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Land of ContrastsLand of Contrasts

Understanding Texas Understanding Texas GeographyGeography

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6 Geographical Questions:6 Geographical Questions:When studying places and events in Texas, ask yourself

these 6 questions:• Where is the place?• What is the place like?• How is the place similar to and different from other

places?• How do the people who live there interact with their

surroundings?• How are those people in that place linked with other

people and places?• How does geography relate to the past, present, and

future of that place?

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6 essential elements:6 essential elements:

• Location

• Places and Regions

• Human Environment Interaction

• Human Systems

• Physical Systems

• Use of Geography

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Location - Location - Where is the place?Where is the place?

• Absolute Location – exact position of a place on the earths surface. (longitude/latitude)

• Relative Location – position of a place in relation to another. (Texas is south of Oklahoma).

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Places and Regions -Places and Regions - What is the place like?What is the place like?

• Places – features that give an area its own identity. (landform, climate, language)

• Regions – areas united by common characteristics. (climate/language)

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Human-Environment Interaction - Human-Environment Interaction - How are How are those people in that place linked with other people and those people in that place linked with other people and

places?places?

• - relationships linking people to their surrounding environment. (cut forests, earthquake, and flood)

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Human System - Human System - Why people settle in Why people settle in certain places?certain places?

• Movement – People bring ideas and culture from one place to another (trade and urbanization –growth of cities)

• Cultural Diffusion – wide acceptance of ideas and culture to a new location which change a culture

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Physical SystemsPhysical Systems• Geographers analyze

how physical systems interact and shape the earth’s surface.

• Examples - volcanoes, glaciers and hurricanes.

• Ecosystems – communities of plants and animals that are dependant upon one another and their particular surroundings for survival.

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The Uses of GeographyThe Uses of Geography

• Helps prepare you for life in our technological society.

• Individuals, businesses and governments depend upon geography and maps on a daily basis. (military, delivery trucks)

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Sizing up TexasSizing up Texas• 2nd largest state in the

U.S. (Alaska is the largest)

• Texas makes up about 7% of the total area of the United States.

• Larger than many nations including France, Italy, Spain, and Germany.