Geography Themes Aug-14

5 Themes of Geography

Location, Place, Regions, Movement, and Human-Environment Interaction

Location

Where something is FOUND on EARTH. Examples: Rome, America, Russia, Europe

Place

Describes the PHYSICAL and MAN-MADE characteristics that make a location UNIQUE. Examples: Rivers, Mountains, Landmarks (natural or manmade).

Regions

An area that is DEFINED by a certain characteristic or characteristics. Examples: Rocky Mountains, the Sahara desert, the Arctic region.

Regions are often

Hard to define. May be tied together by systems (school districts). Example: Greater Toledo.

Functional Region

a region characterized by a CITY CENTERED system of interaction.

Formal Regions

UNIFORM or HOMOGENEOUS areas where everyone in that region shares common ATTRIBUTES or traits like (examples) LANGUAGE, CLIMATE, or POLITICAL SYSTEM.

Region Types

POLITICAL (borders and governments), CULTURAL, NATIONAL REGION (Israel and Jewish Nationality, only answer), NATURAL LANDSCAPES

Movement

How and WHY people move and are CONNECTED. Examples: Better opportunities, fleeing oppression, personal preference, family reasons

Human Environment Interaction

Relationship between PEOPLE and their ENVIRONMENT. How people ADAPT, depend on, or MODIFY their environment. Examples: Eskimos, terrace farming, carving into mountains, building high houses for flooding 

Realm

LARGEST units in the inhabited world can be divided into using both PHYSICAL and MAN-MADE measurements.

Hinterland

A suburb, an exterior area interacting with a city.

POPULATION AGGLOMERATION

A densely populated group of people, a very large group.

How many Population Agglomeration major clusters are there?

There are 4 (some say 5). East Asian Cluster, South Asia (some combine SouthEAST Asia), Europe, North America

East Asian PAC

KOREA to VIETNAM to CHINA. People live along the COAST and RIVERS for food. Make up 25% of world population.

South Asia PAC

BIP: BANGLADESH, INDIA, and PAKISTAN. Majority live along COASTS and GANGES river valley. Many farmers. Makes up 20% of world population.

Europe PAC

BRITAIN to RUSSIA to ITALY to FRANCE. People live near MINERALS, such as COAL. 80% live in cities. About 15% of world population. 

North America PAC

CANADA to FLORIDA, EAST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER. A forming megalopolis. 150 million people live here. 12-15% of world population.

Southeast Asia PAC

PHILIPPINES and INDONESIA, nearly 500 Million people live on the islands between PACIFIC and INDIAN oceans.

Megalopolis

A region made up of SEVERAL large cities and their surrounding areas in sufficient proximity to be considered a SINGLE URBAN complex. Examples: BosNYWash, Boston, NY, and Washington are growing closer to each other. May eventually become one big city. 50 million US residents live in BosNYWash.

Every Major city sits on

A river, lake, or ocean, man follows water.

5 Types of conflict

Religion, Nationalism, Political, Modern Developmental Political, Economics-International

Religious Conflict

Trying to spread your FAITH. Examples: Catholics and Protestants

Nationalism Conflict

Extreme PRIDE in your country. Examples:Britain conquering the world

Political Conflict

PARTIES or groups, TOTALITARIAN vs DEMOCRATIC, ETHNIC/REGIONAL, Examples: Democrats, Republicans, Putin

Faction

A group WITHIN a larger group, party, government, or organization typically having DIFFERENT opinions or interests than the larger group. Do not focus on BIGGER PICTURE.

Modern Developmental Political Conflict

Need for natural resources, or change of need for resources. Examples: Ethiopian Dam Project, Coal mining and Indigenous communities in India. Food, clothes.

Economics- International Conflict

Fights over economics. Haves vs. Have nots. Rich vs poor. Examples: China’s superior economy, America making less. French revolution

Culture

Shared patterns of BEHAVIOR and interactions, learned through the process of socialization. ALL PEOPLE have a culture.

Culture is made up of

1. BELIEFS, such as religion or politics.

2. INSTITUTIONS, such as governmental or legal. Examples: FDA, Police

3. TECHNOLOGY, meaning ANY skills or equipment. Examples: Computers, garden hose, stapler

Culture changes through

Innovation: A new way of doing things

THREE INNOVATIONS have greatly affected the world:

1. FARMING

2. LIVING in CITIES

3. Using MACHINES

Cultures change through:

Diffusion and Acculturation

Cultural Diffusion

movement of an innovation through society by SPREADING and RELOCATING within ONE SOCIETY. Examples: Blue Jeans

Acculturation

when one culture changes through meeting ANOTHER CULTURE. Examples: Noodles/Pasta (China -> Italy), soccer

Urbanization

more people are MOVING to CITIES.

Industrialization

MACHINES used to make goods.