The World of GeographyThe World of Geography

What is Geography?What is Geography?

**It is the study of the It is the study of the physical, human, and physical, human, and biological systems of our biological systems of our earth.earth.

*Geography mixes up the *Geography mixes up the physical and human physical and human

aspects of our world into aspects of our world into one field of study.one field of study.

*Geography shows the *Geography shows the relationship between relationship between

people and the people and the environment.environment.

What is a geographer?What is a geographer?

•Someone who Someone who analyzes the analyzes the Earth from Earth from many points many points of view. of view. (Which will (Which will be you!)be you!)

The Five Themes of The Five Themes of GeographyGeography• There are five ways to look at There are five ways to look at

the earththe earth• When geographers work, they are When geographers work, they are

guided by two basic questions:guided by two basic questions:

1)1) Where are things located?Where are things located?

2)2) Why are they there?Why are they there?

To find these answers, geographers use To find these answers, geographers use five themes to organize informationfive themes to organize information

Things that geographers study:Things that geographers study:

•oceansoceans

•plant lifeplant life

•landformslandforms

•peoplepeople

•how the Earth and its people how the Earth and its people affect each otheraffect each other

The Five Themes:The Five Themes:

1. Location – Geographers begin to 1. Location – Geographers begin to study a place by finding where it is, study a place by finding where it is, or its location.or its location.

2. Place – Geographers study the 2. Place – Geographers study the physical and human features of a physical and human features of a location.location.

3. Human-Environment Interaction – 3. Human-Environment Interaction – Geographers study how people affect or Geographers study how people affect or shape physical characteristics of their shape physical characteristics of their natural surroundings and how does their natural surroundings and how does their surroundings (environment) affect them?surroundings (environment) affect them?

4. Movement – Helps explain how 4. Movement – Helps explain how people, goods, and ideas get people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another.from one place to another.

5. Regions – Geographers compare 5. Regions – Geographers compare the climate, land, population, the climate, land, population, or history of one place to or history of one place to another.another.

LocationLocation

• There are two ways to think There are two ways to think about location:about location:1.1.absolute location – describes absolute location – describes

the placethe place’’s exact position on s exact position on the Earth.the Earth.

2.2.relative location – explains relative location – explains where a place is by where a place is by describing places near it.describing places near it.

PlacePlace

•This includes a locationThis includes a location ’’s s physical and human features.physical and human features.– To describe physical features, you To describe physical features, you might say that the climate is hot might say that the climate is hot or cold or that the land is hilly.or cold or that the land is hilly.

– To describe human features, you To describe human features, you might discuss how many people live might discuss how many people live there, what types of work they do, there, what types of work they do, or what they do for fun.or what they do for fun.

Human-Environment Human-Environment InteractionInteraction

•How do people adjust to and How do people adjust to and change their environment? How change their environment? How does the environment adjust to does the environment adjust to and change the people?and change the people?

•Geographers also use Geographers also use interaction to study the interaction to study the consequences of peopleconsequences of people ’’s s actionsactions..

MovementMovement

Explains how people, goods, and Explains how people, goods, and ideas move from one place to ideas move from one place to another.another.

Helps geographers understand Helps geographers understand cultural changes.cultural changes.

RegionsRegions

•A region has a unifying A region has a unifying characteristic, like climate, characteristic, like climate, land, population, or history.land, population, or history.

•On maps, geographers use color On maps, geographers use color and shape or special symbols to and shape or special symbols to show regions.show regions.

How Latitude and Longitude How Latitude and Longitude Form the Global GridForm the Global Grid

The HemispheresThe Hemispheres

The Parts of a MapThe Parts of a Map

Compass RoseCompass Rose

• A compass rose is a model of a compass. A compass rose is a model of a compass. It tells the cardinal directions, which It tells the cardinal directions, which are north, south, east, and west.are north, south, east, and west.

ScaleScale

• The scale on a map tells you the The scale on a map tells you the relative distance on the map to the real relative distance on the map to the real world. For example, a map’s scale may world. For example, a map’s scale may tell you that one inch on the map equals tell you that one inch on the map equals one mile in the real world.one mile in the real world.

KeyKey

• The key, or legend, on a map The key, or legend, on a map explains what the symbols on a map explains what the symbols on a map represent, such as triangles represent, such as triangles representing trees.representing trees.

GridsGrids

• Some maps use a grid of parallels Some maps use a grid of parallels and meridians. On a map of a small and meridians. On a map of a small area, letters and numbers are often area, letters and numbers are often used to help you find your location.used to help you find your location.