Name:
Key Geographic Concepts and Models with Important Geographers
Important Geographer
1. Walter Christaller
2.
3. Ernest Burgess
(1923)
Theory
Importance of Model and further notes
Central Place theory – Urban
hierarchy, range, threshold, hexagon
shape, market area
Rank-Size Rule: the size of the nth
largest city is 1/n the size of the
largest city
Concentric Zone- grows out from
CBD in 5 rings: CBD, zone in
transition (industry/poor housing),
stable working class, middle class,
commuter zone (suburbs)
Spatial distribution of hamlets, villages, towns and cities; large cities are
less numerous and farther apart
4. Chauncey Harris/
E.L. Ullman
Multiple Nuclei model – modern
cities develop with many nodes.
Cities within cities.
5. Homer Hoyt
(1939)
Sector Model – sectors, not rings,
certain areas more attractive – as
cities grows, expands outward – best
housing corridor from CBD out,
industry and retail develop in sectors
along transportation routes
World Cities
Primate City
Helps to determine use and value of land surrounding cities. Transportation
has impacted the model. Urban models based on city of Chicago.
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6. Thomas Malthus
Malthusian Theory – population
growth relating to food supply
1) food grows arithmetically (1,
2, 3,4, 5)
2) Population grows
exponentially (1, 2, 4, 8, 16)
3) Population checks
Neo-Malthusian such as R. Kaplan, T.F. Homer-Dixon look at Africa;
Critics such as E. Boserup, K. Kuznets, J. Simon, F. Englels argue more
people more growth, science will find a way, distribution of wealth, etc.
- Accurately predicts population growth, but does not accurately predict the
growth of food supplies. Food supplies have also grown dramatically
through technology and the green revolution.
7.
Demographic Transition: four stages 1) Low Growth:
high birth rates and death rates lead to no NIR 2) High
Growth: declining death rates and high birth rates lead
to high NIR 3) Moderate Growth: birth rates rapidly
decline, death rates continue to decline, NIR begins to
decrease 4) Low Growth: low birth and death rates lead
to virtually no NIR as country achieves ZPG
8. Abel Omran
Epidemiologic Transition focuses on distinctive causes of death in each stage of the demographic transition. 1)
Pestilence and Famine ex: Black Plague 2) Receding Pandemics diseases occur over wide range of area and
effects high portion of population. ex: cholera 3) Degenerative and human created diseases ex: heart attacks and
cancer 4) delayed degenerative diseases ex: diseases from stage 3 linger, but medical/technological advances
prolong life… possible stage 5) reemergence of infectious and parasitic diseases. ex: malaria/AIDS
Law of Migration (11 of them) – 1) most people migrate for economic reasons. 2) most long distance migrants are
single males. 3) long distance migrants head for major cities in other countries 4) most immigrants migrate short
distances and remain in the same country 5) chain migration
Organic Theory of Nations – nations act like living organisms – must grow and will eventually decline
Rimland Theory- Eurasian Rim,
“Geography of Place”
not the Heartland is/was the key to
Heartland – Eastern Europe and Russia
global power. Who controls the
Rimland – Western Europe, Middle East and Asia
Rimland rules Eurasia. Who rules
Eurasia controls the destinies of the
world
The Heartland Theory –
1) Who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland
geopolitical thought – explains why
2) Who rules the Heartland commands the world island
NATO and the WARSAW pact
3) Who rule the world island commands the world
existed – control of Eastern Europe
9. E. G. Ravenstein
10. Friedrich Ratzel
11. Nicholas
Spykman
12. Halford
Mackinder
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13.
14.
15. W. W. Rostow
16. Willy Brandt
Self Sufficiency Approach to Development: Balanced growth: a country should spread investment equally as
possible across all sectors of its economy and in all its regions; pace of development modest but fair; incomes in
countryside keep pace with those in city; reducing poverty takes precedence; starts with imposing trade barriers to
protect domestic industries; ex: India and China; problems: inefficiency and large bureaucracy
Development Through International Trade Approach: calls for country to identify their unique economic
assets; country should concentrate scarce resources on expansion of its distinctive local industries; model promoted
by Rostow; countries benefit from exposure to consumers in other countries; considered preferred model for
development; ex: Asia Tigers (S. Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong) and petroleum rich Arab states;
problems: uneven distribution of resources, market stagflation, increased dependence on MDCs
Modernization Model – 5 Stages of Economic Development –
1) traditional society 2) Preconditions to take-off 3)Take-off 4)Maturity
5) Mass consumption
The North-South (or Rich- Poor Divide) is the socio-economic and political division that
exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as “the North,” and the
poorer developing countries, or “the South.”
17. Immanuel
Wallerstien
Core-Periphery Model –
Core : MDCs ; high socioeconomic level
Periphery: LDCs dependent on
the core, supplier of raw
materials and labor
EXAMPLE: Auto industry – clustered near
Detroit- auto makers, labor, suppliers of car parts,
transportation
Location depends on raw materials, markets, and
labor
18. Paul Vidal de la
Blache
Possibilism –
Human/Environmental interation
– humans have a wide range of
potential actions within the
environment – they respond
based on their value systems,
attitudes, and cultural attributes
Environmental determinism:
argued that the physical
environment caused social
development
“Principles of Human Geography”
- Culture determines a peoples responses to the environment; the environment
may limit development, but humans can overcome/adjust to their surrounding;
ex: air conditioning, irrigation systems, hybrid crops, limiting population
growth… increased wealth leads to more modification of the environment
- ex: food preferences and clothing
- Jean Brunhes argued housing choices also reflect cultural landscape
Ex: Climate is a major determiner of development... temperate climates in
Europe produced greater efficiency and therefore wealth and better living
conditions (MDCs)
19. Ritter and von
Humboldt
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20. Karl Sauer
Diffusion of Vegetative
Agriculture: vegetative
agriculture preceded seed ag;
hearth = Southeast Asia.
Diffusion of Seed Agriculture:
three hearts- western India,
northern China and Ethiopia
21.
22. Johan Heinrich
von Thunen
Climate and Agriculture
Von Thunen Agricultural
Model (concentric circles – 1)
center city. 2)market gardening.
3) forest. 4) Grains. 5) ranching,
livestock) – Pre-central place
theory
23. Colin Renfrew
Anatolian Hearth Theory
24. Marija Gimbutas
25. Alfred Weber
26.
Distribution of agricultural activities
around a city depends on bulk and
perishability of products; cost of
transportation is what matters!
Indo European Language started in Anatolia (Turkey) and diffused with
agriculture
Indo European Language started in Kurgan Hearth (Russia and Kazakhstan)
Kurgan Hearth Theory
and spread through military conquest
Location of Industry- Least Cost Theory
Agglomeration – people and activities concentrate in a location where they can share facilities and services
Shapes of States: compact states (efficient), prorupted states (access or disruption), elongated states (potential
isolation), fragmented states (problematic), perforated states (South Africa)… any of these states can also be
landlocked
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