The 5 Themes of Geography

How we look at the world, both past and present

Geography

• Geography: the study of the earth’s physical and human characteristics.

• Geographers use 5 themes to explain and understand these characteristics

Location

• “Where is it?”• Every place has:

– Absolute Location: the exact spot of a place on the earth’s surface. • Latitude and Longitude

– Relative Location: tells where a place is by comparing what is around it. • Bismarck is east of

Dickinson

Place

• “What is it like?”• Describes all of the

characteristics that give an area its own special quality.

• Physical: mountains, waterways, climate, plant and animals

• Human: language, religion or architecture

Examples of Place

• Concrete/Physical:– Landforms– Buildings– Bridges– Trees– Statues

• Abstract/Human:– Climate-- Language– Culture- the way of life

of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs

Movement

• “How do people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another?”

• Has brought the world’s people closer together.

• Transportation and

communication

Movement of People

• Population- total number of people in a given area

• Migration- moving from one place to another

• Immigrants- people who leave one country to move to another

Why do people move?

• “push-pull” theory- people migrate because something “pushes” them from where they currently live and “pulls” them to the new place.

Push-Pull Example

• Push:– Economic– Government– Religious persecution

• Pull– Better life– Similar people– Climate

Population Growth

• The world’s population has increased dramatically. – Growth rate has never

been seen before.

• Many people move from rural areas (villages in the countryside) to urban areas (cities and towns).

• Causes overcrowding in areas and over use of natural resources.

Movement of Products

• Import- goods bought from a foreign country.

• Export- goods sold to a foreign country.

• Economy- having to do with the exchanging of money for goods and services

Region

• “What common features bring geographical areas together?”

• Can be defined by– Physical features (mts)– Religion (Islamic)– Language (French)– Livelihood (agriculture)

Examples of Regions

• North Dakota is in the plains, a flat land region.

• North Dakota has regions within the state (Red River Valley).

• North Dakota is a part of a region (the Midwest).

Human-Environment Interaction

• “What is the relationship between people and their surroundings?”

• Landforms, waterways, climate and natural resources have either helped and harmed people and their activities.

Natural Resources

• Natural Resource- any useful material found in the environment.

• Usually soil, water, minerals and vegetation

3 Types of Resources• Recyclable: recourses that

cycle through the natural process in the environment. – Water Cycle

• Renewable: a natural resource that the environment continues to supply or is replaced as used. – Wind and trees

Non-renewable Resources

• Non-renewable: natural resources that cannot be replaced once they are used up. – Coal, oil, fossil fuels

Why is Geography Important to History

• Geography is a key factor in shaping historical events.

• It helps explain why and how things happened.