• Physical Geography
Introduction
Engage
• Pick a place in the world you have visited.
– What did you see in that place?
– What was the landscape like?
– What was the weather like?
– What were the people like?
– What was the vegetation or animals like?
What is Geography?
• Geography is the study of place and space.
• Study of human activity, the natural
environment, and the relationship between
the two (human-environment interactions).
• Geographers look at where things are and
why they are there.
Physical v. Cultural Geography
Physical Geography
Cultural Geography
Rocks/Minerals
Population/Settlements/Urbanization
Landforms
Economic and Political Systems
Animal and Plant Life
Transportation
Soils
Human Migration
Atmosphere/Climate/Weather
Social Systems
Environment
Recreation
Rivers/Oceans/Other bodies of Water
Religion/Belief System
•Physical Geography is the study of the Natural Landscape of the Earth
•Cultural Geography is the study of the Human Landscape of the Earth.
•What kinds of tools
would geographers
use?
Maps and Globes –
What’s the difference?
• Maps – “two dimensional” –
usually only show parts of the
Earth’s surface.
• Globes – “three dimensional”
representation of the Earth,
shows whole surface.
Who makes maps?
• Cartographers are people who make maps.
What is an Atlas?
• An ATLAS is a book of maps.
• You are sitting on one!
• You have an Atlas under your
desk, called the “Goode’s World
Atlas”. Your textbook also has an
Atlas Section near the front.
• Get to know them both, we will
use them a lot this year!
Parts of A Map
• Title – explains the subject of the map
• Compass Rose – shows the “Cardinal
Directions”, meaning North, South,
East, and West
• Legend or “Key” - shows and explains
the symbols used on the map
• Scale – shows the true size of the
objects shown on the map
Activity: Identify the Map Parts
Number your paper #1-#4. Identify and label each part
of the map below, using the terms you just learned.
What main types of
maps are there?
PHYSICAL MAPS
POLITICAL MAPS
THEMATIC MAPS
Physical Maps
• Show natural features such as landforms and physical borders;
lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, and things that were around before
humans
• Physical Borders – Borders defined by a physical feature
• Example - Rio Grande River, between USA and Mexico
Activity 2 – Using Physical Maps
Use the World Physical Map on p A2-A3 of your
textbook to answer these questions on your own
paper.
Atlas pages 10 and 11
1. What mountain range separates
European Russia from Asia?
2. What two mountain ranges run the
length of North and South America?
Political Maps
Show features on the earth’s surface that humans created.
Examples of things on a political map?
• Political Borders – borders created by governments
• National and State Borders,
• City Limits, capitals
Activity 3 – Using Political Maps
Use the World Political Map on pages 166, 47, 119 of your Desk
Atlas to answer these questions.
1. What are the two countries that lie on the Himalayan
border between India and China? Pages 166
2. What is the name of the largest island in the world?
Page 47
3. How many countries share a border with Brazil?
Page 119
Activity 3 – Using Political Maps
Answers
1. What are the two countries that lie on the Himalayan
border between India and China? Pages 166
Nepal and Bhutan
1. What is the name of the largest island in the world?
Page 47 Greenland
2. How many countries share a border with Brazil?
Page 119 (10) The countries are on the next page
Thematic Maps
•Thematic maps can be tricky, there are
many different kinds.
•They all do the same thing… they show
information
Some common thematic maps:
•Population maps
•Weather maps
•Resource maps
•Topographic maps
How data and values are displayed:
•Choropleths use differences in shading or
color to show variables.
•Cartograms represent map feature surfaces in
such a way, as to make them proportional to a
given statistical variable.