Thinking Geographically

Why is Each Point on Earth Unique?

Place Vs. Region

• Each place on Earth is both unique and similar to other places– How is Toronto unique?– How is Toronto similar?

• ‘Place’ is a point whereas ‘Region’ is an area

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Place: Unique location of a feature

• 4 ways to identify location:– Place name – Site – Situation– Mathematical location

Place Name• ‘Toponym’ • Named after

– important person (Vancouver) – politician (Washington) – religion (St. Catharines)

• British origins in N.A & Australia, Portuguese in Brazil, Spanish in Latin America, Dutch in South Africa

• Picturesque names (Eureka, Nevada)• Physical environment (Montreal)

What is the longest place name?

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What is the longest place name?

• Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (in Wales)– 58 letter name means “the church of St.

Mary’s in the grove of the white hazelnut tree near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St. Tisilio near the red cave”

• Names can (& do) change– Can you think of an example????

• Anglicizing names (Roma = Rome)

Site

• Physical character• Climate, water sources, topography, soil etc.• Important for choosing a place to settle• Human modifications (landfills)

Situation• Location of a place in comparison to other

places (unfamiliar with the familiar)

Mathematical Location

• Meridians (longitude) between 0º and 180º east or west of Prime Meridian *important for time

• Parallels (latitude) between 0º and 90º north or south of Equator

The world’s 24 standard time zones each represent about 15° of longitude. They are often depicted using the Mercator projection.

Regions: Areas of Unique Characteristics

• An area of the Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

• Cultural landscape (cultural, economic, physical features combined)

• Ex. GTA compared to Calgary-Edmonton corridor

• Types of Regions• Formal• Functional• Vernacular

Formal Region

• Uniform or homogeneous, stable

• FACTS based on data• Everyone shares in

common one or more distinctive characteristics

• Corn belt region in N.A. or Conservative-voting provinces in Canada

Functional Region (nodal)

• Or nodal region…an area focused around a node or focal point

• Usually surrounds important economic activity

• Examples:– Newspaper circulation– City with surrounding

areas in which workers commute from

– Area served by a particular utility company

Vernacular Region (perceptual)

• OPINIONS based on stereotypes

• Or perceptual region…a place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity– Mental maps

• Major news events help shape these perceptions (Middle East)

• The Maritimes quite distinct from the rest of Canada

Europe Map according to Americans

US Map according to Europeans

What Do You Call It?Most people would call this area the Middle East. But when you think about it geographically, what is it the Middle East to?

Can this be the Middle East too?

Is This the Far East?

Or Is This the Far East?

The terms “Middle East” and “Far East” were in relation to Western Europe (mainly the British Empire) during the 18th and 19th centuries. The correct geographic terms for these places are Southwest Asia and East Asia.

Southwest Asia

East Asia