The 5 Themes of Geography
How we look at the world, both past
and present
Geography
• Geography: the study of
the earth’s physical and
human characteristics.
• Geographers use 5
themes to explain and
understand these
characteristics
Location
• “Where is it?”
• Every place has:
– Absolute Location: the
exact spot of a place on
the earth’s surface.
• Latitude and Longitude
– Relative Location: tells
where a place is by
comparing what is
around it.
• Bismarck is east of
Dickinson
Place
• “What is it like?”
• Describes all of the
characteristics that give
an area its own special
quality.
• Physical: mountains,
waterways, climate,
plant and animals
• Human: language,
religion or architecture
Examples of Place
• Concrete/Physical:
–
–
–
–
–
Landforms
Buildings
Bridges
Trees
Statues
• Abstract/Human:
– Climate
-- Language
– Culture- the way of life
of a group of people
who share similar beliefs
and customs
Movement
• “How do people, goods,
and ideas get from one
place to another?”
• Has brought the world’s
people closer together.
• Transportation and
communication
Movement of People
• Population- total
number of people in a
given area
• Migration- moving from
one place to another
• Immigrants- people
who leave one country
to move to another
Why do people move?
• “push-pull” theorypeople migrate because
something “pushes”
them from where they
currently live and
“pulls” them to the new
place.
Push-Pull Example
• Push:
– Economic
– Government
– Religious persecution
• Pull
– Better life
– Similar people
– Climate
Population Growth
• The world’s population
has increased
dramatically.
– Growth rate has never
been seen before.
• Many people move from
rural areas (villages in the
countryside) to urban
areas (cities and towns).
• Causes overcrowding in
areas and over use of
natural resources.
Movement of Products
• Import- goods bought
from a foreign country.
• Export- goods sold to a
foreign country.
• Economy- having to do
with the exchanging of
money for goods and
services
Region
• “What common
features bring
geographical areas
together?”
• Can be defined by
–
–
–
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Physical features (mts)
Religion (Islamic)
Language (French)
Livelihood (agriculture)
Examples of Regions
• North Dakota is in the plains, a flat land
region.
• North Dakota has regions within the state
(Red River Valley).
• North Dakota is a part of a region (the
Midwest).
Human-Environment Interaction
• “What is the
relationship between
people and their
surroundings?”
• Landforms, waterways,
climate and natural
resources have either
helped and harmed
people and their
activities.
Natural Resources
• Natural Resource- any
useful material found in
the environment.
• Usually soil, water,
minerals and vegetation
3 Types of Resources
• Recyclable: recourses that
cycle through the natural
process in the
environment.
– Water Cycle
• Renewable: a natural
resource that the
environment continues to
supply or is replaced as
used.
– Wind and trees
Non-renewable Resources
• Non-renewable: natural
resources that cannot
be replaced once they
are used up.
– Coal, oil, fossil fuels
Why is Geography Important to
History
• Geography is a key
factor in shaping
historical events.
• It helps explain why and
how things happened.