Section 1.2
Geography
Places and Regions
• Geographers identify three types of
regions:
• Formal A region defined by a common
characteristic, such as production of a
product. - The wheat belt in the prairies
is a formal region because wheat is its
major crop
• Functional region – a central point and
the surrounding territory linked to it.metropolitan Halifax is an example of a
functional region because it includes
the surrounding communities like
Dartmouth and Bedford
• Perceptual Region – a region defined by
popular feelings and images rather than by
objective data – the heartland of America,
the bible belt etc.
The Elements of Geography
• Geographers are specialists who
describe Earth’s physical and human
features and the interactions of people,
places, and environments.
• Physical Systems
• Physical systems–volcanoes, floods, and
hurricanes–shape the earth’s surface.
Human Systems
• People affect the earth by settling it,
forming societies, and migrating
• People also move goods and ideas
to new places.
Environment and Society
• People affect the environment by
clearing or planting forests, building
industries and cities, and hunting
animals.
Environment and Society cont…
• Features of the environment such as
mountain ranges and deserts often
pose barriers to human migration.
The Uses of Geography
• Geographers provide important
information about the planet’s physical
features and processes, living things,
and human systems. Such information
describes the planet and contributes to
planning for future needs.
Branches of Geography
• Physical geography focuses on the study
of Earth’s physical features.
• Human geography, or cultural
geography, studies human activities
and their relationship to the environment.
Geographers at Work
There are several methods geographers use
to collect data.
• Direct Observation Going to a
geographic location to see what it
is like is direct observation.
• Sometimes geographers rely on aerial
or satellite photographs
• Mapping Cartographers are people
who design and make maps–graphic
representations of places and regions
and more complicated information
about the relationships of people,
places, and things.
• Interviewing Cultural geographers
often interview the people whose
activities they study.
• Statistics Geographers use statistics
to present data, find patterns, and
study populations.
• Technology Geographers use
advanced technology–satellite photos,
radar, and geographic information
systems (GIS)–to study the
environment, the weather, and human
settlement patterns.
Geography and Other Disciplines
• History and Government Geographers
study history and government to
understand changes that have taken
place over time.
• Culture Human geographers study
sociology and anthropology to learn
how people have interacted with their
environment over time.
• Economics Geographers study
economics to understand how the
location of resources affects the ways
people make, transport, and use goods
and provide services.
Questions
• Name a job in which it would be helpful to
understand geography. Explain.
Possible answers: A travel agent needs to inform clients
about climates and weather so they can make the best
travel plans. A director who wants to shoot a film in the
desert needs to know what access he or she will have to
necessary supplies and housing and to weather
information.
Why do geographers study human systems
and human-environment relationships?
• Geographers study human systems
and human-environment relationships
to understand how the earth affects
and is affected by human activity so
that informed decisions can be made.
What research methods do geographers use?
• Geographers use direct observation,
mapping, interviewing, statistics, and
technology as research methods.
What are two ways that every place on the earth
can be located?
• The two ways every place on the earth
can be located are by describing its
absolute location or its relative
location.
List some of the tools geographers might
use to describe the features of Earth and the
relationships between them.
• Geographers might use maps, atlases,
charts, measuring devices,
thermometers, and barometers to
describe the features of Earth and the
relationships between them.