The Five Themes of GeographyGeography is more than just memorizing countries and capitals or knowing where places are on a map.Geography is about understanding the connections between the physical world and the way humans interact withit. The Five Themes of Geography can help us understand the physical world, the people who live in it, and howthose people interact with the physical world. Read about each theme below and make connections between yourlife or your own knowledge and the Five Themes.

LLooccaatt iioonnLocation simply tells us where something is on earth. We can have an exact location, often given in latitude andlongitude, which we call absolute location. Absolute location is like a global address. If you have the coordi-nates (latitude and longitude) for a specific place, you can pinpoint it on a map or find it easily using GPS (GlobalPositioning System) technology. For example, Philadelphia’s absolute location is 40ºN, 75ºW. The coordinatestell us exactly where Philadelphia is located. We can also have a more descriptive way of locating a particularplace that tells where that place is located in relation to other places. We call that type of location relative loca-tion. For example, Cheltenham Township is located north of Philadelphia and south of Abington Township. Therelative location tells us where Cheltenham Township is located relative to Philadelphia and Abington. Locationhelps us understand where something is.

PPllaacceePlace refers to all of the physical and human characteristics we would find at a particular location. Place is all ofthe things you would see and experience if you visited a certain location. Place can include climate, land forms,bodies of water, plant life, animal life, human-built structures, cultures, languages, religions, and economic activ-ity. For example, we could use place to describe the Amazon Rainforest, and say that it has a tropical wet climate,tropical plants, several rivers, many fishes, and so on. Place helps us understand what a particular location is like.

MMoo vveemmeennttThe way that people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another is called movement. We can alsoinclude the movement of animals, diseases, and culture in the theme of movement. In thinking about movementwe try to understand how and why people move from one location to another. Or, we try to understand how andwhy goods move from one place to another. For example, we may ask why a pair of sneakers is shipped fromChina to be sold in the United States. We may ask why people left England in the 16th and 17th centuries to cometo the colonies in the Americas. Movement helps us to understand how and why people, goods, and ideas movefrom location to location.

HHuummaann--EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt IInntteerraacctt iioonnThe way that people change, adapt to, and depend on their natural settings is called human-environment interac-tion. This theme tries to explain how humans in different parts of the world change and use the environmentaround them, or how people must adapt to a certain environment. For example, humans who live in colder cli-mates need to adapt to the environment by wearing warmer clothing. In many parts of the world humans buildirrigation systems that bring water from a lake or river to a dry area so that it can be used for farming. Human-environment interaction helps us understand how human beings relate to their natural settings.

RRee ggiioonnRegion is a group of places that have similar physical or human features. Region explains similarities and con-nections between places that may be close to each other or far away from each other. For example, the “MuslimWorld” refers to a group of countries where Islam is the most common religion. The “Muslim World” includesplaces as far away from each other as Morocco and Indonesia. Region helps us understand how different placesare similar or connected to each other.

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Using the Five Themes to Make ConnectionsDirections: Based on what you learned about the Five Themes from the reading, make connections betweensomething that you know about the world or something you have learned about yourself, your family, or the placeyou live and make a connection with each Theme.

Location The absolute and relative position of a place on Earth’s surfacePlace The physical and human characteristics found at a particular placeHuman-Environment Interactions How humans change, adapt to, and depend on their natural settingsMovement How people, ideas, and materials move between and among locationsRegions How places are grouped by having common physical and human characteristics

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Your Life The WorldLocation

Your Life The WorldPlace

Your Life The WorldHuman-Environment

Interaction

Your Life The WorldMovement

Your Life The WorldRegions