1

2. Vocabulary • Location • Absolute Location • Hemisphere • Grid System • Relative Location • Place • Region • Formal Region • Functional Region • Perceptual Region • Ecosystem • Movement • Human Environment Interaction • Physical Geography • Human Geography • Meteorology • Cartography • Geographic Information Systems(GIS)

3. Geography • Geography is the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth • Geographers are specialists who describe Earth’s physical and human features and the interactions of people, places, and environments. • What are some tools geographers might use to describe Earth?

4. Maps

5. Maps • Topographic- shows natural and man-made features on earth • Thematic- shows information • Navigation- maps air and sea- navigators would use these

7. Thematic Map of Africa

8. Navigation Map

9. 5 Themes of Geography Also known as Elements • Location • Place • Region • Movement • Human-Environment Interaction

10. Theme 1- Location • Spatial Relations- how places, people, and features of the Earth are connected • There are 2 types • Absolute Location- exact latitude and longitude at which a place is found on the globe • Relative Location- describes a place’s location in relation to another place

11. Absolute and Relative • Absolute of Spartanburg County: • Latitude- 34.93163 North • Longitude- 81.99075 West -The entire county goes from approximately 35.2 to 34.6 degrees north and 82.2 to 81.7 degrees west

13. Relative Location • Relative to other states: East of GA, North of FL, SE of TN, South of VA • Relative to other counties- North of Newberry, Lexington, Saluda, West of Cherokee, York, Chester, East of Greenville • Relative to bodies of water: East Saluda and Reedy, west of Broad • Relative to landmarks- South of Chimney Rock, east of Table rock

14. Relativehttp://images.google.com/ “around the corner, past the Wal-Mart and across the street from the barber shop.”

15. When is it useful to know the absolute or relative location of a place?

16. Theme 2- Place Place- a particular space on Earth with physical and human meaning Place Types are based on human characteristics and physical characteristics Human include: bridges, buildings, language, modes of transportation, and religion Physical include: landforms, climate, wildlife, bodies of water, and vegetation

17. Physical and Human Systems • Physical systems- volcanoes,floods, and hurricanes shape the Earth’s surface • Human systems- people affect the Earth by settling it, forming societies, and migrating. People also move goods and ideas to new places. • What historical movements of people and ideas have changed the US and World?

20. Theme 3- Region A region, larger than a place, is a group of places that are united by shared characteristics. 3 Types 1. Formal/Uniform- area defined by a common characteristic 2. Functional- central place and the outlying areas linked to it by transit systems 3. Perceptual- defined by popular feelings and images rather than by objective data

23. 3 categories Formal Function Perceptual Region • Places that are connected • Cultural (Bible belt) • Political (conservative south) • Economic (rustbelt) • Physical (sunbelt)

24. Theme 4- Movement • Movement- How goods, cultures, and rituals migrate from place to place. • 3 Types of Movement • a. people • b.goods • c.ideas

27. Theme 5- Human-Environment Interaction • Pertains to how the environment and people effect each other • People depend on the environment- it dictates what type of crops we grow. • People modify the environment- clear land and plant crops on it • People adapt to the environment- wear certain types of clothing according to the season

30. Map Skills • Why are all map projections distorted? • The earth is round, and maps are flat, so the earth’s curves cannot be accurately shown on a map • Map Projections • Mercator- used for ship navigation • Polar (Azimuthal)- used for air travel • Robinson- used in classrooms

31. Mercator Map

32. Polar (Azimuthal) Map

33. Robinson Map

34. Map Directions • Cardinal directions- north, south, east, and west • Intermediate directions- southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest

35. The world is divided into hemispheres by latitude and longitude lines The Equator divides north and south, while the Prime Meridian divides east and west Hemispheres

36. Reading Maps There are 8 key elements that you need to know when reading a map

37. Reading Maps • Title- explains subject of map • Compass Rose- shows orientation • Labels- words or phrases that explain map features • Legend-Lists and explains the symbols and use of color on a map

38. Labels and Compass Rose

40. Reading Maps • Latitude Lines-Run horizontal from the equator out on both sides of the globe (mark north and south positions) • Longitude Lines- Run vertical from the prime meridian out on both sides of the globe (mark east and west positions) • Scale- Ruler-like line that shows the lengths of earth distance units on the map

41. Longitude (left) and Latitude (right)

43. What do Geographers do? • Observe • Map (cartography) • Interview • Create and use statistics • Technology (GIS and GPS)