1. World Geography Basics
Ms. Xiques

2. \ SSWG1 The student will explain the physical aspects of geography.
a. Describe the concept of place by explaining how physical characteristics such as landforms, bodies of water, climate, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life are used to describe a place.
b. Explain how human characteristics, such as population settlement patterns, and human activities, such as agriculture and industry, can describe a place.
c. Analyze the interrelationship between physical and human characteristics of a place.

3. Essential Question
What does a “Geographer” do?

4. A Geographer’s “Tools”
Maps
Models
Photos
Graphs
Charts
Tables
5 Themes

5. Do you have a sense of direction?

6. Different Kinds of Maps
Topographical
natural and mad-made
Thematic
specific kinds of information-
climate or population density
Navigation
sailors and pilots

7. Distortion
A conformal projection primarily preserves shape, an equidistant projection primarily preserves distance, and an equal-area projection primarily preserves area.

8. How to Make a Map Surveying Remote Sensing Satellites Landsat
Series of satellites (16 days)
GOES (Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite)
Weather
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
Digital database
GPS (Global Positioning System)

9. What are the five themes?
Location
Place
Movement
Region
Human Environment Interaction 9

10. 5 Themes of Geography Tools geographers use to study features on earth.
1. Location
Where is it?
2. Place
What is it like?
3. Region
How are places similar or different?
4. Movement
How do people, goods, and ideas move from one location to another?
5. Human-Environment Interaction
How do people relate to the physical world?

11. Location Describes where places are on earth. Types of Location:
ABSOLUTE: exact location on earth (fixed)
Doesn’t change
Latitude/Longitude
Hemispheres
Grid System
Address
RELATIVE: compared to other places (variable)
Changes dependent upon where you’re comparing it to.
Miles
Distance
Direction 11

12. Absolute Location Examples:
Rome is located at 38°43' North 90°14' West
Argentina is located in the southern hemisphere
Ecuador is located in Tropic of Cancer. 12

13. Relative Location Examples:
Rome is located near the Mediterranean Sea.
Argentina is near Brazil.
Ecuador is south of Mexico. 13

14. Place A place is defined by it’s unique characteristics.
Physical characteristics
Cultural characteristics 14

15. Physical Characteristics
Specific to THAT place, not generic.
The way a place looks.
Created by nature.
Mountains
Rivers, Lakes, Seas
Climate
Vegetation
Examples:
Andes Mountains are in South America.
Amazon River flows through Brazil.
Pampas are located in Argentina.
The isthmus of Panama connects Central & South America. 15

16. Cultural Characteristics
Specific to THAT place, not generic.
Peoples activities change the way a place looks or is represented.
Man-made or invented.
Language
Unique buildings
Religious Practices
Celebrations/traditions/holidays
Examples:
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil.
Many Mexicans are Catholic.
Mayan ruins are located in Mexico.
Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico. 16

17. Movement Places do not exist in isolation.
Interconnectedness of the world changes the way places“look”.
Today: “globalization”
People, goods & ideas move from place to place.
Examples
Immigration from Latin America to US.
War in Iraq (troops, supplies, ideas, people)
Myspace, Facebook (ideas) 17

18. Region
The world is divided into different regions based upon similarities & differences.
Climate
Location
Beliefs
Languages
Ethnicity/Race
Types:
Formal
Functional
Perceptual 18

19. Formal Region Most common/familiar.
Determined by the distribution of a uniform characteristic (physical or cultural)
Location
Climate
Religion
Examples
Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama)
Latin America (spanish-speaking nations)
Tropics (countries located near equator) 19

20. Functional Region Serves a purpose that affects places around it.
Distributes goods/people
Serves specific purpose
Examples:
Panama Canal
Amazon River Basin
Hollywood 20

21. Perceptual Region
Groups of areas that provoke a certain stereotype or feeling.
Examples:
The Bronx
The “ghetto”
Chinatown 21

22. HEI The environment & people are interconnected.
Consequences to those actions depend upon how people choose to interact with the world and use their resources.
Positive/Negative
Intentional/Accidental
Favorable/Destructive 22

23. HEI Current Enviromental Issues: Climate Change (global warming)
Energy Resources
Water Conservation
Deforestation 23

25. Prime Meridian- Greenwich, England