World Geography
The 5 Themes of
Geography
LOCATION
ABSOLUTE
RELATIVE
Location > where something is
Absolute
Relative
Location
Location
–The exact
–The position
spot on earth of a place in
where
relation to
something is
other places.
found.
Absolute Location
Examples
Latitude &
Longitude
Postal
Address
Room #
46 degrees N,
102 degrees W
3217 S. 38th Ave.
Omaha, Ne. 68105
Room 281
Relative Location
Examples
how to get from
one place to
another
go 3 blocks north,
turn left & go
past the shoe store
turn right at
the stop sign
what is next to
some place
South of Canada,
North of Mexico
Between the Atlantic
& Pacific Oceans
a general
direction
Room 281 is in the
southwest corner of
the building on the
2nd floor
Application
 What
is the absolute location of your
home?
 How do you get from your house to the
High School? (Relative Location)
 What is the number of your English
classroom? (Absolute)
 How do you get to your English
classroom from this room? (Relative)
When do you use them?
 Absolute
Location
– When the exact
spot is needed.
 Relative Location
– When an
approximate
location is needed.
Which one would you use?
 If
you asked a gas
station attendant
for directions,
would he give you
an absolute or
relative location?
Which one would you use?
 It’s
your 1st visit
to New York
City; you get in
a cab and the
cab driver asks
you where you
want to go.
Which one would you use?
 You
live out in
the country and
you have invited
some friends to
come visit you.
Which one would you use?
 You
just moved to
Junction City. You
tell a new friend
that you’re from
Maryland. They
say, “Where’s
that?”
Which one would you use?
 The
teacher asks
you to label
London on a
map, but you
don’t know
where it is?
Which one would you use?
 You
are meeting
a friend at the
football game
and you want to
make sure you
can find each
other.
Which one would you use?
 You’re
planning
a trip to the
Grand Canyon.
Which one would you use?
You’re
globe.
using a