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Geography Concepts

Introduction

Where is it? Why is it there?Geography is about asking questions.

Where is something?Why is it located there?

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Physical Geographyand Human Geography are two great branches of the discipline

Environmental geography is emerging as a link between the two

“5 Themes” or “6 Essential Elements”?Geography is always about: spatial relationships

The “5 Themes”LocationInteraction between humans and the environmentRegionsPlace Movement and the landscape

The “6 Essentials”The world in spatial termsPlaces and regionsPhysical systemsHuman systemsEnvironment and societyUses of geography

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Maps: the toolbox of

geographers

Maps are used to portray spatial ideas: • The distinctive character of places

• Their relationship to environmental issues

• The movements of people, goods, and ideas• Regions of various types

Perceptions matterPeoples perceptions of places and regions are influenced by their individual mental maps as well as by printed maps and other information

How did our perceptions of the world, solar system, and universe change after the voyages of Magellan or Neil Armstrong?

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Remember, no matter where you go… There you

are!

Tools of GeographersWhat tools do geographers use to investigate the world?

MapsData

• This can come from a wide variety of sources

Other tools?What do geographers think about?

SpacePlaceRegionScaleConnections

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The Five Themes of Geography

LocationPlaceEnvironmentMovementRegion

Location

The “where and why” of geography

Absolute locationRelative location

Site and situationhttp://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~gropp/fotos/istanbul.jpg

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Absolute locationThe exact position on the earth’s surfaceGrid system

Latitude (E/W)Longitude (N/S)

Absolute locations do not change in their degrees of latitude and longitude

Relative locationThe position of a place or point on Earth’s surface in relation to other locations

Relative locations can change as surrounding environments change

Boston’s Old State House in 1990 and 1713

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Place Physical and human characteristics distinguish it from other places

Landforms, climates, vegetation, natural resources, patterns of human settlement and human characteristics

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Environment “Surroundings”

Human activity modifies environmentsHow people change environments depends on their:• Beliefs• Ideas• Economy• Social organization• Technology

How did human activity change the environment of the Great Plains?

Movement The study of interactions among people and other life forms located in different places and different environments

MigrationTransportSpread of ideas

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migration

transportation

spread of ideas

Region Parts of earth’s surface that share one or more characteristics that distinguish them from surrounding areasCharacteristics of regions differ greatly

Based on culture, economy, religion, or environmentThey can be large or small and part of other regions

Regions can play an important role in influencing the development of cultures

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The Big Picture: Earth

The Earth in SpaceThird planet from sunAbout 2/3 or 70% of area of planet covered by waterDaily rotationcauses day/nightEarth revolvesaround sun (365.25 days/per revolution)

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The Structure of the EarthPlanet is made up of layers of molten material and mineralsThin hard crustal plates move over liquid mantleEnergy from the mantle drives plate movement and helps warm surface

Rotation

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Night and Day…The circle of illumination is an imaginary line that separates the lighted half from the darkened half of the planetThe line moves as the planet rotates

We experience dawn and dusk as the line moves over us

Seasons

Seasons are caused by

Earth’s tiltEarth’s revolution around the sun

Regions further away from the equator experience more significant seasons

These areas have greater oblique angle rays of the sun

Equinoxes and solstices

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http://starsoverkansas.org/images/_earthseasons.jpghttp://www.physci.wsc.ma.edu/young/ast/exams/examimages/02f/exam4/seasons.jpg

Global Latitude Regions

EquatorialTropicalSub-tropicalTemperateArcticPolar

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Going to the Tropics?

Low latitudes or Tropics

Between the Tropic of Cancer (23½ degrees north) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23½degrees south)

Furthest points from the equator that receive vertical sunlightTropical regions are usually warmer and don’t have significant seasons

The Middle LatitudesTemperate regionsRegions located between the tropics and the polar regionsPronounced seasons

winter,spring, summer, and fall

A Wheatfield, with Cypresses; by van Gough

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Polar regionsFrom the north pole to the Arctic Polar Circle (66½ degrees north)From the south pole to the Antarctic Polar Circle (66½degrees south)These regions have light and dark seasons for 6 months a year

Midnight Sun in Norway

Learning to Read a MapAgain, geographers are asking questions…

What is the map of?From what point of view are we seeing the information?When was the map made?Who made it?What do the different symbols mean?What is the size represented on the map?How can we find a specific item on a map? (like a city or a road?)What will we use to locate the items on the map? (using the grid and index)

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How do we show a round image on a flat surface?

Only true map is a globeMap projections

A grid of lines projected onto one of several geometrical surfaces

All projections will distort AreaShapeDistance Direction

Only degrees of latitude and longitude are correct on all maps

Mapping the planet: latitudes and longitudes

Longitudes are imaginary lines drawn on globes to show distances east and west of the Prime Meridian

There are 180 degrees of longitude in each hemisphereThe Prime Meridian is 0 degrees longitudeGreenwich, England

Lines of longitude are also called meridians

Latitudes are imaginary lines drawn on globes to show distances north and south of the equator

Equator = 0 degreesThere are 90 degrees of latitude in each hemisphere

Lines of latitude are also called parallels

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Different types of map projections

Equal-area projections

Correct area (although shape and distance may be distorted)

Conformal projections

Show true shape for a limited area

Equidistant projections

Show distance accurately from one or two points

Goode’s Homosline Projection

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Map projectionsCylindrical projection

Gerhardus Mercator in the 1500’sEvery straight line is a line of true direction

Important for plotting courses and navigation

Azimuthal and Conic projections

Conic projections show hemisphere or smaller areas

Azimuthalprojections

measure equal distance from its central point to any other point

http://www.geometrie.tuwien.ac.at/karto/norm07.gifhttp://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/crs/geog165/images/az_eqdist.gif

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Cartograms A cartogram assigns an area (size) to a particular region based on some value other than land-surface area.

Very helpful when visually comparing data

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TODALSigParts of a map

ThemeOrientationDateAuthorLegendScale• Index• Grid

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Geographic Information SystemsGIS uses layers of spatial data superimposed upon one anotherGIS involves the three disciplines of computer science, geography and cartographyGIS has real world applications

SurveyingComputer cartographySpatial statisticsRemote sensing

Other applications for GISUrban planning

• Population and land useEnvironmental impacts

Thinking About SpaceDistribution

DensityConcentrationPattern

American Suburbia

Central Park, NYC