What is Human Geography?
Some Definitions
• "The science concerned with the
formulation of the laws governing the
spatial distribution of certain features on
the surface of the earth." - Fred Schaefer,
1953
"...concerned with the locational or spatial variation in both
physical and human phenomena at the earth's surface
" - Martin Kenzer, 1989
More Definitions
• "Geography is the study of earth as the
home of people" - Yi-Fu Tuan, 1991
"Geography is the study of the patterns and
processes of human (built) and environmental
(natural) landscapes, where landscapes comprise
real (objective) and perceived (subjective) space." Gregg Wassmansdorf, 1995
More Definitions
• a social science that focuses on the spatial
distribution of human and physical phenomena;
• the study of the physical world, its inhabitants,
the interaction between the two, and the
patterns and systems involved;
• the world and all that is in it;
• the study of pattern and processes asociated
with the earth;
• the study of relationships between humans and
their environment by emphasizing a spatial and
environmental perspective at a variety of scales;
Goals of this class:
• Start thinking more from a spatial
perspective. Where? And Why?
• Understand the impact humans have on
the physical and cultural landscape.
• Understand the impact various landscapes
have on people.
• Learn about specific areas of the world
through a spatial perspective.
Geography Vocabulary
• Words that help a geographer describe the
spatial dimensions of earth and its people.
Distribution
• The arrangement of a
feature in space.
• Where mountains are
on planet earth
Density
• The frequency with which something occurs in
space.
• How many cattle and calves are in a certain
area.
Concentration
• The extent of a features spread over
space.
• The feature (lakes) could be spread out or
close together.
• Look at the concentration of lakes in Cass
County.
Cass County Minnesota
Concentration of Lakes
Cluster
• A feature on earth’s surface is bunched together.
• Look at the cluster of cancer deaths for white
women in the united states 1950-1969.
Dispersed
• Features on earths
surface are spread
out.
• Recycling centers are
dispersed throughout
Cass County.
Pattern
• Geometric arrangement of objects in
space.
• Check out the differences between the
patterns of streets in Minneapolis and St.
Paul.
North Minneapolis-Grid Pattern
One St. Paul- Street Pattern
GIS-Global Information System
High performance
computer system that
processes geographic
information in layers
on a map.
Layers of data are
shown here.
Toponym
• A Name given to a place on earth
• Names can indicate many possible
characteristics of a place.
• They can reveal political, religious, and
cultural values of a place.
What do these toponyms tell us
about this place?
Site
• The Physical or
Cultural
characteristics of a
place.
• Marshy
Situation
• The location of a place relative to other
places.
• The situation of a place can impact many
things including: business, conflict,
recreation and culture.
Situation
• How is Kurdistan effected by its situation?
Region
• An area within which everyone
shares in common one or more
distinctive characteristics.
Formal Region
• An area with
measurable, objective
boundaries.
Vernacular/Subjective Region
• A region that is based
on subjective criteria.
• What people believe
to be a region.
• Not easy to measure
accurately.
Diffusion
• The spread of
something from an
initial point(s) on earth
to other places.
Rap music diffusion
Culture
• Body of customs,
beliefs and material
traits that constitute
the distinct tradition of
a group of people.
Globalization
• A force or process
which involves
making something
world-wide in scope.
Scale
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A progressive classification, as of size.
• A proportion used in determining the
dimensional relationship of a
representation to that which it represents.
Cartographers use these terms differently to normal English usage. Cartographers
are referring to the relative size of the representative fraction. A large scale map is
where the RF is relatively large. An RF of 1:25,000 (1/25,000) is larger than an RF
of 1:1,000,000 (1/1,000,000). A large scale map uses more map area to describe a
given area on the ground than a small scale map. Many people are initially
confused by this terminology as the small scale map shown a much greater area of
the ground than a large scale map of the same size.
Large Scale Map
Smaller scale map than the
previous map.
What type of region could this be?
What type of Region cold this be?
What type of region could this be?