Geography Basics
Objective:
- Explain the job of a geographer and its
importance.
- Describe the five themes of geography.
What is geography?
• Geography: the study of the physical
and human features on earth
– Physical geography: how the earth’s natural
features vary from place to place
• Examples: water resources, plants and animals,
landforms like mountains and plateaus
– Human geography: how people and their
activities differ from place to place
• Examples: how they make a living, what types of
governments they have, what they do for fun
Picture Examples
Physical Geography
Human Geography
What are the five themes of
geography?
• A way of thinking about and organizing
geography so it’s easier to understand
• The five themes are…
–
–
–
–
–
Location
Place
Human-Environment Interaction
Movement
Regions
• How do I remember that?
– MR. HELP
Theme #1: Location
• Location: where something is
• There are two types of location:
– Absolute location
– Relative location
• Let’s talk about the difference
Absolute Location
• Absolute location: the exact
location of something, often
found using latitude and
longitude
• Latitude ↔
– Lines running east and west
(sideways or horizontal)
– Measured in degrees north
or south of the equator
• Longitude ↨
– Lines running north and
south (up and down or
vertical)
– Measured in degrees east
and west of the Prime
Meridian
Finding the Absolute Location of
a Place
1.
2.
3.
Locate the equator. How
many degrees north or
south of the equator is it?
Latitude = _______
degrees N or S
Locate the Prime Meridian.
How many degrees east or
west of the Prime Meridian
is it?
Longitude = _______
degrees E or W
You did it! It is located at:
______ º N or S and
______ º E or W
Example #2 (the blue X)
1.
2.
3.
Locate the equator. How
many degrees north or
south of the equator is it?
Latitude = _______
degrees N or S
Locate the Prime Meridian.
How many degrees east or
west of the Prime Meridian
is it?
Longitude = _______
degrees E or W
You did it! It is located at:
______ º N or S and
______ º E or W
X
Finding a Place When We Know
It’s Absolute Location
1.
2.
3.
Locate the equator.
Use the latitude
(____ º N or S). Go
up for N, go down for
S.
Locate the Prime
Meridian. Use the
longitude (____ º E or
W). Go left for W,
right for E).
Move your fingers
until they touch. This
is the location! Put an
X there.
Let’s try it!
What is located at 42.6 degrees N, 82.56 degrees W? ____________
Relative Location
• Relative location: where something is
located in relation to other places
• Can be described using:
–
–
–
–
Landmarks: I live near the 7-11.
Time: The store is about 1 hour from here.
Direction: Algonac is northeast of Detroit.
Distance: We live 50 miles from here.
Theme #2: Place
• Place: special characteristics that make each
place on earth unique
• 2 types of characteristics:
– Physical characteristics: weather, land features,
plants, animals
– Human characteristics: people, cultures, ideas
• How is Algonac unique?
– Algonac’s physical characteristics?
– Algonac’s human characteristics?
Theme #3: Human-Environment
Interaction
• Human-environment interaction: how
people influence their surroundings, and
how their surroundings influence them
– People adapt to their environment (their
environment influences them)
– People change their environment (they
influence the environment)
People ↔ Environment
Theme #4: Movement
• Movement: people,
goods, and ideas all
travel
– Example: people go on a
vacation
– Example: Nintendo Wii
(goods) moves from Japan
to the United States
– Example: fashion ideas
spread from Los Angeles
and New York City to
other parts of the
country
Theme #5: Region
• Region: an area that has similar
characteristics
• Some regions are defined by more than one
characteristic
• Example: the Middle East
What is a geographer?
• Geographer: a person who uses the five
themes of geography to understand the world
• Examples of jobs:
– Study the environment
– Make decisions about how products should be
transported
– Working for the United Nations
– Teaching people so they are more understanding
about the world and its people
What is cartography?
• Cartography: the branch of geography
that studies maps and map making
• How do you make a map?
– Computers store images from old maps,
satellite images, photographs, and data
from surveys and reports
– Cartographer draws the map on computer
screen
– Viola! The map is printed!
Let’s Review
• Geography = physical and human
•
•
•
•
•
•
M = movement
R = region
H = humanE = environment interaction
L = location
P = place
• Cartographers make maps