Cultural Geography

Elements of Culture Culture: total knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that are shared and passed down by members of the same group Includes the aspects of the following: language, religion, food/shelter, education, creative expression, customs/holidays, traditions, relationships to family and others, heritage, where you live, political/social organization

Basics of Culture Society: a group of people that share a region, sense of identity, and culture Ethnic Group: people who share a similar language, customs, and common heritage. Diffusion: The spread of ideas, behaviors, or inventions Cultural hearth: where a innovation, idea, of belief originates. Acculturation: The acceptance of adoption of a new innovation, idea, or belief by an outside group.

Religion 3 types of religion Monotheistic- One god Polytheistic- Many gods Animistic-belief in the power and spiritual/divine forces of nature. Main religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism).

The Geography of Population

What is Population and how do we measure it? Population-total number of people in a specific area. Birth Rate- number of births per year per 1000 people Death Rate- number of deaths per year per 1000 people

Challenges Overcrowding Poor sanitation Poor roads Violence Environmental effects

Most Populated Cities Tokyo, Japan 34.4 million Mexico City, Mexico 18 million New York City, USA 17.85 million Sao Palo, Brazil 17.10 million Mumbai, India 16.09 million Kolkata, India 13.06 million Shanghai, China 12.89 million

Rural Vs. Urban and where do people live 75% of the earth is water, and 35% to 40% is too hot, cold, wet, or dry for large settlements. 2/3 of people live within 300 miles of an ocean Today, half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is known as urbanization Why do you think this is?

Urban Geography A more specific form of population geography is Urban geography. These geographers study the use of space within cities. All cities have a Central Business District (CBD) where commercial businesses are located. All cities have three regions (Residential, Industrial, Commercial) All cities must also include multiple modes of transportation

Political Geography Is the study of how people organize themselves into specific poiltical groups and how they interact/influence each other. State- Independent unit that occupies a specific territory and has full control of that territories affairs. Nation- is a group of people with a common culture living in a similar area and have a strong sense of unity. Nation-State- Is when a nation is combined with a state

Types of Political Systems Democracy: Is where the people of a state directly elect its leaders and create its laws. Republic: Is when a people elect representatives to make the laws for them. Monarchy: Is when a ruling family (king, queen, emperor, sultan) has control over a state. Theocracy: Is when a religious leader controls the affairs of a state. Communist: Is when the central government controls all aspects of politics and means of production in the name of the people. Dictatorship: A individual who holds complete power over a state.

Economic Geography Economy- is the production and exchange of goods between a group of people Four kinds of economies. Traditional- “barter system” is where people trade without the use of money. Market- “Capitalism” the economy is determined by the demand of consumers. Command- The prices and production of a product is determined by the central government. Mixed- Economy that is a combination of a Market and traditional economy

Economic Activities Primary activities- Involves gathering raw material from the earth (lumber, minerals, crops) Secondary activities- Involves manufacturing the raw materials in usable goods. Tertiary activities-Involves providing professional or business services (doctors, lawyers, grocery stores, teachers) Quaternary Activities- Involves providing information, management, and research services by highly trained persons.

Economic Development GNP- Gross national product or the total value of all goods and services produced in one year GDP- Gross domestic product or the total value of all goods and serviced produced over a set amount of time. Shows the overall health of a nation. Per Capita income- is the average income for a city, region, or nation.

Physical Geography