Themes of Geography
Themes of Geography
What is Geography
GREEK
Geo
=
Earth
Graphy
=
Study
Therefore, geography is the study of the Earth
Guiding Questions
ANSWERS:
(geographers came up with the 5 themes)
1.
LOCATION
2.
PLACE
3.
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
4.
MOVEMENT
5.
REGIONS
1. LOCATION
… where places are on the earth.
2 Types of Locations
a) Absolute location
… is the exact latitude and longitude coordinates of a
place. Ex: 30o N, 115o E
b) Relative location
… location of a place in relation to other
places around it.
Ex: The library is across from the school.
LONGITUDES
They are imaginary lines that meet at
the north and south poles.
They are the vertical lines that
measure distance east and west
of the Prime Meridian.
There are 180 lines on each side of the
Prime Meridian or 0o longitude.
LATITUDES
They are imaginary lines that run east to
west, parallel to the equator.
They determine distance north and
south of the equator.
There are 90 lines of latitudes in the northern as well as
the southern hemisphere.
Longitudes vertical lines
east and west of the Prime Meridian.
Prime Meridian
Equator
Latitudes
horizontal lines
north and south of the equator.
LONGITUDE
=
MERIDIANS
LATITUDES
=
PARALLELS
LONGITUDES
+
LATITUDES
=
GLOBAL GRID
Locate these places:
41O N, 29E
37N, 3E
14N, 100E
32S, 116E
47N, 71W
56N, 38E
59N, I8E
6S, 107E
15N, 17W
48N, 122W
51N, 4E
30N, 31E
15N, 121E
16N, 33E
30N, 95W
40N, 4W
50N, 19E
47S, 175E
34N, 8W
43N, 88W
2. PLACE
This theme tries to determine which characteristics or features
make a location different from another.
Characteristics can be:
PHYSICAL
HUMAN
Climate
Monuments
Landform
Cities
Bodies of water
Government
Plant and animal life
Cultural traditions
Physical Characteristics
Landform
Bodies of water
Plant and animal life
Human Characteristics
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Monuments
Cultural traditions
Cities
CULTURAL LANDMARKS
Sydney Opera House
Versailles
Berlin Bradenburg Gate
St. Peter’s Basilica
Somanathapura
Arc de Triomphe
The Great Buddha
Angkor Wat
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Wieliczka Salt Mines
Temple of Heaven
Forbidden City
Parthenon
Liberation Tower
Hadrian’s Wall
Eiffel Tower
Taj Mahal
Tower of London
St. Basil’s Cathedral
Palace of Westminster
Petra
Wailing Wall
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
People change their surroundings to
make their lives easier.
ROADS
BUILDINGS
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
The environment also
influences:
How they dress.
What they do.
What they eat.
Enormous Benefits
New Problems
MOVEMENT
… how people, goods, and ideas go
from place to place.
Movement is important in the development
of human characteristics:
. Cultural traits
. Diversity
. Cities
MIGRATION
PUSH THEORY
(problems)
PULL THEORY
(advantages)
War
Government
Crimes
Diseases
Economy
Adventure
Climate
Famine
Religious persecution
P
U
S
H
P
U
L
L
2 FACTORS
Education
Democracy
Healthcare
Jobs
Climate
Religious tolerance
Family
Justice
Gender equality
REGIONS
In this theme, geographers group places with
similar physical or human characteristics.
•Location
To group theses
places they use
specific features
such as:
•Climate
•Government
•Culture
• Language
Places that share the same culture
belong to a cultural regions.
A natural region has unique plant and
animal life as well as a unique climate.
Ex: THE RAINFOREST
Regions can change overtime.
•Climate
•Natural Disasters
•Human Interactions
•Economic Conditions
F.Y.I
A place can belong to many regions.