5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

Geography is the study of the earth and everything on it. DEFINITION Geography is the study of the earth and everything on it.

The 5 Themes Place Region Interaction (Human-Environment) Location Movement

PLACE What makes a place different from other places? Differences might be defined in terms of climate, physical features, or the people who live there and their traditions. What physical characteristics exist in this city such as plant and animal life? What cultural (human) characteristics are typical of this city? Which ethnic, religious, or political groups live here?

REGION How can Earth be divided into regions for study? Regions can be defined by a number of characteristics including area, language, political divisions, religions, and vegetation (for example, grassland, marshland, desert, rain forest). Descriptions of regions can include information about the physical or cultural characteristics. Physical refers to mountains, deserts, climates, etc. Cultural refers to history, religion, and language.

Human-Environmental Interaction What are the relationships among people and places? How have people changed the environment to better suit their needs? (e.g. building dams, changing landscapes) How do people depend on or use their environment? How do people adapt to their environment?

LOCATION Where are things located? A location can be specific (for example, it can be stated as coordinates of longitude and latitude or as a distance from another place) or general (it's in the Northeast).

MOVEMENT What are the patterns of movement of people, products, and information? A study of movement includes learning about major modes of transportation used by people, an area's major exports and imports, and ways in which people communicate (move ideas).