Geog 100 Themes in World Geography

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Geog 100Themes in World Geography

• Dr. Julie Cidell
• Fall 2004
• Section 7

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What is geography?

• The study of spatial variation
• How and why things differ from place to place
  on the surface of the earth
• The study of how observable spatial patterns
  evolved through time

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Spatial variation predominant religion
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Why spatial variation exists earthquakes
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Changes over time deforestation
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What is geography?

• Geography is a spatial science
• Spatial behavior of people
• Spatial relationships between places
• Spatial processes that create or maintain those
  behaviors and relationships

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Spatial behavior of people population
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Spatial relationships between places trade
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Spatial processes commuting and urban form
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Five fundamental themes of geography

• 1) Location the meaning of relative and absolute
  position on the earth's surface
• Sample terms Latitude and longitude, site and
  situation, direction, distance, scale
• Skills Map reading, identification
• Questions Where is ____? Where is ____ relative
  to where I am?

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Five fundamental themes of geography

• 2) Place the distinctive and distinguishing
  physical and human characteristics of locales
• Sample terms Physical and cultural landscapes,
  sense of place
• Skills Description, compare and contrast
• Questions What does ____ look like? Why? How is
  it different from ____?

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Five fundamental themes of geography

• 3) Relationships within places the development
  and consequences of human-environment
  relationships
• Sample terms Ecosystems, natural resources,
  environmental pollution
• Skills Evaluation, analysis
• Questions What human-environment relationships
  are occurring? How do they affect the place and
  its inhabitants?

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Five fundamental themes of geography

• 4) Movement patterns and change in human spatial
  interaction on the earth
• Sample terms Migration, diffusion, globalization
• Skills Explanation, prediction
• Questions How has this spatial pattern
  developed? Will it continue to change? What
  does it mean for the places involved?

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Five fundamental themes of geography

• 5) Regions how they form and change
• Sample terms Formal vs. functional regions
• Skills Synthesis, application
• Questions How has this spatial pattern
  developed? Will it continue to change? What
  does it mean for the places involved?

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Relative and absolute location

• Stand up!
• Where were you born?
• Where do you live?
• Wheres the most beautiful place youve ever been?

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Index cards

• Name and e-mail address
• Experience with geography
• Something unique or interesting about yourself
• Anything I should know?
• After looking at the syllabus
• What are you most and least looking forward to in
  the class?