Thinking Geographically

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Chapter 1
An Introduction to Human Geography The Cultural
Landscape, 9e James M. Rubenstein

• Thinking Geographically

Victoria Alapo, Instructor Geog 1050
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How Geographers Address Location

• Maps
• Early mapmaking
• Projections
• Mathematical location (Longitude Latitude)
• Map scale

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Maps of the Marshall Islands
A Polynesian stick chart depicts patterns of
waves on the sea route between two South Pacific
islands. Modern maps show the locations of these
Marshall Islands.
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World Political Boundaries (2004)
National political boundaries are among the most
significant elements of the cultural landscape
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How Geographers Address Location Projections
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How Geographers Address Location (contd)

• Projections
• Mercators Projection
• Goodes Interrupted Projection
• Robinsons Projection compromise btw the 2.

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Mercators Cylindrical Projection
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Interrupted Projection
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Robinsons Projection
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Mathematical location Longitude and Latitude

• Longitude
• Measures distance east or west around the globe
  beginning at the Prime Meridian
• 2 most important lines Prime Meridian
  International Date Line
• 0-180 degrees East or West
• Latitude
• Location on the Earths surface between the
  equator and either the north or south pole
• Also called parallels
• 0-90 degrees North or South
• See Greenwich Meridian Photos

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The Geographic Grid
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World Geographic Grid
The world geographic grid consists of meridians
of longitude and parallels of latitude. The
prime meridian (0º) passes through Greenwich,
England. See Photos.
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World Time Zones
The worlds 24 standard time zones are often
depicted using the Mercator projection.
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Map Scale

• The relationship of a features size on a map to
  its actual size on earth (comparison).
• Different types e.g.
• A) Fractional scale 1/24,000
• B) Ratio scale 124,000
• C) Written scale one inch represents 24,000
• D) Graphic scale (see textbook, e.g. pg 10)
• See Appendix, pg 502 for more information.

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Map Scale (continued)

• Large and Small Scales
• A large scale map has a small denominator and
  shows more detail e.g. an architects blueprint
  (e.g. 110, 1100)
• A small scale map is the opposite e.g. a globe.
  Less detail, large denominator (e.g. 11,000,000)
  
• Which is small and large scale on next slide?
• Which Seattle (pg 10) or Florida map is large or
  small scale?

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Scale Differences Maps of Florida
The effects of scale in maps of Florida. (Scales
from 110 million to 110,000)
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How Geographers Address Location (contd)

• Contemporary Tools for making maps
• GIS (Geographic Info Systems) e.g. how a globe
  is made.
• Remote sensing is acquisition of data about
  Earths surface from a satellite orbiting the
  planet or from high-flying aircraft (see next
  slides)
• GPS (Global Positioning Systems i.e. satellites).
  OnStar.

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Layers of a GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) stores
information about a location in several layers.
Each layer represents a different category of
information.
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Reddest areas are most recent cuts
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Changes in land use in China
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Uniqueness of Places and Regions

• Regions Areas of unique characteristics
• Cultural landscape anything man-made on the
  ground.
• Types of regions Formal Functional
• In a formal region, everyone shares common
  characteristics. E.g. in Iowa, everyone obeys the
  same laws within that boundary. Sometimes, in a
  formal region, xteristics are not universal, but
  predominant. E.g. the Wheat Belt. It doesn't
  mean only wheat grows there, just predominant.
  See next slides.
• A functional region is organized around a node
  or focal point, but its importance decreases
  outwards (e.g. TV, radio stations). Sometimes,
  theres overlap. Distance decay effect. (Next
  slide).

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Formal and Functional Regions
The state of Iowa is an example of a formal
region the areas of influence of various
television stations are examples of functional
regions. Read caption pg 22.
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World Climate Regions
The modified Köppen system divides the world into
five main climate regions example of a formal
region.
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Vernacular Regions
A number of factors are often used to define the
South as a vernacular region, each of
which identifies somewhat different boundaries.
More of a cultural definition of the south by
different people.
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Similarity of Different Places

• Scale From local to global
• Globalization is a process that involves the
  entire world. It makes places homogenous.
• Globalization of economy e.g. McDonalds
• Globalization of culture e.g. jeans
• If time permits, see video

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Globalization of the Economy
The Denso corporation is headquartered in Japan,
but it has regional headquarters and other
facilities in North America and Western Europe.
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Similarity of Different Places

• Connections between places
• Spatial interaction interaction is even faster
  today (e-mail, internet, etc). See next slide.
• Diffusion the process by which an idea or
  something spreads over time and space. See
  Culture Hearths. A hearth is a place from
  which ideas or innovations originate. Europe was
  never an EARLY culture hearth. See the handout
  the Kangnido.

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Space-Time Compression, 14921962
The times required to cross the Atlantic, or
orbit the Earth, illustrate how transport
improvements have shrunk the world (see caption,
figure 1-20, pg 36).
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EARLY CULTURE HEARTHS