Geography Quiz 1

Geography

The study of the Earth and everything on it; it examines physical features, biological aspects, and cultural features.

Physical Features

Landforms, climate, and ecosystems examined in geography.

Five Themes of Geography

A simple way to summarize the main ideas of Geography

Absolute Location

Exact position of a place on the Earth's surface, often given in latitude and longitude.

Relative Location

A place's location in relation to other places.

Human/Environment Interaction

The ways in which humans adapt to, modify, and depend on their environments.

Movement

The ways in which people, goods, and ideas move from one place to another.

Regions

Areas defined by unifying characteristics, both physical and human.

Distortion (in maps)

The inaccuracies that occur when representing a spherical Earth on a flat map.

Mercator Projection

A map projection that preserves direction and shape but distorts distance and area.

Robinson Projection

A map projection that aims to provide a more accurate representation of area and shape but distorts direction.

Goode Homolosine Projection

A map projection that preserves shape and area but distorts direction and distance.

Latitude

Measures distance north and south of the Equator, with lines running east-west.

Longitude

Measures distance east and west of the Prime Meridian, with lines running north-south.

Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds

Units used to express geographic coordinates.

International Date Line

The meridian at 180° longitude, marking the change of one calendar day to the next.

The Ignorance Gap

The lack of understanding about different places and cultures that geography seeks to bridge.

Two Purposes of Geography (as i’ve taught it)

To close the ignorance gap and to solve practical problems in society

Perceptual Regions

Regions that are defined by people's perceptions or feelings about an area, often based on cultural identity or experiences. The boundaries of these regions are vaguely defined.

Equator

An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth that is equidistant from the poles, dividing the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.