AH9 – Outline #1 – Chapter 1

Wherever people live, they have shaped their environment to suit their needs. The Human ability to change the environment, however, is limited. Often, people must adapt their agriculture, industry, arts, and daily habits to their surroundings. It is important to see the connections between people and their environment.

I. The Global Environment

A. Geography =

Study of people, their environments and their sources How the natural environment affects the way we live and how we affect the environment

B. The 5 Themes of Geography

1. Location = Where did it happen? To answer this we turn to relative and exact location.

a. Relative Location =

the location of a place in relation to another can help explain why people settled in certain areas or why battles took place in certain areas

b. Exact (absolute) Location =

use of grid numbered lines on a map or globe

c. Latitude =

measure North and South from the Equator

+ Equator =

imaginary line at 0 degrees latitude, divides the Earth into two halves called hemispheres middle from the two poles

d. Longitude =

measures distance East and West of the Prime Meridian

+ Prime Meridian =

runs through Greenwich, England Zero degrees middle of nothing

2. Place = Geographers describe places in terms of their physical and human characteristics.

Physical Features =

include climate, soil, vegetation, animal life, and bodies of water natural resources (or materials that humans can use from the environment)

Human Features =

kinds of houses, means of transportation, ways of earning a living, languages, and religions

3. Interaction between People and their environment = wherever people live, they change the world around them. They may clear forests, blast tunnels through mountains, or plow fields.

How did the Native Americans adapt =

learned to plant seeds and grow food, not having to be nomadic Irrigation or bringing of food into dry lands with American southwest natives. Arid lands into productive lands

b. Today’s Adaptations =

Advanced technology changes the environment dramatically wiped out pests take oil from the ocean floor

4. Movement = the fourth theme is Movement, the movement of people, goods, and ideas.

a. Why does movement occur? =

because people and resources are scattered unevenly around the globe

b. Migration =

people travel from place to place to get what they need early hunters followed the herds of large animals to the Americas Freedom of religion, etc. to the Americas

5. Region = has unifying characteristics, either physical or human / cultural

a. Physical Characteristics =

a region's climate or landforms dictate an areas attributes

b. Human / Cultural Characteristics =

the language, culture, customs of a particular region

II. Tools of Geography = geographers use globes and maps to represent the Earth. Globes tend to be more accurate than maps due to globes being shaped more like the Earth. A map is a drawing of the surface of the Earth or part of the Earth. Globes are the most accurate, but are awkward to use.

+ Cartography – the act of mapmaking

A. Map Projections =

ways of drawing the Earth on a flat surface benefits and drawbacks, show sizes or shape, but distorts

1. Mercator Projection =

most widely used map projections developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer gave sailors an accurate picture of ocean distances and shape of landmasses

a. Problems with Mercator Projection =

distorts size, especially places that are far from the Equator Greenland appears as big as all of South America

2. Robinson Projection =

show correct sizes and shapes of landmasses for the most part fairly accurate view of the relationship between landmasses and water used often today distortion along the edges

B. Special Purpose Maps = geographers have developed many kinds of maps to show different information. Using this information, you can learn a lot about a region.

1. Physical maps =

show mountain ranges, bodies of water, etc.

2. Political Maps =

features determined by people boundaries for countries and states, locale of cities

3. Thematic Maps =

maps that deal with specific topics, that help understand the connections between geography and history

a. Population Maps =

# of people in a particular area

b. Economic Maps =

how people make a living in an area

c. Battle Maps =

locations of major battles and the routes of advancement and/or retreat

4. Today, cartographers use the improved technology of satellites and computers to make maps extremely accurate.