Geography
5 Themes of Geography
• Location
– Absolute
– Relative
• Place
– Cultural characteristics
– Physical characteristics
• Region
• Movement
• Human and Environment Interaction
Location
• Absolute
– address
555 Trojan Trail
Glasgow, KY 42141
– latitude/longitude
37ºN; 85°W
• Relative
– What is it located
near?
• Barren County is near
Warren County
Could you create a map that shows
the route you traveled from your
house to BCMS?
http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?do=nw&go=1&r=f&aoh
=&aot=&aof=&1a=%5b1%2d572%5d%20MATTHEWS%20MILL%20R
D&1c=GLASGOW&1s=KY&1z=42141&1n=BARREN%20COUNTY&1
y=US&1l=AMr2TyD516rVhUZl2glgXQ%3d%3d&1g=pmNVKcdIUx8EK
Lx2qo8Odw%3d%3d&1v=STREET&2a=555%20Trojan%20Trail&2c=
Glasgow&2s=KY&2z=42141&2y=US&2l=&2g=&2pn=&2pl=&2v=&2ffi=
&2ex=&2n=
Place
• Cultural
Characteristics
– Kinds of houses,
means of
transportation,
recreational activities,
jobs, languages, and
religion
• Physical
Characteristics
– Climate, soil, plant life,
animal life, bodies of
water
Region
• Areas that have similar unifying
characteristics
Largest caves
Grass looks Blue
Smallest of the
regions
2/3rds of
coal in KY
Gateway
to the
West
Highest elevation
Native Americans in Alaska wear different clothes, have different architecture,
and have different lifestyles than the Native Americans in Florida.
Describe a favorite city, state, or
country. How does the physical
characteristics in the place
influence the customs?
Do hurricanes influence a region’s population and economy?
Movement
• The movement of
people, the import
and export of goods,
and mass
communication
What places did your ancestors
leave in order to settle in the US?
Why do you think they moved to
America?
Human and Environment
Interaction
• Humans adapt, depend, and modify the environment.
What are some more examples of
ways that humans use and modify
the environment in places in which
they live?
How does geography influence
where businesses such as gas
stations and malls are built?
Look at page 6 of your Glencoe
book.
Homework
due Friday
• Illustrate the 5 themes of
geography
Latitude and
Longitude
• Lines of Latitude and Longitude are
measured in terms of degrees.
• Degrees (°) are divided into minutes.
– Minutes symbol is ΄.
– There are 60 minutes in a degree.
• Latitude degrees are N and S.
– 0° to 90°N/S
• Longitude degrees are E and W.
– 0° to 180°N/S
Lines of Longitude are called meridians.
Lines of
Latitude are
called
parallels.
Lines of longitude are called meridians.
CLIMATE
Two ways for a cartographer to
map:
1. Globe – 3D; has height, depth, and width
2. Map – 2D
Comparing Globes and Maps
• Which is more accurate?
– Globe, because it is shaped like the earth
• Which is easier to read?
– map
Mercator Projectionshows accurate land shapes but not accurate size and distance
Interrupted Projection –
Mercator’s as a cut-up sphere; shows size more accurate but
difficult to calculate distances
Robinson projection –
gives fairly accurate view of most sizes, shapes, and directions; shows
a fairly accurate picture of the relationship between land masses and
water
Different Types of Maps
1. General purpose – shows a wide range
of general information
2. Physical map – shows natural features
3. Political map – shows places that people
have created
4. Special-purpose – shows information on
specific topics