CHAPTER 1 KEY ISSUE #2 WHY IS EACH POINT ON EARTH UNIQUE?

LOCATION – POSITION ON EARTH Difference between PLACE & REGION is a matter of scale Place – unique location of a feature Name (toponym) Site Situation Mathematical Location Region – area of unique characteristics Cultural Features Economic Features Physical Features

PLACE Toponym – name given to a place on Earth Names are given for a variety of reasons Site – physical characteristics of a place Ex. Climate, water sources, topography, soil, etc Choice of settlement is often influenced by culture Humans often modify the characteristics to suit their needs Situation – location in relation to other places Reference points Only as good as the importance to the person Relative location Mathematical Location – latitude & longitude Measured in degrees, minutes, & seconds 15 degrees of longitude is approximately 1 hr. difference in time 0° latitude = Equator & 0° longitude = Prime Meridian

REGION  Cultural landscape – combo cultural, econ., & physical features  Study of is also know as region studies  People are the most important cause of change  Types of Regions: formal, functional, & vernacular  Formal (uniform or homogeneous) – area where everyone least 1 distinctive characteristic  Can be dominant but not exclusive (i.e. dairy)  Help to identify patterns (i.e. voting tendencies)  Be cautious when creating formal regions b/c of diversity  Ex. States, cities, climate regions (temperate zone)  Functional (nodal) – area around a node or focal point  Ex. TV station coverage (Wausau vs. Madison vs. GB)

REGION  Types of Regions: formal, functional, & vernacular cont’d  Vernacular (perceptual) – place associated w/ cultural ID  Ex. Midwest vs. South  Mental maps – internal representation of something  Spatial Associations  Regions have distinct features because of cultural, econ., & environmental factors w/ similar spatial distributions  Culture – customary beliefs, material traits, & social forms creating traditions of a group  Things cared about: Ideas beliefs & values  Language – signs, sounds, gestures, & marks  Religion – system of attitudes, beliefs, & practices for worship  Ethnicity – language, religion, & other values AND physical traits (heritage)

REGION  Spatial Associations cont’d  Culture cont’d  Things to take care of: production of material wealth  Ex. Food, clothing, shelter  More Developed Countries (MCD’s) vs. Less Developed Countries (LCD’s)  Determined by income, literacy rates, technology, medical facilities, etc.  LCD = primarily agriculture  MCD = primarily manufacturing & service

REGION o Cultural Ecology – study of human-environment interactions o Environmental Determinism (ED) vs. Possibilism o ED (Humboldt & Ritter) – physical environment causes social development o Possibilism – more modern approach to H-E interactions o Environments limit possibilities but people adapt o Ex. Gas prices = driving habits/income/population o Physical Processes: climate, vegetation, soil, & landforms 1.Climate – long-term weather conditions o Köppen system: A.Tropical: humid tropical & seasonal humid tropical B.Dry: semiarid & desert C.Warm Mid-Latitude: humid subtropical, Medit., & Marine W. Coast D.Cold Mid-Latitude: humid continental & subarctic E.Polar: tundra & ice cap o Affects location of civilizations & food production o Ex. Monsoon & S Asia

REGION o Cultural Ecology cont’d o Physical Processes cont’d 2.Vegetation – Biomes: plant communities ① Forest – continuous canopy with undergrowth ② Savannah – sparse trees and shrubs & grassy areas ③ Grassland – grasses & plants ④ Desert – very sparse vegetation 3.Soil o 12 different orders of soil o Order  suborder  great groups  subgroups  families  series o Over 12,000 types of soil o Soil problems: erosion & depletion of nutrients

REGION o Cultural Ecology cont’d o Physical Processes cont’d 4.Landforms – geomorphology o Most people live on flat areas o Ex. CA mudslides = big $ o Topographic maps o Relief – difference in elevation o Slope – degree of incline o Like math: relief (rise)/distance (run) o Contour maps – use lines to represent elevation o Close lines = steep, distant lines = flat

REGION  Modifying the Environment  Need to be careful about HOW we influence environment  Technology allows greater influence on the environment  Ex. Netherlands – below sea level & FL – draining Everglades