WG Unit 1-Human Geography Lesson 1-4 ADD LESSON 5 LATER!

Culture

the way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs

dialect

a local form of a language that differs from the main language

language families

large groups of languages having similar roots

In all cultures, what is the most important thing?

In all cultures the family is the most important group, although family structures vary somewhat from culture to culture.

what is social class?

Most cultures are also made up of social classes, groups of people ranked according to ancestry, wealth, education, or other criteria.

what is an ethnic group?

An ethnic group is made up of people who share a common language, history, place of origin, or a combination of these elements. 

what is the role of every government?

Each government, for example, maintains order within the country, provides protection from outside dangers, and supplies other services to its people.

how are governments organized through levels of power?

Governments are organized according to levels of power—national, regional, and local—and by type of authority—a single ruler, a small group of leaders, or a body of citizens or their representatives.

what is a culture region?

includes many different countries that have certain traits in common. They may share similar economic systems, forms of government, and social groups. Their histories, religions, and art forms may share similar influences. The food, clothing, and housing of people in these countries may all have common characteristics as well.

why are social groups important to the development of a culture?

they are the first “teachers” of a culture, transmitting values and norms to future generations helping the development of a culture

what are two major ways in which cultures change over time?

Cultures are dynamic and continually changing. Internal factors—new ideas, lifestyles, and inventions—create change within cultures. Change can also come through spatial interaction such as trade, migration, and war.

what is cultural diffusion?

The spread of new knowledge from one culture to another

what are cultural hearths?

early centers of civilization whose ideas and practices spread to surrounding areas.

where were the five earliest culture hearths located?

Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, China, and Mexico

what are some similarities between the five cultural hearths?

These five culture hearths had certain geographic features in common. They all emerged from farming settlements in areas with a mild climate and fertile land. In addition, all five culture hearths were located near a major river or source of water. Making use of favorable environments, the people dug canals and ditches to irrigate the land. All of these factors contributed to what is known as the agricultural revolution, a major shift from food gathering to food production that enabled people to grow surplus crops.

what is the information revolution?

Computers now make it possible to store huge amounts of information and instantly send it all over the world, thus allowing more rapid spread of ideas and traditions among the cultures of the world. The Internet has been responsible for communication and socialization around the world via social networking sites and other sites that allow users to share many types of information and stay connected with others. Consequently, the world feels much smaller than it might have previously.

what is globalization?

is the process by which the countries of the world have experienced greater connectivity, or the degree of connection between people, places, and things.

what are some benefits of globalization?

• an increased standard of living—or the level of wealth, goods, and necessities available—for people in poorer countries. Money invested to build new businesses in these countries creates job opportunities for people.

• a larger selection of competitively priced goods and services.

• the growth of creativity and innovation through global competition.

• new technology. Poorer countries can enjoy the benefits of new technologies developed by wealthier countries.

• cooperation and awareness. Governments are better able to work together toward common goals.

• greater access to foreign culture.

what are some challenges of globalization?

• outsourcing, or setting up businesses abroad to produce parts and products for domestic use or sale. Outsourcing can provide jobs to many people in one country, but can also take away jobs from those in another country, which negatively impacts the standard of living.

• an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Many poorer countries obtain loans from wealthier countries, but are often unable to repay them.

• loss of culture. Although globalization encourages the sharing and awareness of cultures, the spread of Western culture results in a narrowing of beliefs and values. The unique characteristics of individual cultures begin to fade.

• pandemics, or the spread of disease across a large area or even the world. More people are moving to more parts of the Earth, carrying deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS.

• environmental degradation. Globalization has resulted in increased consumption of goods, as well as an increase in the extraction and use of raw materials.

what are the elements of a culture?

what languages are spoken, what religions are practiced, and what smaller groups form as parts of their society.

what are two major ways in which cultures change over time?

Cultures change over time due to innovation and diffusion.

what is demography?

the study of populations

what is the birth rate and death rate?

The birthrate is the number of births per year for every 1,000 people. The death rate is the number of deaths per year for every 1,000 people.

what is natural increase?

the growth rate of a population, is the difference between an area’s birthrate and its death rate.

what is migration?

the movement of people from place to place, must also be considered when examining population changes.

what is the demographic transition model?

uses birthrates and death rates to show how populations in countries or regions can change over time.

what is zero population growth?

the birthrate and death rate are equal

what is doubling time?

the number of years it takes a population to double in size

what does a population pyramid show?

a diagram that shows the distribution of a population by age and gender

where was the demographic transition model first used?

it was first used in western europe and in the united states

what is population density?

the average number of people living on a square mile or square kilometer of land

how to calculate for population density?

To determine population density in a country, geographers divide the total population of the country by its total land area.

what is a unitary system of government?

gives all key (not all) powers to the national or central government.

what is a federal system of government?

divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments. Each level of government has sovereignty in some areas.

what is a confederation/loose union type of government?

similar to a federal system, The United States at first formed a confederation, but this type of political arrangement failed to provide an effective national government for the new nation.

what are the three major types of government?

1. autocracy-rule by one person

2. oligarchy-rule by a few people

3. democracy-rule by many people

what is the oldest and one of the most common forms of government?

autocracy

how do autocrats achieve their position?

through inheritance or by the ruthless use of military or police power.

what are the two forms of autocracy government?

totalitarian dictatorship and monarchy

what is a totalitarian dictatorship? what can the individual do? what do they seek?

the decisions of a single leader determine government policies. The government under such a system can come to power through a revolution or an election. The totalitarian dictator seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life.

what are the power of absolute monarchs?

have complete and unlimited power to rule.

what are constitutional monarchies?

share governmental powers with elected legislatures or serve as ceremonial leaders.

what are some countries with constitutional monarchies?

United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Jordan, and Thailand

what is theocracy?

a government of officials believed to be divinely inspired. In a theocracy, a divine power is thought to be the head of the government. Government officials receive their inspiration, guidance, and authority to rule from this divine power.

what is the idea of democracy?

any system of government in which leaders rule with the consent of the citizens. The key idea of democracy is that people hold sovereign power.

what is direct democracy?

citizens themselves decide on issues, exists in some places at local levels of government. No country today has a national government based on direct democracy.

what is a republic?

In a republic, voters elect all major officials, who are responsible to the people. Not every democracy is a republic.

how does geography influence a country’s government?

Geographic areas can actually determine how political and administrative units are drawn up and how they will be governed. Democratic countries have entities based on location, which are divided into local bodies that might have different laws.

autocracies vs. democracies in the religious/social perspective

In autocracies, governments frequently suppress cultural and religious groups in order to maintain order and power. In democracies, governments usually take account of cultural and religious beliefs in order to protect their people’s freedoms and ensure their well-being.

what is a natural boundary?

a border that follows physical geographic features such as mountains and rivers.

what are cultural boundaries?

a geographical boundary between two different cultures

what are geometric boundaries? what was a problem with it?

a boundary that follows a geometric pattern. At other times, cultural and natural landforms are not considered when boundaries are drawn.

what is the cause of many boundary disputes?

Border disputes arise from unsettled territorial claims or as a result of one state desiring the resources of a neighboring state.