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Absolute vs. Relative Location
Absolute location- the exact fixed location of places (ex. addresses, coordinates
Relative location- based on a location’s relationship with other places; can change; commonly used when giving directions (the Mcdonalds is by the Taco Bell)
5 Themes of Geography (with examples)
Movement
Is the transportation of people, ideas, information, and goods
Ex/The rise of social media causing the spread of ideas globally
Place
The unique physical and human characteristics that define a place
Ex/Hawaii is known for it’s warm climate and beaches (physical) and New York City is known for its busy streets, large population, and towering buildings (human)
Location
Identifying where places are
Ex/Absolute and relative location
Region
How many unique characteristics distinguish and area
Ex/California, the Midwest, the delivery area of the pizza shop
Human-Environment Interaction
How humans and the environment adapt and modify to each other
Ex/ We wear sweaters during cold weather to keep warm
Spatial Perspective
a way of thinking about how and why physical features or processes are positioned in geographic space. It is a viewpoint that explains and predicts physical and human patterns on the earth's surface.
Geography
the study of the human and physical features on Earth.
Human Geography
The study of why places are where they are, how humans impact the world, and the spread of ideas.
Sense of place
an emotional attachment to a place based on personal experiences and memories (subjective)
Perception of place
opinions on a place based on characteristics, stereotypes, media, education, etc. Can be formed without direct experience
Generalization
applying info from one place to nearby places (we do this with focus countries)
Activity spaces
spaces apart of your daily routine
Cartography
the science of mapmaking
What are two things cartographers must consider when making maps?
Projection and scale
Projection
the scientific way of transferring locations of Earth’s surface to a flat map; it’s always distorted in some way (ex. Mercator Projection and Robinson Projection)
Scale
the relationship of a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on Earth
the territorial extent or scope of something
Local Scale: Examining urban development in a specific city, such as the impact of zoning laws on neighborhood growth.
Regional Scale: Analyzing economic patterns across a state or province, like agricultural production in the Midwest.
Global Scale: Studying climate change effects worldwide, such as rising sea levels impacting coastal cities.
Small-scale maps
More land areas in less detail (ex. global maps)
Large-scale maps
Less land areas in more detail (ex. local maps)
Reference Maps
a general overview of where places are (ex. physical, political, and road maps)
Thematic Maps
tells stories about specific aspects of places (ex. isoline, choropleth, dot distribution, graduated/proportional symbol, and cartogram)
Political Map
maps that shows the human-created boundaries of the world
Example of a Political Map: A political map of the United States showing state boundaries, capitals, and major cities is an example of a political map.
Physical Map
maps that shows the land forms of a region
Example
A physical map of the United States would show the Rocky Mountains, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes, highlighting the terrain and elevation changes across the country. These maps help in understanding the geographical context of human activities and settlements.
Road map
maps that show the roads or transportation in an area
Isoline Map
maps that use lines to link various places that share common values. (them. map)
Advantages: good at mapping phenomenon that exists at every point but vary gradually over space
Disadvantages:
Dot Distribution Map
a map that uses dots or symbols to show the presence or quantity of something in different areas (them. map)
Choropleth
maps that use color to show how a variable varies in different regions. (them. map)
Graduated/proportional symbol map
maps that use symbols that change in size according to the value of the variable they represent. (them. map)
Cartogram
when the size of a country or a U.S. state is altered to be proportional to the value of a particular variable. (them. map)
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Computer system that can capture, store, analyze, and display geographic data
Remote Sensing
to collect data about Earth’s surface from long distances using something like a satellite.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
accurately determines the precise position of something on Earth
Parallels
the go around the globe and are parallel to the equator
parallel is located using latitude
they help calculate the climate
Equator= 0 degrees latitude
Measure in north/south
Meridians
an arc drawn between the North and South poles
Location of each meridian is identified by longitude
Prime meridian= 0 degrees longitude
Measured in east/west
Helps calculate time
Time zones
24 different time zones separated meridians
Each time zone is 15 degrees wide and have one hour differences
International Date Line
An imaginary line opposite of the Prime Meridian that separates two calendar days. It bends in some areas so parts of a territory aren’t in different days.
Greenwich Mean Time
It is the reference time for all points on Earth because it’s at the Prime Meridian (0 degrees longitude)
15 degrees is equal to how many hours?
1 hour
Which directions do you move from the GMT to move hours ahead and hours behind?
Move east= ahead of GMT, move west= behind GMT
What is a place?
A unique point
Specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic
What is a region?
A unique area
An area of Earth distinguished by a distinctive combination of cultural and physical features
Toponym
the name given to a place on Earth
Site
the physical features of a place (description)
Ex/ absolute location, physical characteristics, and human characteristics like built environment
Situation
the way a place is connected to other places (why stuff happens at a place) Helps us understand the importance and accessibility of a location.
Example/ places near rivers and oceans can become a potential hub of commerce because of transportation
Formal Region
aka uniform region or homogenous region, an area where everyone shares one or more distinctive characteristics; it must have clear borders
Political Regions: Countries, states, and cities defined by governmental boundaries.
Climate Zones: Areas classified by similar climate characteristics, such as tropical or arid regions.
Functional Region
aka nodal region, an area
defined by a specific function or activity, often centered around a node or focal point, such as a city and its surrounding areas influenced by it.
Metropolitan Area: A city and its suburbs, like the New York City metropolitan area.
Trade Area: A region served by a particular store or service, such as a shopping mall's catchment area (think Toppers example in class)
School Districts: the node is the school and the surrounding functional area is the school district.
Vernacular Region
aka perceptual region, areas defined by people's perceptions and cultural identity rather than formal boundaries. These regions are often based on shared characteristics, such as language, traditions, or historical significance. They reflect how individuals understand and relate to their environment.
The South - Refers to the southeastern United States, characterized by distinct cultural traits.
The Midwest - Known for its agricultural economy and specific cultural practices in the central U.S.
The West Coast - Encompasses California, Oregon, and Washington, noted for its diverse population and climate.
New England - A region in the northeastern U.S. known for its historical significance and distinct cultural identity.
Three basic concepts that help geographers understand why two places or regions can share similarities:
scale, space, and connections
Globalization
the force or process that spreads an idea across the world; it causes the scale of the world to shrink
One prominent example of globalization in human geography is the spread of multinational corporations (MNCs). These companies operate in multiple countries, influencing local economies, cultures, and labor markets. For instance, fast-food chains like McDonald's have adapted their menus to local tastes while promoting a global brand identity, illustrating the interconnectedness of economies and cultures worldwide.
Cultural landscape
visual impacts of humans on the landscape (houses, streets, temples, parks, etc.)
Natural landscape
made of a collection of land forms
Sequent occupance
change in cultural landscape overtime; refers to the layers of human activity and cultural imprints that accumulate over time in a specific area.
Example of Sequent Occupance in Human Geography
An example is the city of Jerusalem, where various civilizations (e.g., Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans) have occupied and influenced the city, leaving behind religious, architectural, and cultural legacies that reflect the historical sequence of inhabitants.
Distribution
the arrangement of a feature (people, resources, phenomena) across a space
An example of distribution is the population density in urban areas versus rural areas. Urban areas, like New York City, have a high concentration of people, while rural areas, such as parts of Montana, have a low population density. This distribution affects economic activities, infrastructure, and social services.
Density
the frequency with which something occurs in space
Example of Density in Human Geography: Population density refers to the number of people living per unit area, often measured in people per square kilometer. For instance, urban areas like Tokyo have high population density, impacting infrastructure, housing, and resource distribution.
Concentration
the extent of a feature’s spread over space (clustered or dispersed); it often describes the clustering of people, resources, or activities in a specific area.
Example: The concentration of urban populations in cities like New York or Tokyo, where a high number of people live and work in a relatively small geographic area, leading to diverse economic and cultural interactions.
How is density and concentration different?
Density is the amount of an object in an area while concentration is how that object is distributed throughout the space
Example: Population density says that there are a lot of people in a space, so the people are closer together. Population concentration measures how evenly or unevenly distributed the people are.
Pattern
geometric arrangement of objects in space and their trends
Diffusion
process by which a feature spreads across space
Hearth
a place from which an innovation originates
Example: New York City, Los Angeles, and London are some modern cultural hearths
Relocation Diffusion
spread of an idea through the physical movement of people from one place to another (moving away from home to spread your culture somewhere else)
Examples: Missionaries helped spread Christianity by traveling away from home to convert people from far away places. Spanish is commonly spoken in the United States because of Hispanic immigrants.
Expansion Diffusion
when innovations spread to new areas while staying strong at the source (includes hierarchical diffusion, contagious diffusion, and stimulus diffusion)
Hierarchical diffusion
spread of an idea from a person of authority or groups in power
Examples: Missionaries often sought to convert kings or nobles so the peasants would be inclined to convert as well. The Roman emperor, Constantine converted to Christianity causing it to be more acceptable in Roman society. Only 10 years later, it became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Contagious diffusion
rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population from person to person
Examples: the spread of rumors from word of mouth is an example of contagious diffusion. The sharing of a viral video is another.
Stimulus diffusion
spread of an underlying principle that is different from the original characteristic; where there are cultural barriers, but ideas still stimulate a similar invention.
Example: Yoga was originally a spiritual practice in India and has spread globally. In western countries, it’s used more as a form of exercise and has lost some of the spiritual aspects.
Distance decay
intensity decreases as distance increases
Example: You are more likely to go to a store 5 minutes away than 15 minutes away. Diffusion of ideas decreases as distance increases.
Time-space compression
increasing sense of the world becoming smaller (ex. technology)
Friction-distance
degree in which distance interferes or reduces the amount of interaction between two places
Example: traffic in big cities make it harder to visit different places without it taking a long time.
Possibilism
the idea that environment limits options for human behavior, but can be overcame with adaptations
Examples: technology has allowed humans to overcome many environmental challenges. Air conditioning allows people to comfortably live in hot climates.
Environmental Determinism
the idea that human behavior is strongly affected and even controlled by the environment
Examples: Climate and civilization: The belief that advanced civilizations could only develop in temperate climates, while tropical climates led to "less developed" societies.
Cultural Ecology
the study of human culture and environments affect each other.
Examples:
Inuit building igloos as a response to Arctic conditions.
Terraced farming in mountainous regions like the Andes.
Nomadic lifestyles in desert environments.
Rice cultivation techniques in monsoon climates of Southeast Asia.
Political Ecology
how political/economic choices impact the environment (ex. pollution)
