Fundamental Themes of
Geography
Objective:
-Define Geography
-Describe the five fundamental
themes that geographers use.
What is geography?
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Geography is the study of the earth and
the way that people live on it and use it.
It includes landforms, bodies of water,
weather, plant and animal life, people, and
the effects of human activity on the earth.
Geographers use the Five Fundamental
Themes of Geography to help organize
their study.
Location
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Every place on earth has an exact position.
• This is called an absolute location.
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This can be measured using lines of latitude
and longitude.
Description of Place
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This theme explains what a place is like by describing its
physical and human characteristics.
For example,
• the shape of the land
• its climate
• animal life
• how people look
• kinds of buildings the live in
Human – Environment Interaction
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The environment is
the surroundings in
which people, plants,
or animals live.
This theme describes
the relationship
between people and
their environment.
An example, Japanese
people make their
living catching fish.
• This could hurt the
environment if they
catch too much fish.
Movement
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Another theme of
geography is the
movement of
people, goods, and
ideas.
Regions
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Another theme of
geography is
regions.
A region is an
area with common
physical or cultural
features that set it
apart from other
areas.
Regions can be
divided by size and
language.
Time to Review
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What does the word geography mean?
What are the five fundamental themes of
geography?
What are two ways that geographers
divide regions?