Thinking Geographically

Why is each point on Earth unique?A. Place: Unique Location of a

Feature1. Toponym is the name given

to a place on Earth2. Site is the physical

character of a place. Includes climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation

Site:Lower Manhattan Island

Fig. 1-6: Site of lower Manhattan Island,

New York City. There have been many

changes to the area over the last 200 years.

Why is each point on Earth unique?3. Situation is the location of a

place relative to other places. Situation helps us find an unfamiliar place by comparing its location with a familiar one. Situation, also, helps us understand the importance of a location.

Situation: Singapore

Fig. 1-7: Singapore is situated at a key location for international trade.

Downtown Singapore

Why is each point on Earth unique?

4. Mathematical location or in other words latitude and longitude.

World Geographic Grid

Fig. 1-8: The world geographic grid consists of meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude. The prime meridian

( 0º) passes through Greenwich, England.

World Time Zones

Fig. 1-9: The world’s 24 standard time zones each represent about 15° of longitude. They are often depicted using the Mercator

projection.

Why is each point on Earth unique?B. Regions: Areas of Unique

Characteristics1. A region derives its character

through the cultural landscape- a combination of cultural features such as language, and religion, economic features such as agriculture and industry, and physical features such as climate and vegetation.

Why is each point on Earth unique?

2.Types of Regionsa)Formal, also called a

uniform region or homogeneous region, is an area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.

Formal and Functional Regions

Fig. 1-11: The state of Iowa is an example of a formal region; the areas of influence of various television stations are

examples of functional regions.

Why is each point on Earth unique?b)Functional Region- also called

a nodal region, is an area organized around a node or focal point.

Why is each point on Earth unique?

c) Vernacular Region, or perceptual region, is a place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.

Vernacular Regions

Fig. 1-12: A number of features are often used to define the South as a vernacular region, each of which identifies somewhat

different boundaries.

Why are different places similar?1.Scale: From Local to Global2.Space: Distribution of features

a)Density is the frequency with which something occurs in space

b)Concentration is the extent of a feature’s spread over space

c) Pattern is the geometric arrangement of objects in space

Distribution:Density, Concentration, & Pattern

Fig. 1-18: The density, concentration, and pattern (of houses in this example)

may vary in an area or landscape.

Density and Concentration of Baseball Teams, 1952 & 2007

Fig. 1-19: The changing distribution of North American baseball teams illustrates the differences between

density and concentration.

U.S. Baseball Teams, 1952

Fig. 1-19: Baseball teams were highly concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest in 1952.

U.S. Baseball Teams, 2007

Fig. 1-19: By 2007, U.S. baseball teams were much more dispersed than in 1952, and their number and density

at a national level had increased.

Why are different places similar?3. Connections between places

a) Spatial Interaction*distance decay-the farther away one group is from another, the less likely the two groups are to interact

a) Diffusion*relocation-the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another *expansion-the spread of a feature from one place to another in a snowballing process*hierarchical-the spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places*contagious-the rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population