THE FIVE THEMES OF
GEOGRAPHY
Geography is the study of the Earth and its
people. People who study geography are
geographers. Geographers use five themes,
or topics, to describe places and people.
These themes are location, place, humanenvironment interaction, movement, and
regions.
The Five Themes of Geography
◦Location
◦Place
◦Regions
◦Movement
◦Human-Environment Interaction
Location
Location is the position of a place on the Earth’s
surface. Geographers describe location in two
ways. Absolute location is the exact spot on
Earth where a geographic feature, such as a city
or mountain, is found. Relative location describes
where that feature is in relation to the features
around it.
Place
Place describes the characteristics of a location that make it unique,
or different. A place can be defined by physical features, such as
landforms, plants, animals, and weather patterns. Other
characteristics of a place describe the people who live there—such
as what languages they speak.
Regions
Regions refers to areas of the Earth’s surface that have several
common characteristics, such as land, natural resources, or
population. For example, the Rocky Mountain region is a large
area in the United States that is known for ranching and mining.
Movement
Movement explains how and why people, ideas,
and goods move from place to place.
For example, people might leave a country that is
involved in a war. Such movements can lead to
great cultural change.
Human-Environment Interaction
Human-environment interaction describes how people affect their
environment, or natural surroundings, and how their environment
affects them. People affect the environment by using or changing it
to meet their needs. Environmental factors that people cannot
control, such as temperature and natural disasters, influence how
people live.
GEO HW 2.19