What is Geography?

What is Geography? Geography: The study of Earth and its features Geographer: A person who studies the Earth’s landforms and how people interact with them

Why Study Geography?

Why Study Geography? Geography improves our understanding of history. By studying geography, geographers can describe the past environments humans lived in. Also, geography impacts the culture of a group of people.

Five Themes of Geography The Five Themes of Geography help us answer the main questions asked geographers: Where is it? Why is it there? What are the consequences/impact of its being there?

5 Themes of Geography Location: Where is it? Absolute Relative Specific location Pinpoint location Coordinates on a map (latitude, longitude) Example: Cortland, NY (42 ° N, 76 ° W) Location based on characteristics Examples: next door, nearby, down the road, near the school, after the mall Example: Cortland, NY is between Syracuse and Binghamton

Place Area that is defined by everything in it Unique, has its own geographic features Physical and human characteristics Example: South Pole What are some characteristics that separate the South Pole from other cold places?

Human-Environment Interaction Interactions between people and their environment: How do people depend on the environment? How do people adapt to the environment? How do people change the environment? Examples: building highways, planting trees, pollution

Movement How people, goods, and information move from one place to another. Local: How did you get to school today? Global: How did humans travel to North America?

Region Area with certain similar characteristics (physical, natural, human, or cultural characteristics) Examples: deserts, mountains, rainforests, suburbs, Southern states of the United States, Upstate New York

Bellringer 9/11 Describe Cortland using the 5 Themes of Geography (Location was already used for an example)

Landforms Archipelago: a group or chain of islands Example: Japan, Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Desert A dry region with little rainfall and a very warm climate; Has little vegetation Example: Sahara Desert, Sahel (Africa) Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Peninsula A piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water Examples: India, Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Landforms River Valley: A valley that has been carved out by a river and has fertile soil Examples: Nile River Valley, Indus River Valley, Mesopotamia Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Mountain Large landform that stand taller than surrounding land Steeper than a hill Example: Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Plains Area with low elevation that has fertile soil for farming Example: Great Northern European Plain Positive Impacts: Negative Impacts:

Maps Maps are a representation of an area of land or sea. They can show physical features, cities, states, roads, climate, resources, etc.

Maps A Physical map shows how the land looks. It includes geographic features like mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, deserts, etc. This map changes very little over time.

Maps A Political map shows how humans have divided the surface of the Earth into countries, states, etc. This map shows the boundaries between countries and states. This map changes often.

Latitude Distance north and south from the equator of a point on Earth’s surface Horizontal line Parallels “Flatitude”

Longitude Distance of a point east and west of the Prime Meridian on the Earth’s surface

Finding a Point on a Map Every spot on the Earth can be located with coordinates! Latitude and longitude are used to pinpoint a location on Earth Coordinates are written like this: 50° N 100° W Latitude is always given first followed by the direction

Maps Read the map carefully! Title Labels Legend Key

Culture: Brainstorm! What is culture? What factors make up culture?

Culture Culture: A way of life of a society that is handed down from generation to generation (beliefs, values, and traditions)

Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion: the spreading out of culture from one area to another Traditions, values, beliefs, rituals, etc.