Unit 1: Introduction to Geography and Regions
Study Guide
SOL Standards Addressed: WG 1a, b, 3a
Essential Questions
- How does using a variety of sources support the process of geographic inquiry?
- What are some uses of latitude and longitude?
- How is relative location used to describe places?
- Why are different scales necessary for developing map representations?
- Why is a directional indicator (e.g. compass rose) necessary on a map?
- Why do geographers create and use regions as organizing concepts?
- What are some examples of physical and cultural regions?
- What are some examples of regional labels that reflect changes in perceptions?
Essential Understandings and Knowledge
Sources Used for Geographic Inquiry
- Geographic information may be acquired from a variety of sources, which support the process of geographic
inquiry:
o GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
o Field work
o Satellite images
o Photographs
o Maps, globes
o Databases
o Primary sources
o Diagrams
- Geographic information supports the process of inquiry into the nature of countries, cities, and environments.
Geography Concepts
- Absolute location is found using latitude and longitude.
o Latitude – lines are also called parallels
o Longitude – lines are also called meridians
- Relative location describes the spatial relationships between and among places.
- Orientation
- Maps, unlike the globe, distort spatial relationships because it is impossible to flatten a globe onto a piece of
paper.
- Map projections
o Mercator – shows true direction; used for ship navigation
o Robinson – best for general purposes; shapes are flat near the poles; best for data representation.
o Polar – shows either north or south pole; useful for air navigation because it shows great circle routes.
- Scale
o Areas can be represented using a variety of scales.
o The amount of detail shown on a map is dependent on the scale used.
- A directional indicator (e.g. compass rose) identifies map orientation.
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Regions
Regions are used to simplify study and understanding of the world.
- Regions are areas of Earth’s surface that share unifying characteristics.
- Regions may be defined by physical or cultural characteristics
o Physical Regions
 Sahara – Desert region – area with arid (desert) climate; located in northern Africa; it is getting
larger (desertification).
 Taiga – areas with large coniferous forests; located in the subarctic climate areas of Canada
(North America) and Siberian Russia (Asia).
 Rain forest – areas of lush vegetation located in the tropical rainforest climate zones (low
latitude); found on or near the equator latitude line; most are suffering from deforestation.
 Great Plains – areas of grasslands found in the central area of North America; it is an area of
great agricultural activity (wheat belt, dairy belt); it is also where tornado alley is found.
 Low Countries – regions of the world that are either at sea level (0 feet) or below sea level in
elevation (ex: Bangladesh in South Asia and the Netherlands in Europe).
o Cultural Regions
 Language
 Latin America – Spanish-speaking; an exception is Brazil which is Portuguese speaking.
 Francophone World – comprised of more than 40 French speaking countries or regions
in the world.
 Ethnic
 Chinatowns – many major cities have sections where a large percentage of residents are
from China, known as Chinatowns.
 Kurdistan – an area in the Middle East that includes a portion of Turkey, Syria, Jordan,
Iraq, and the former Soviet Union. Home of the Kurds, who would like their own nation.
 Religion
 Islam – dominant religion of the Middle East and Indonesia
 Buddhism – dominant religion of Asia
 Economic
 Wheat Belts – areas where large amounts of wheat are easily grown, such as in the
Great Plains area of the United States and the North European Plain of Europe
 European Union (EU) – an economic organization of European countries to eliminate
trade barriers.
 Political
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – an organization of countries the members
of which agree to help provide security for one another.
 African Union (AU) – an organization of African countries that eliminates African trade
barriers and tries to promote democracy in Africa.
- Regional labels reflecting changes in perceptions
o Middle East – this region may also be called Southwest Asia; many in the world identify it as the Arab
world because of the large numbers of people living in the region that are of the Arab ethnic group.
o Sun Belt – the southern section of the United States. It stretches from southern California to southern
Florida. Because of the mild climate, it has become the fastest growing region of the United States.
o Rust Belt – the area in the United States just to the south of the Great Lakes. The area was once an
industrial center, but has become less populated and industrialized because of the great migration to
the Sun Belt. It is named for the many abandoned, rusting buildings that are found in the region.
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