geography notes

geographical concepts

1. Space

2. Place

3. Interconnection

4. Change

5. Environment

6. Sustainability

7. Scale

Space

• Space is an abstract idea that related to how phenomena are arranged on the Earth’s surface

• In geography space involves

  • location - where things are located

  • spatial distribution - the shapes and patterns in which things are arranged

  • organisation - how and why things are arranged and managed by people

• Places can be divided into spaces

Places

• everywhere is a place - the physical and human characteristics of a spot on the Earth’s surface (or under) - What’s it like there

• To understand our world we need to understand its places by studying their variety, how they influence our lives and how we create and change them

  • these can be natural places

  • or man made places

• Places can have different functions and activities - for example , Canberra is an administration centre, while the MCG is a place for major events

Concepts to consider when thinking about place

• Name of aplace

• location - absolute and realtive

• landmarks

• Regions

• sense of place

• spiritual significance

• Property

• a specific environment

Distance and direction

• distance is the length of the place between two places

• unless specified differently, distance is measures ‘as the crow flies‘

• to describe directions use:

  • carinal points - north, south, east, west

  • Intercardinal points - north-west, north-east etc

  • Bearings

Direction

• check that you are calculating direction correctly 0 the direction from a given point, not to

• there are several ways to calculate ‘north‘

  • true north is the direction towards the earth’s geographic North pole, upon which the Earth rotates

  • magnetic north is the direction in which the magnetic compass needle points, towards the earth’s magnetic north, which moves but is currently located over northern canada

• compass bearings are also used to state direction of one place from another

• they are calculated using a protractor to measure the angle, from the north, between the 2 points

• the bearing is calculated from a straight line constructed from the point of reference towards North, read in a clockwise direction

• Due north is 0 degrees

place and location

• a place can be described by its absolute location: for examples, latitude and longitude o

• or it can be described using relative location - where it is in relation to another place in terms of distance and direction

Place - absolute location

• latitude and longitude are imaginary lines across the globe used to provide coordinates for identifying the exact location of places

• they are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds that represent their angle from the centre of the earth

• there are 60 mins in every degree and 60 seconds in every minute

Interconnection

• The concept of interconnection emphasises that all places and environments are interconnected in some way - whether at a local or global level

• Understanding these connections helps us to understand how and why places are changing

• Perceptions people have of a place and how this influences their connections to different places

• discuss ways that transportation and technologies are used to connect people to services, information and people in other places

• ways that places and people are interconnected with other places through trade in goods and services at all scales

• effects of people’s travel, recreational, cultural or leisure choices on places, the implications for the future of these places

change

• the concept of change is about using time to better understand a place, and environment, a spatial pattern or a geographical problem

• change related to the degree to which a place, is modified over time

• this can include changed is the location, size, distribution, density or pattern of phenomena

• it can be studied in time scales which range from million of years for geological, climate and landscape change, to a matter of a few years, month, days or even hours

Environment

• People live in and depend on the environment, so it has an importnat influence on our lives

• the natural environment includes:

  • weather and climate, landform, water features, natural vegetation and soils and these features can be classified as living or non-living

• the human environment includes:

  • settlements, transport routes and nodes and farmlands as well as the social, cultural and political conditions affecting a place

• mixed environments are a combination of both

sustainability

• sustaibanility is about maintaing the capacity of the environment to support our lives and those of other living creatures

• It involves environmental, social and economic criteria to judge the wisest use of resources

scale

• this is the relationship between the size of an area on a map and the actual size of an area on the Earth’s surface

• it is also refers to the size of an are being studied; for example: phenomena can be studied at the following scales:

  • local

  • regional

  • national

  • International

  • Global

• when we examine geographical questions at different spatial levels we are using the concept of scale to find more complete answers

• A little like a zoom lens, scale enables us to examine issues from different perspecitives

• using scale helps in the analysis and explanation of phenomena

• different activities can also have an impact at a range of scales

• A scale is a statement of the relationship between distances on a map and distances in real life. it is expressed as:

  • a statement - writing in words; for example, 1 centimetre to 10 metres

  • a ratio: for example, 1:1000

  • a line: drawing a linear scale; for example

• map scale is often confused or interpreted incorrectly, perhaps because the smaller the map scale, the larger the reference number and vice versa

region and scale

• regions exist at a range of scales, local, regional, national and international scales

• in this way, region itself can be used to represent a scale

• a region is a definable area containing one (usually more) characteristics that distinguish it from surrounging area

• regions can be defined by physical characteristics such as mountain ranges, politically by official decisions about boundaries and names; for example, Bayside city council.

Distinguishing between concepts

• Habitats are where a species or population or organisms live

• Biomes are a region of the world characterised by its resident life, environment and climate. Temperature, precipitation and amount of sunlight affect what lives there and help to define each type

Bountiful biomes

• where do the foods we eat and the natural products we use daily come from? Biomes

• they are communities of plants and animals that extend over large areas

• they can be terrestrial (land based) or aquatic (water based)

• understanding the diversity within them is essential to our survival and wellbeing

• Within each biome, there are many variations in the landscape and climate and in the plants and animals that have adapted to survive here

Biomes and climates

• biomes are controlled by the climate

• climate is influenced by factors such as the distance from the equator, altitude and distance from the sea, the direction of prevailing winds and the location of mountain ranges

• these play a key role in determining a region’s climate and soil, which ultimately influence which plants and animals will inhabit it

temperature and precipitation in biomes

• temperature and rainfall patterns across the Earth determine which plants and animal species can survive in a particular biome

• for instance, a polar bear could not survive in the hot climate of a desert or a tropical rainforest

• the plants and animals of a region have adapted over time to the variations in the region’s climate conditions

Landforms

• the major geographical influence on climate is the location of mountain ranges

• mountain ranges affect the amount of precipitation that reaches inland areas, because they pose a barrier to moisture laden prevailing winds

• rain shadows from on the leeward side of mountains (opposite to the windward side)

• deserts often form in rain shadows

Altitude

• altitude also plays a significant role in determining the climate

• as you move from base to summit, variations occur in landscape as it transitions from rainforest to alpine desert to desert tundra

Latitude

• the sun’s rays are more direct at the equator

• with more energy focuses on that region, it heats up more quickly

• at the poles, the sun’s rays are spread over a larger area and therefore cannot heat up as effectively

• as a result, areas at the poles are much cooler than areas at the equator

• the tilt of the Eearth on its axis