The 5 Themes of Geography

1. The 5 Themes of Geography How we look at the world, both past and present

2. Geography • Geography: the study of the earth’s physical and human characteristics. • Geographers use 5 themes to explain and understand these characteristics

3. Location • “Where is it?” • Every place has: • Absolute Location: the exact spot of a place on the earth’s surface. • Latitude and Longitude • Relative Location: tells where a place is by comparing what is around it. • Bismarck is east of Dickinson

4. Place • “What is it like?” • Describes all of the characteristics that give an area its own special quality. • Physical: mountains, waterways, climate, plant and animals • Human: language, religion or architecture

5. Examples of Place • Concrete/Physical: • Landforms • Buildings • Bridges • Trees • Statues • Abstract/Human: • Climate -- Language • Culture- the way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs

6. Movement • “How do people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another?” • Has brought the world’s people closer together. • Transportation and communication

7. Movement of People • Population- total number of people in a given area • Migration- moving from one place to another • Immigrants- people who leave one country to move to another

8. Why do people move? • “push-pull” theory- people migrate because something “pushes” them from where they currently live and “pulls” them to the new place.

9. Push-Pull Example • Push: • Economic • Government • Religious persecution • Pull • Better life • Similar people • Climate

10. Population Growth • The world’s population has increased dramatically. • Growth rate has never been seen before. • Many people move from rural areas (villages in the countryside) to urban areas (cities and towns). • Causes overcrowding in areas and over use of natural resources.

11. Movement of Products • Import- goods bought from a foreign country. • Export- goods sold to a foreign country. • Economy- having to do with the exchanging of money for goods and services

12. Region • “What common features bring geographical areas together?” • Can be defined by • Physical features (mts) • Religion (Islamic) • Language (French) • Livelihood (agriculture)

13. Examples of Regions • North Dakota is in the plains, a flat land region. • North Dakota has regions within the state (Red River Valley). • North Dakota is a part of a region (the Midwest).

14. Human-Environment Interaction • “What is the relationship between people and their surroundings?” • Landforms, waterways, climate and natural resources have either helped and harmed people and their activities.

15. Natural Resources • Natural Resource- any useful material found in the environment. • Usually soil, water, minerals and vegetation

16. 3 Types of Resources • Recyclable: recourses that cycle through the natural process in the environment. • Water Cycle • Renewable: a natural resource that the environment continues to supply or is replaced as used. • Wind and trees

17. Non-renewable Resources • Non-renewable: natural resources that cannot be replaced once they are used up. • Coal, oil, fossil fuels

18. Why is Geography Important to History • Geography is a key factor in shaping historical events. • It helps explain why and how things happened.