World geo

CHAPTER 1: GEOGRAPHY BASICS

📍 LOCATION & MAPS

• Absolute Location: Exact location using latitude + longitude.

• Relative Location: Location described in relation to other places using distance, direction, landmarks, or time.

• Prime Meridian: 0° longitude; runs North → South and divides Eastern/Western Hemispheres.

• Equator: 0° latitude; runs East → West and divides Northern/Southern Hemispheres.

• Latitude: Lines run East–West; measure North/South of Equator.

• Longitude: Lines run North–South; measure East/West of Prime Meridian.

• Hemisphere: Half of Earth.

• Map Grid: Intersecting latitude and longitude lines used to find exact locations.

• Great Circle Route: Shortest route between two points on a sphere.

• GPS: Global Positioning System; finds exact location.

• GIS: Geographic Information System; uses computer technology to analyze/map geographic information.

🗺 TYPES OF MAPS

• Physical Map: Shows natural features—mountains, rivers, lakes, etc.

• Political Map: Shows human-made boundaries, countries, cities, and capitals.

• Mental Map: A person’s personal perception/understanding of a place.

🌍 REGIONS

• Formal Region: Area sharing a measurable/common characteristic or boundary.

• Functional Region: Organized around a central point that connects surrounding areas.

• Perceptual Region: Based on people’s opinions, feelings, or perceptions.

• Human Region: Defined by human characteristics such as language, religion, or politics.

• Physical Region: Defined by natural features such as mountains, rivers, or climate.

📌 SITE vs. SITUATION

• Site: The physical characteristics of the actual location.

• Situation: A place’s location relative to other places/features.

• Spatial Perspective: Looks at how places, people, and things are connected across Earth’s surface.

🌎 EARTH’S SPHERES

• Atmosphere: Layer of gases surrounding Earth.

• Lithosphere: Rigid outer layer of Earth; includes crust + uppermost mantle.

• Geosphere: Solid Earth—rocks, minerals, soil, and landforms.

• Hydrosphere: All of Earth’s water.

• Biosphere: All living organisms and the areas where life exists.

• Asthenosphere: Weak, flexible layer beneath the lithosphere that allows plates to move.

🌋 PLATE TECTONICS

• Tectonic Plates: Large pieces of lithosphere that slowly move.

• Divergent: Plates move APART → new crust can form.

• Convergent: Plates move TOGETHER → mountains, trenches, or volcanoes can form.

• Transform: Plates SLIDE PAST each other → earthquakes can occur.

💥 STRESS

• Compression: Rocks are squeezed/pushed together.

• Tension: Rocks are pulled apart.

• Shear/Sliding: Rocks are pushed in opposite directions.

☀ SOLAR SYSTEM

Inner Planets =

Terrestrial/Rocky

Mercury • Venus • Earth • Mars

Outer Planets =

Gas/Ice Giants

Jupiter • Saturn • Uranus • Neptune

Other Objects

• Sun: Star at the center of our solar system.

• Comet: Ice, dust, and rock that orbits the Sun.

• Meteoroid: Small rocky/metal object in space.

• Meteor: Meteoroid that burns in Earth’s atmosphere.

• Meteorite: Part of a meteoroid that reaches Earth’s surface.

⭐ EASY MEMORY:

METEOROID = space
METEOR = atmosphere
METEORITE = hits Earth

🌦 LACEMOPS — CLIMATE FACTORS

L = Latitude
Distance from Equator. Lower latitudes generally receive more direct sunlight and are warmer.

A = Air Masses
Large bodies of air with similar temperature and moisture. They can bring different weather conditions to an area.

C = Continentality
The effect of being located on a large continent. Places farther from oceans usually have greater temperature differences.

E = Elevation
Height above sea level. Higher elevation = generally colder temperatures.

M = Mountain Barriers
Mountains can block air movement and affect precipitation. They can also separate regions.

O = Ocean Currents
Large movements of ocean water. They can make nearby coastal areas warmer or cooler.

P = Pressure & Prevailing Winds
Air pressure affects wind movement. Prevailing winds are dominant wind patterns that help move heat and moisture.

S = Storms
Major atmospheric disturbances involving conditions such as strong winds, rain, snow, thunder, or lightning.

🌎 GEOGRAPHY TEST NOTES — BACK

CHAPTER 4: CULTURE

👥 CULTURE

Elements of Culture:
Language • Religion • Politics • Shared History • Daily Life • Art • Economics

• Language: Helps people communicate and pass down cultural values and traditions.

• Religion: Can shape identity, daily life, traditions, and cultural expression.

• Ethnic Group: People who share characteristics such as language, history, culture, or place of origin.

• Culture Region: Area where people share similar ways of life, values, language, religion, or economic systems.

• Social System: The way society is organized into smaller groups and relationships.

⛪ RELIGION

Monotheism = 1 God
Polytheism = multiple gods

Major world religions include:
Christianity • Islam • Judaism • Buddhism • Hinduism • Sikhism

🌎 CULTURAL CHANGE

• Cultural Diffusion: Spread of ideas, customs, technology, or practices from one culture to another.

• Information Revolution: Rapid spread and use of information through computers and technology.

• Globalization: Increasing connection and interaction of economies, cultures, politics, and people worldwide.

Possible benefits:
Technology • economic growth • global cooperation • cultural awareness • increased access to information

Possible challenges:
Outsourcing • wage gaps • cultural loss • pandemics • environmental problems

🏛 GOVERNMENT

• Absolute Monarchy: One monarch has most/all governing power.

• Constitutional Monarchy: Monarch shares power with an elected government under a constitution.

• Democracy: Government in which authority comes from the people.
  ⭐ Ancient Athens, Greece is associated with one of the earliest forms of democracy.

• Republic: People elect representatives to make government decisions.

• Totalitarian: Government attempts to control major aspects of public and private life.

• Dictatorship: Government where one person or a small group holds concentrated power.

• Theocracy: Government in which religious authority plays the central governing role.

• Oligarchy: Small group of people holds political power.

• Feudalism: Historical political/economic system involving relationships between rulers, landholders, and people who worked the land.

⚖ GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS

Unitary: Power is concentrated in the national/central government.

Federal: Power is divided between national and state/provincial governments.

💰 ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

Traditional Economy

Based mainly on customs, traditions, and habits. People often produce goods in ways passed down through generations.

Command Economy

The government controls major economic decisions, including production and distribution.

Market Economy

Economic decisions are largely made by individuals and businesses through supply, demand, and competition.

Mixed Economy

Combines government involvement + private businesses/market forces.

⭐ EASY MEMORY:

Traditional = traditions
Command = government commands
Market = buyers/sellers
Mixed = mixture

📖 MUST-KNOW VOCABULARY

Connectivity: Degree to which people and places are connected, including routes linking locations.

Pandemic: Disease outbreak that spreads across very large areas, potentially worldwide.

Outsourcing: Hiring outside/foreign companies to perform work or produce goods.

Language Family: Group of related languages that developed from an earlier common language.

Free Enterprise: Private individuals/businesses can own property and seek profit with limited government interference.

🧠 LAST-MINUTE MEMORY BOX

LOCATION:
Latitude = sideways → N/S
Longitude = long lines → E/W

REGIONS:
Formal = facts
Functional = focus/center
Perceptual = perception

PLATES:
Divergent = Divide ↔
Convergent = Collide 💥
Transform = Slide ↔

LACEMOPS:
Latitude
Air Masses
Continentality
Elevation
Mountain Barriers
Ocean Currents
Pressure/Winds
Storms

ECONOMICS:
Traditional → customs
Command → government
Market → choices
Mixed → both