Cultural Regions
Important Vocabulary
Cultural Region
Functional Region
Perceptual Region
Middle East
Suez Canal
Latin America
Panama Canal
Sub-Saharan Africa
Oceania
Choke point
Cultural Regions
Physical geography and the level of technology greatly influence a people’s culture.
Landforms, nearness to bodies of water, climate and natural resources interact with a people’s beliefs,
traditions, and history to create a distinct way of life.
o
o
o
A region is an area that has common characteristics that distinguish it from neighboring
areas.
A cultural region is defined by the common characteristics of people living there.
People in a cultural region may:
 Speak the same language
 Practice the same religion
 Share the same customs
 Live under the same government
Example: Southwest Asia (The Middle East)
1. Also a physical region (warm, dry climate with many deserts and mountain
areas)
2. Most people share the same language and religion
3. It is also the crossroads of three continents
1
4. It is also the birthplace of human civilization
Types of Regions
1. Formal Region
a. Has clear boundaries
b. Defined by at least one common human or physical characteristic
c. This may be a common:
i. Government
ii. Religion
iii. Language
iv. Physical characteristic, etc.
2
2. Functional Region
a. An area defined by one function
b. People in the area are linked by common patterns, television and radio broadcasts,
shopping and entertaining
i. A drainage basin of a great river connecting several states
3
ii. Newspaper Route
iii. Amtrak Route Map
iv. Paris Metro
4
3. Perceptual Region
a. Based on people’s attitudes and emotions about a place
i. “Deep South”
ii. “Dixie”
iii. “the Big Apple”
b. May not be based on real facts or conditions
c. If you asked people to draw a line around the “Deep South” or the “Midwest” on a map
of the United States, the lines might differ
5
Survey of Cultural Regions
1. North America
a. United States and Canada: often considered part of the same cultural region
i. Speak English
ii. Once British colonies
iii. Majority of both are Christian
iv. Once home to Native American Indians
v. Have democratically elected governments
vi. Citizens follow similar occupations and enjoy similar ways of life
b. Canada
i. World’s second largest country in area
ii. Population is concentrated along the southern border
iii. Plays a key role in the world’s economy and is a major trading partner with the
U.S.
iv. Has a long history of conflict between its English and French-speaking citizens
c. The United States
i. Geographers identify several distinct regions
1. New England
2. Mid-Atlantic States
3. Midwest
4. The South
5. Texas
6. Southwest
7. West
ii. Each of these regions has its own distinct cultural patterns, regional accents,
favorite foods and fashions, and typical occupations
6
2. Latin America
a. Refers to all of the Americas south of the United States
i. Mexico
ii. Central America
iii. West Indies
iv. South America
b. Called “Latin America” because it was once colonized by Spain and Portugal, whose
languages come from Latin
c. European conquerors failed to recognize Native American ownership of their land, since
they saw the “Indians” as non-Christian and uncivilized
d. Many Latin Americans today are of mixed Native American and European descent.
e. Most speak Spanish or Portuguese
f. Most practice the Catholic religion
g. Major features
i. A country is a human-made political unit, with its own government and
boundaries
ii. Panama Canal
1. An important human-made feature in this region
2. 48 mile canal
3. Choke point
7
4. Connects the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and serves as a major route for
international trade
3. Europe
a. Europe and Asia share the same landmass, so large that geographers have divided it into
two continents
b. The Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia
c. The Greeks were the first Europeans to develop their own civilization
i. It set standards by which later people measured themselves
d. The Romans later united most of Western Europe under one government
e. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was divided into a series of warring
kingdoms with their own languages and cultures
i. However, Europeans remained largely united (in the Middle Ages) by the
Christian religion
f. Renaissance: once again, Europeans became leaders in technology and culture
g. Remained the most powerful and technologically advanced region for the next 500
years
h. Largely propelled by the:
i. French Revolution
ii. Industrial Revolution
i. European nations colonized vast regions around the world (spreading their technology
and way of life)
j. WWI and WWII:
i. Fought on European territory
ii. Resulted in unprecedented death and destruction
iii. Stimulated the desire for independence in the colonies of Asia and Africa
iv. Europe spent their energies fighting WWII and could not resist these
independence movements
k. Today, Europe consists of many nations
i. Most of them united under the European Union
l. In general, Europeans have:
i. Democratic governments
ii. High standards of living
iii. Strong educational systems
iv. Small families
v. Many follow the Christian religion
8
4. Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
a. Russia was separated from the rest of Europe for much of its history
b. Russia adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity from Constantinople
c. Conquered and occupied by the Mongols of Asia for many centuries
d. Rulers, called Tsars (Caesar in Russian) emerged with absolute power
i. Russia was a small state centered in Moscow
ii. In the late 18th century, Tsars introduced Western European ways
iii. Russia then went about conquering neighboring territories, greatly expanding
its size
iv. Meanwhile, a vast peasant population continued to live in extreme poverty
e. Soviet Union: during WWI, the Tsar’s government collapsed
i. Russia became the world’s first communist country, known as the Soviet Union
ii. Became a distinct government and culture of 15 Soviet Republics
iii. In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into several smaller, independent states
iv. These states remain loosely associated as the Commonwealth of Independent
States
1. These states share a common history, often speak several related
languages, and have common ethnic minorities
9
v. Foreign invaders have sometimes failed to conquer Russia simply because its
vast size, interior and cold winters
1. Napoleon lost half a million soldiers to the bitter cold temperatures in
1812
2. Hitler unsuccessfully invaded the Soviet Union in 1941
a. German tanks became bogged down in the mud
b. Equipment and soldiers froze
c. Millions of Soviets also died in WWII
5. North Africa
a. Found largely in the Sahara Desert
b. In this region, the ancient civilization of Egypt gave rise to one of the world’s first
civilizations
c. Because contacts between African peoples were limited by geographical barriers, each
people or tribe developed its own culture, language and traditions
d. North Africa was then colonized by Britain, France and Italy
e. Today, the peoples of North Africa are primarily:
i. Muslim
ii. Arab speaking
f. Because of the culture, and desert terrain, North Africa is often considered closely tied
to the Middle East
g. Suez Canal
i. Choke point
ii. Connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean
iii. Completed in 1869, 120 miles long
10
6. Sub-Saharan Africa
a. Area south of the Sahara Desert
b. Separated from the North by a region, or transition zone called the Sahel
c. Different climate, topography, non-Arab population
d. Largely Christian
e. Mostly warm climate
f. Many people of this region once subject to the slave trade or European colonial rule
g. People remain divided into a large number of ethnic groups or tribes, each with its own
language and culture
11
7. The Middle East (Southwest Asia)
a. Arab speaking
b. Muslim population
c. Desert and mountain region
d. Israel: Jewish State on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea
8. East Asia: China
a. The world’s most populous country
b. 1 in every 5 people in the world is Chinese
c. Isolationism
i. Separated by mountains, deserts and seas, China has kept itself isolated from
the rest of the world for the vast majority of its history
ii. Isolationism had a great impact on their development
1. Developed a unique culture separate from other centers of civilization
2. Led to centralization of power and concentration of resources that
made China one of the most advanced civilizations for centuries
d. Eastern China consists of a vast plain with fertile river valleys
i. Most of China’s population is here
ii. Population is dense by the coastline
e. Ruled by all-powerful emperors for thousands of years
f. Different dialects, but united by one system of writing
g. Shared distinct religious beliefs
i. Confucianism
ii. Taoism
iii. Buddhism
h. Since opening up its economy to foreign investors, China has undergone an economic
revolution
i. Its generally educated, low-wage labor force has helped propel China forward
ii. World’s fastest growing economy
12
9. East Asia: Japan
a. Japan is an archipelago (group of islands)
i. Consists of four major islands and thousands of smaller ones
b. Although ancient Japan was strongly influence by China, it eventually developed its own:
i. Language
ii. System of writing
iii. Religious beliefs
iv. Customs
c. It was the first Asian nation to borrow Western ways and to industrialize
d. 85% of land is covered by mountains
e. Relatively large population
i. Population density and social closeness has promoted the ability of its people to
work together
f. Lacks many natural resources necessary for modern industry
i. Imports much of what it needs
ii. Sand for microchips
13
10. South Asia
a. Made up largely of India and six other small nations
b. Contains the Himalayas
i. The highest mountain range in the world
1. Enabled people on both sides to develop their own language and
culture
c. The Ganges and the Indus are the main rivers
i. Sites of the world’s earliest civilizations
d. In ancient times, Aryans conquered the subcontinent and introduced the caste system
and the Hindu religion
e. 1700s: India fell under British rule
i. Became independent in 1947
ii. Separated into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan
iii. Former East Pakistan became Bangladesh
14
f. India is world’s second most populous country
g. Mountainous Afghanistan to the north separates this region from the Middle East
11. Southeast Asia
a. Provides the shortest route between the Pacific and Indian Oceans
i. As a result, South Asia has been heavily affected by the large mix of people
coming to this area
1. Chinese
15
2. Indians
3. Arabs
4. European Colonists
b. Once known as the East Indies
i. Export important spices such as pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg
1. Used in cooking all over the world
2. Highly prized in earlier times
3. Provided a way of preserving food
c. Much of the region continues to follow traditional ways of life
i. Slow changes are being made with the growth of cities and improvements in
technology
12. Australia and Oceania
a. Australia is the only country that occupies an entire continent
b. It is home to the aboriginal people
16
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
British settlers established a colony in 1788
Today, the desert like interior (outback) is sparsely populated
Much of the population lives along the East Coast
Home to the largest barrier reef in the world: Great Barrier Reef
New Zealand
i. Also colonized by the British
ii. Home to the Maori People
17
18
Notes created by Audrey Alamo, PreAP World Geography based on excerpts from “Mastering the TEKS
in World Geography,” Jarrett Publishing.
19