Intro to Geography

Geography

• The spatial science or – The science of locational space

• This includes analyzing the patterns across locations on Earth’s surface

Geography

• two major subfields of geography;• human geography– Cultural, built, economic, political environment

• physical geography– Processes and patterns in the natural environment– Human interactions with the natural environment

Natural Regions

• What is a region?– An area defined by a certain shared characteristic• i.e. coastal region or tropical region

– Humans use regions to organize and study spatial patterns.• Regions can change over time• Regions are not usually distinct, but rather transitional

Regions

Spatial Science- Location

• Absolute vs. Relative

Spatial Science- Characteristics of Place

• Unique or shared– i.e. tropical rainforest vs. temperate rainforest

Spatial Science- Distributions and Patterns• Arrangements in space– Distribution of deserts across the world– regular, random, clustered

Distribution and Patterns

Spatial Science- Interactions

• Cause and effect• El Nino and La Nina influence weather in the

U.S.

Spatial Science- Changing Earth

• Changes over time