Geography

“Geography is history. From the fact that people built their cities near rivers, to all the wars that men fought to get what was on the other side of the hill, geographic

factors have shaped the events that have shaped our world.”

-Kenneth Davis - “Don’t Know Much About Geography”

What is geography?Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface—its land, water, and its weather. Geography also includes the study of people in their environment.

Why study geography in a class about world history?

• It affects where people live• It affects how people live• It affects the outcome of major

events

The Five Themes of Geography:

Location: A location is a place where something is or could be located. It asks the question “Where is it?”

Location (continued…)Every place has a(n)…

• Relative Location(where a place is in relation to another place)• Described by landmarks,

time, direction or distance. From one place to another.

• Absolute Location(a specific place on the Earth’s surface)• A latitude and longitude

(global location) or a street address (local location)

Which One Is Which?

Absolute Location

Relative Location

Paris, France is 48o North Latitude and 2o East Longitude

I live south of Albany, NY

Place: All places have characteristics that give them meaning and character and distinguish them from other places on Earth. Geographers describe places by their physical and human characteristics.

Physical Characteristics:

Human Characteristics:

• Landforms (mountains, plains, plateaus)

• Bodies of water (rivers, oceans, seas)

• Ecosystems (climate, plants, animals)

• People• Culture• Language• Religion

Physical Characteristics:

Human Characteristics:

Human/Environment Interaction: In studying human/environment interaction, geographers look at all the effects-positive and negative- that occur when people interact with their surroundings. For example, people…• depend on it

Ex: People depend on the Tennessee River for water and transportation.

• modify it Ex: People modify our environment by heating and

cooling buildings for comfort

• adapt to it Ex: We adapt to the environment by wearing

clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and winter (coats), rain and shine.

Movement: People interact with other people, places, and things almost every day of their lives. They travel from one place to another, they communicate with each other, and they rely upon products, information, and ideas that come from beyond their immediate environment.

Regions: A basic unit of geographic study is the region, an area on the earth’ssurface that is defined by certain unifying characteristics. When places have certain characteristics (human, physical, cultural) in common, geographers can classify them as regions.