5 Themes of Geography

Geography = the study of people, places and the environment
Geography comes from 2
Greek words


“Geo” = Earth
“graphy” = Writing
 Geography = writing about the Earth

Physical Geography
 Location, Landforms
Cultural Geography
 Human
Characteristics,
Regions, Movement

1 - Location
 Geography helps you think of things spatially
 Where things are located and how they got there.

Absolute Location
 EXACT place on Earth something can be found using latitude and longitude
 Melbourne, Australia = 38N, 145E
Relative Location
 Location of one place in relation to another place.



Canada is north of the United States
Giving directions to your house
We use this one the most!!!

2 – Place
 Changes over time based on human and physical characteristics (features)
 Volcanoes erupt, glaciers move, forests burn
 People build new cities and expand old cities

Physical Characteristics
 Climate (typical weather over long period)
 Landforms
 Bodies of water
 Plant/animal life
Human/Cultural
Characteristics
 Cities, towns, governments, cultural traditions
 Human created features

3 – Region
Geographers group places into regions
 Region = a group of places that have physical features or human characteristics in common
Geographers compare regions to understand the differences and similarities among them.
 Geographer interested in language may group countries based on the language they speak.

Natural Regions
 10 natural regions based on a unique combination of plant/animal life and climate

Cultural Regions
 An area in the world where many people share similar beliefs, history, and languages
 There may be multiculturalism in one region
– but one overall cultural trait (USA)

4 – Movement
The movement of people, goods, ideas as well as plants, animals and other physical features.

Migrate = move from one area to another within a country
Immigration = leave one country and move to another country
 People take with them their customs and ideas

Push = problems in one place push people out
 Poverty, overcrowding, lack of jobs, schools, prejudice, war
Pull = better opportunities pull people to a new place
 Higher standard of living, employment, rights, freedoms, safety
Irish potato famine (1.5 million in 1840’s-1850’s)
Cubans flee for Florida

Natural barriers can prevent people from migrating
 Difficult
 Mountain ranges, canyons, raging rivers
 Easier
 Oceans, lakes, navigable rivers, flat land

5 – Human-Environment Interaction
The interaction between the people and their environment
How people affect their environment & how the environment affects people.
 Can be positive and negative


Planting trees, irrigation = positive
Clear-cutting trees = negative
Occurs because humans depend on, adapt to and modify the world around them.

Humans have often adapted their way of life to their environment
 What they wear, eat, do to make a living
 Modern technology has made a close adaptation to the environment not as necessary

People and the environment continually interact with each other
 Public transportation
 Less gas consumed
 Less air pollution
 Healthier lives for people