Geography is the study of the earth and its features (physical environment) and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life (human environment), and how these environments interact with each other

Hurricane Katrina Damage Global geography is a two way interaction between the human and natural worlds that reveals their interconnectedness: Mining and harvesting other natural resources are human activities that affects the natural environment Hurricanes are a process of the natural world that affects human communities Mining Pollution Hurricane Katrina Damage

The geographic method of study has for its foundation six fundamental concepts: Location Region Spatial Pattern Spatial Interaction Human / Environmental Interaction Culture

Brunswick Street in Halifax after White Juan, the Blizzard of 2004 Location We often ask “Where did it happen?” Absolute Grid references, latitude, longitude, address Relative The use of landmarks, eg. 400 meters past the soccer field Time reference, eg. About 10 minutes down highway #1 Compass Direction, eg. Travel SW until you reach Smith Rd. Brunswick Street in Halifax after White Juan, the Blizzard of 2004

We live in the region often referred to as Atlantic Canada A distinctive part of the earth that has consistent or easily recognizable physical or cultural features such as: coastal regions rainforests resource base (corn belt) political structure and political boundaries ethnic regions cultural regions (religion, language) income (LLDC’s, LDC’s, and MDC’s) The scale or size of a region can vary greatly i.e. Annapolis Valley or North America could both be regions used in a geographic study We live in the region often referred to as Atlantic Canada

Spatial Pattern Examples: Most of the events that geographers study can be found in more than one location or region in the world− this is what is referred to as spatial distribution A Spatial pattern is when geographers can find a pattern of the same event in places that are far apart Examples: Expensive suburbs are usually built far away from industry or landfill sites is a spatial pattern occurring in most North American cities Prevailing winds push sulphur dioxide emissions from factories in a particular direction causing forests to be damaged from the effects of acid rain

Offshore oil spills have profound effects on marine life Spatial Interaction An event in one location or region can lead to change in another location or region; impacting another region either positively or negatively Examples: Forest fires in BC’s interior caused hazy skies near Vancouver (500kms) AIDS and other diseases can travel to other parts of the World very quickly due to technology (travel) Offshore oil spills have profound effects on marine life

Human / Environmental Interaction Impact of the environment on human and the impact of humans on the environment: Dependence - We depend on natural resources Adaptation - We adapt to climate (winter coats) and to landforms (rivers, mountains) Modification - How we change the environment to suit our needs (canals for irrigation, dykes to prevent flooding of farmland) In contrast to other spatial interactions, this type has impacts that are local; this means they are not usually noticed thousands of kilometers away

Culture Any geographic study must remember the idea of culture, or the customs and World views of a group of people Different cultures view different views on the environment, the use of natural resources, and the best ways of living in human communities

Culture By learning about a people’s culture we can better understand interactions with others and with the environment Culture can vary greatly within a small region Example: The difference of how rural and urban Canadians view rain Rain for rural farmers is very welcome while people living in urban areas view rain as inconvenient