CHAPTER 1: BASICS OF
GEOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHY
 DEF: study of the
distribution and
interaction of physical
and human features on
the earth
THE FIVE THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHERS CREATED 5 MAJOR AREAS TO
SIMPLIFY THE ORGANIZATION OF
GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
THEME 1: LOCATION
 2 descriptions of
location:
 1) ABSOLUTE
LOCATION: exact place
on earth
 2) RELATIVE
LOCATION: a place in
comparison to other
places around it
ABSOLUTE LOCATION
 HEMISPHERES: each
½ of the globe (4 halves:
east and west; north and
south)
 EQUATOR: divides
Northern and Southern
 PRIME MERIDIAN:
divides Eastern and
Western (aka Greenwich
Meridian)
LATITUDE LINES
 Run parallel to the
equator
 Mark locations N and S
 Equator is at 0 degrees
latitude
LONGITUDE LINES
 Go around the earth over
the poles
 Mark locations E and W
 Prime Meridian is at 0
degrees longitude
THEME 2: PLACE
 Physical features
(landforms, climate,
vegetation)
 Cultural characteristics
(how do people live their
lives)
 Human/Environment
interaction
THEME 3: REGION
 DEF: area of the earth’s
surface with similar
characteristics
 Usually have more than
one characteristic that
unifies them
 Categorized in 3 ways…
FORMAL REGIONS
 A region defined by a
limited number of
related characteristics
 Usually continental area
and similar cultures
 Example: U.S. and
Canada
FUNCTIONAL REGIONS
 Organized around a set
of interactions and
connections between
places
 Usually characterized by
a central location
 Example: DFW
Metroplex
PERCEPTUAL REGIONS
 Region in which people
perceive characteristics
of the region in the same
way
 Highly subjective
 Example: American
Midwest
THEME 4: HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
 Humans are somewhat
unique
 We change the
environment to fit our
needs
 Side effects: pollution,
changing ecosystems
THEME 5: MOVEMENT
 Look at 3 types of distance
to analyze movement
 1) LINEAR DISTANCE:
how far across the earth
something travels
 2) TIME DISTANCE: amt
of time it takes to travel
 3) PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISTANCE: the way
people view distance
SECTION 2: THE
GEOGRAPHER’S TOOLS
ERATOSTHENES CALCULATED THE
CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EARTH USING
SHADOWS. HE WAS ONLY OFF BY 15%
MAPS AND GLOBES
 GLOBE: 3D
representation of the
earth
 MAP: 2D representation
of selected parts of the
world’s surface
 CARTOGRAPHER:
mapmaker
 MAP PROJECTIONS:
mapping by converting
3D into 2D
TYPES OF MAPS
 General reference map:
includes
TOPOGRAPHICAL
MAPS: representation
of natural and man-made
features
 THEMATIC MAPS:
emphasizes specific
kinds of info.
 NAVIGATION MAPS:
used by sailors
SCIENCE OF MAPMAKING
SURVEYING
 Observe, measure, and
record what is seen in an
area
 Data includes elevation,
differences in land cover,
variations in temperature
SATELLITES
 LANDSAT: series of
satellites that can scan
the entire Earth in 16
days
 GEOSTATIONARY
OPERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT
SATELLITE (GOES):
weather satellite synced
to Earth’s orbit (weather
forecasts)
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)
 Stores info about the
world in a digital
database
 Allows researchers to
combine info from
different sources
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
 A series of 24 satellites
called Navstars
 Shows latitude,
longitude, altitude, and
time
 Can show precise
location