Why are different places similar?

Local scale = unique features Global scale = broad patterns

Globalization – Action or process that involves the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope (scale of the world is shrinking) *interdependence *integrated◦ Economic◦ Cultural

Most economic activities undertaken in one region are influenced by decision makers located elsewhere

Crops, factories etc. Transnational Corporations Ease of movement Increased specialization

◦ Local labour force

Fig. 1-17: The Denso corporation is headquartered in Japan, but it has regional headquarters and other facilities in North America and Western Europe.

People around the world have the same aspirations…. What are they????

Local culture is being threatened (food, clothing, religion, language etc.)

Gap is closing in

                                                                                           

       

                                                      

                                                  

McDonald's is seen as a part of most developed economies McDonald's is to close its business in Iceland because the

country's financial crisis has made it too expensive to operate its franchise.

The fast food giant said its three outlets in the country would shut - and that it had no plans to return.

Besides the economy, McDonald's blamed the "unique operational complexity" of doing business in an isolated nation with a population of just 300,000.

Iceland's first McDonald's restaurant opened in 1993. 'No sense‘ For a kilo of onion, imported from Germany, I'm

paying the equivalent of a bottle of good whisky

McDonalds feeds 62 million ppl/day◦ 75 hamburgers every

second $32 billion revenue makes it

68th largest economy in the world (richer than most countries)

World’s largest toy distributor For the next 3 years, a

McDonalds will open every day in China

McDelivery in 18 countries

Why are people, objects and activities distributed the way that they are

When & Why vs. Where & Why

Arrangement of a feature in space Density: Frequency with which something

occurs ↑ pop. Doesn’t mean ↑ density NOT related to poverty

◦ Concentration: Extent of a feature’s spread over space Clustered vs. dispersed

◦ Pattern: Geometric arrangement of objects in space

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

Increased accessibility Estimated that no more than 10% of the

cultural items of any society are traceable to innovations created by its members & that 90% come through diffusion

We know more, faster Distance Decay – the farther away 2

things are, the less likely they will interact

Spread of a characteristic (originates at the ‘hearth’)

Relocation – physical movement of people *migration Religion (Christianity in NA) No increase in frequency

Expansion – movement of idea/innovation/trait (snowballing), Remains strongest in place of origin Hierarchal - Birkenstocks, Sushi (leapfrog) Contagious - Disease (wavelike, without regard) Stimulus – Hamburgers in India, Reindeer in Siberia,

Use of Facebook Plastic Surgery High Fashion Spread of English language Skateboards

Reduction in time it takes for something to reach another place.