WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

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WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?
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What is geography ?
Try to define it in 10 words or less.
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Why what is where,
and so what.
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Why what is where.
Can be anything
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Why what is where.
tallest buildings fast food restaurants slums
volcanoes hurricanes
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tallest buildings in a city
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fast food restaurants
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slumsl
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volcanoes
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hurricanes
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Why what is where.
Spatial component
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Why what is where.
tallest buildings fast food restaurants slums
volcanoes hurricanes
centre of city grouped together close to
downtown edge of plates Caribbean region
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Where (the spatial component)
Where is one of the 1st questions usually asked
when people hear about an interesting event
fire, car accident, party, etc.
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Why what is where, and so what.
The consequences
What are the consequences of slums being located
on the periphery of large cities in poor
countries ?
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Place or location is critical in geography
Everything happens some place.
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Think of geography as more of an approach than
a set of specific topics
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What is involved in the geographic approach ?
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Six Key Components of the Geographic Approach
Location (2 types) Region Spatial
pattern Spatial Interaction Human/Environment
Interaction Culture
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Location
Absolute (a specific address)
1 Ivy Street, Greenwood 45 53' 26" N
65 42' 17" W
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Location
Relative (a general description compared to
someplace else)
just behind Tim Hortons approx. 1 km
after the stop lights
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Regions
we group areas together into regions for
convenience
Atlantic Provinces, North America, Western
Europe, the Annapolis Valley, the French Shore,
MDCs, LDCs, etc.
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Regions
defined by homogeneity physical geog.
Interior Lowlands economics - Less
Developed Countries language - the French
Shore religion - the Protestant area of
Belfast etc.
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Regions
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Spatial Pattern
how things are positioned
some possible patterns
grouped clustered linear concentric
rings sectors distance decay pattern
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Spatial Pattern
people tend to live with others similar to
themselves (wealth, colour, religion
Religious neighbourhoods in Belfast
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Spatial Pattern
grain elevators on the Prairies were originally
very regularly spaces,
What about the Annapolis Valley ?
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Spatial Pattern
the concentration of pollution usually decreases
as the distance from the source increases
(distance decay)
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Spatial Interaction
an action or change in 1 location causes a
change in another location
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Spatial Interaction
a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico causes a
change in the price of gas/oil in Nova Scotia
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Spatial Interaction
a new fashion trend that originates in Japan
becomes popular in N.S. a few weeks later
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Human/Environment Interaction
actions by humans result in environmental change
or environmental activity results in changes
for humans
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Human/Environment Interaction
Human activity changing nature Exxon Valdez
oil spill off of Alaska
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Human/Environment Interaction
Environmental activity cause changes for humans
Hurricane Andrew in Florida
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Culture
people from different cultures may have very
different views on many topics (environment,
demographics, food, etc.)
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Culture
many native groups live(d) in harmony with
nature while many people of European descent, do
not (did not)
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Culture
large numbers of children are accepted and
expected in many societies, while in others,
very few children are the norm
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Culture
eating beef products are accepted by
many religions but not by all
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Any topic can be geography if some of the
previous 6 ideas are used to aid in the
description, analysis, and/or synthesis of the
topic, you are using a geographic approach
Geographers think spatially (where,
patterns, connections)
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Examples of great geography topics
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Rock and Roll
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Horses
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The Crash of a Hercules in Alert
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How can these topics be approached
geographically ?
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Why study geography ?
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It is an holistic discipline
Science and/or Arts
BA Bachelor of Arts in Geography
BSc Bachelor of Science in Geography
BES Bachelor of Environmental Science in
Geography
Geography connects extremely well with many other
courses.
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Environmental Science
Biology
Math
Economics
Art / Design
Geography
Surveying
Geology
History
Sociology
Music
Family Studies
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Geography provides the links or connections
necessary to understand the complex world we live
in
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Uses of geography in everyday life
Now hunting, fishing, other forms of recreation
interpreting maps creating a summer or
permanent employment opportunity for yourself
(demographics lawn care for an aging
population) (economic opportunities
where are the most potential
customers for your new business) understanding
the benefits of urban or small town university
life
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Uses in your everyday life
Future Where are you going to buy or build your
house ? (price, conflicting land use, proximity
to ) planning travel business/vacation und
erstanding what is happening in the world being
a globally literate person
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A Future in Geography
Careers
Land Use Planning (urban, rural,
recreational) Cartography Survey
Engineering Navigation Architecture Geographic
Information Systems Real Estate / Appraisals Oil
industry Transportation System Design Business
Location Analysis Remote Sensing (satellite
imagery)
Environmental Science Wildlife Management Resource
Management Travel Industry Education Researcher D
isease Control Wilderness Guide Meteorology /
Weather Criminology Regional Economic Dev. and
others
http//www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/jptrites/future
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Wildlife Biology use of GPS GIS for tracking
various animals birds and mapping their
habitats
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Criminology the analysis and mapping
capabilities of GIS have replaced the push pins
and paper maps of days past
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Remote Sensing the use of satellite images can
play a huge role in resource management, the
search for new resources, tracking of storm
systems, analysis of the effects of disasters,
etc.
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Urban Planning
Many town and city planners enter their
profession through geography.
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Transportation system design
planning of efficient transportation networks
revolves around recognizing vital spatial
patterns
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Travel consultant imagine recommending
travel plans for people if you didnt understand
the geography (distances, directions, time
differences, culture and politics) of various
destinations.
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Medical geography / disease control
geographers play a vital role in identifying the
pattern of the spread of disease and in
implementing plans for preventing further
diffusion
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Meteorology
many meteorologists studied geography as the
starting point of their careers
Mike Jordan has stated that if he hadnt made it
in professional bball, he probably would have
relied upon his geography degree and become a
weather man.
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Real Estate
a good understanding of location factors is
essential for a successful career in real estate
Why is one property worth so much more than
another ?
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A Future in Geography
Post-secondary institutions (universities and
community colleges)
Brock University Trent University Lakehead
University Laurentian University University of
Manitoba University of Alberta University of
Calgary University of Sask. University of
B.C. University of Victoria Centre of Geog.
Sciences
Mount Allison University St. Marys
University Memorial University McGill
University Bishops University University of
Waterloo University of Toronto Wilfred Laurier
University York University University of Western
Ont. McMaster University
http//www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/jptrites/future
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Sources of Images Toronto CBD
http//www.stanford.edu/wavelet/photos/Summer04/T
oronto-NiagaraFalls/TorontoDowntown_large.jpg fast
food place http//www.thelifestylecompany.com/ar
ticles/images/FastFood04.jpg Slums
http//www.forestave.org/images/Bangalore20slums.
jpg Ring of Fire http//msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc
/Components/Interactives/Technology_Science/Scienc
e/Ring_of_fire.jpg Hurricane Damage
http//news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/470000/images/_47429
6_georges300.jpg Hurricane Floyd
http//rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rsd/images/Floyd/Floyd_19
990914_1259_hg.jpg house with house and street
sign mj trites 2 researchers with owls mj
trites map with lats. and longs.
http//academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/
core/linksa/longlatquiz1.html Tim Hortons
http//www.dsra.ca/projects_tim_hortons.html Traff
ic light http//www.esandafleet.co.nz/ grain
elevators http//davidplowden.com/photographs/Rur
al/image/22DPRualAmerica.jpg smoke stack
http//www.sierraclub.org/insider/images083104/smo
kestack.jpg Canadian regions http//www.unb.ca/w
eb/transpo/mynet/map.gif Appalachia
http//www.a-spi.org/AGF/ Hercules
http//www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/news/2004/10/grfx
/wallpaper/IS2004-8045a.jpg Clearcutting
http//www.mcgregor.bc.ca/forestResearch/forestPra
ctices/images/Clearcut.jpg Bryan Adams
http//www.adayonthegreen.com.au/images/media/bada
ms2.jpg Horses http//www.nwclydes.com/images/ha
nkhunt.jpg Shamanism https//vault2.secured-url.
com/counter_culture_secure/images8/2120exploring
20shamanism.jpg Oil tanker http//www.planktos.co
m/images/techno1.jpg
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Sources of Images contd. Exxon Valdez cleanup
http//www.fathom.com/course/21701790/hose.jpg Chi
na population policy http//www.iisg.nl/landsbe
rger/images/pop08.jpg Poster for many children
http//www.lotsofkids.com/mainsite/lok-button2.gif
Protestant school in Belfast http//saltspring.gu
lfislands.com/weisner/Belfast20School.jpg Neighbo
urhood in Belfast http//saltspring.gulfislands.
com/weisner/Ireland.html Flags in Protestant
neigbourhood http//sophiebaquey.free.fr/home/ire
land.htm Beef steak http//www.chile-pepper-sauc
es.com/images/Grilled20steak20with20peppers.jpg
Michael Jordan http//www.kenston.k12.oh.us/khs
/feature_stories/michael_jordan.jpg Real Estate
http//www.rickwall.ca/images/Rick_TO_RLP2.jpg Urb
an Planning http//www.nc3d.com/albums/ArchPlann
ing/demoliton_proposed_sm.jpg Woman at Gas
Station http//www.jasonbaker.net/world/spain/woma
n-at-gas-station.jpg Travel agent
http//www.suneasttours.com/travel_agent.jpg Calga
ry LRT http//www.calgaryplaceapts.com/img/shots/
train.jpg Calgary LRT map http//www.calgarytran
sit.com/Routes/ct_train_map.gif B of Fundy
satellite image http//www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/ccrs/
learn/tour/23/23ns_e.html Ellemere Is.
http//www.geo.de/GEO/wissenschaft_natur/2004_11_G
EO_kompakt_eisplanet/auto_01.jpg Ellesmere Is.
map http//www.ourhollowearth.com/Arctic2.jpg Ir
aq map http//www.globalsecurity.org/military/wo
rld/iraq/images/iraq-map_un1996.jpg Canadian Map
http//www.map-of-canada.org/